2025 has been a year of geographic shifts and workflow evolution for the film and television industry. Whilst production levels remained below their pre-strike baseline, the landscape changed in meaningful ways. For those of us working in lens metadata, these shifts have underscored how critical accurate data capture has become. Here at DCS, we’ve watched these changes unfold whilst working alongside some incredible productions.
The production map continues to evolve. Throughout 2025, we’ve seen a pronounced shift towards European filming locations, with Hungary, Italy, Germany, and France all experiencing increased activity. Even US-based productions are shooting in the UK at higher rates than previous years. For a UK-based company like ours, this trend has brought opportunities to work with international crews on ambitious projects.
The mantra we’ve heard repeatedly this year is “fix it in pre, not post.” Studios tightening their budgets have realised that embedding lens metadata directly into RAW footage during production streamlines—and reduces—the cost of post-production. This isn’t theoretical anymore; it’s standard practice on ambitious projects like Andor Season 2, Silo Season 2, Wednesday Season 2, and Mobland, all of which fully embraced lens data collection as part of their workflow.
Virtual production continued to mature significantly. Rather than simply using LED volumes for driving plates, productions are now capturing full set pieces with expansive backgrounds entirely in-camera. We’ve also seen fascinating applications of live on-set VFX visualisation, most notably on The Gorge, where filmmakers worked with CGI elements in real-time during principal photography. Our LDTs provided the live lens data necessary to make this process work seamlessly—a glimpse of where production workflows are heading.
VFX-heavy productions continued to be the heartland of LDT usage, with Tron: Ares, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Snow White all seeking out our systems. We’ve been particularly pleased to see repeat business from major players like Amazon MGM Studios and Pixomondo, whose continued trust validates the reliability our products bring to large-scale environments.
One of the year’s highlights came at BSC Expo, where Erik Winquist, VFX Supervisor from WETA FX, gave our products a spontaneous endorsement during his talk, expressing “I cannot stress enough how important metadata is to what we’re doing these days” and pointing the audience towards our booth. Another milestone came early in the year when a production company made their first direct purchase of LDT equipment—not a rental house or studio, but the production company themselves. It signals that forward-thinking producers are becoming metadata-conscious.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been building capacity with key promotions within the team and expanding our developer capabilities. These changes position us to deliver on an exciting product pipeline for 2026: three new launches including a Q1 solution for DIT workflow challenges debuting at BSC, a Q2 focus on making lens data more invisible and simple, and a Q3 next-generation LDT platform.
Market education remains both our success story and ongoing challenge. In the UK, on-set crews now widely understand the value of lens data. Recently, one of our team was chatting with film crew at a social event and heard unprompted appreciation for DCS’s support and how useful on-set data has been for their work. These moments of validation—knowing the relationships we’ve cultivated are genuinely valued—remind us why we work so hard to support productions and our colleagues in the field. The harder work lies in connecting with VFX vendors and studios in post-production, demonstrating how frame-accurate metadata improves efficiency and reduces costs downstream.
Looking ahead to 2026, the industry faces continued uncertainty. Recovery remains uneven, and challenges persist across many sectors. Yet amidst this, we see opportunities. For DCS, 2026 will be a flagship year as we expand and grow in ways that broaden our reach and deepen our capabilities. We’re optimistic about what’s ahead, not because the path forward is certain, but because the industry’s shift towards hybrid workflows—combining practical, virtual, and emerging AI-driven tools—demands reliable infrastructure. Lens metadata is no longer optional; it’s foundational. And as the industry adapts, so do we.
If you’d like to discuss anything mentioned in this article or learn how an LDT can enhance your workflow, drop us an email at info@dcs.film.