Founder Zeb Chadfield Completes Acquisition for Full Ownership of Post-Production Firm The Finish Line
London, UK, 14 January 2026 – The Finish Line, a specialist provider of high-end post-production services to both production companies and post facilities, is entering an exciting new era as founder Zeb Chadfield becomes sole owner of the business. The move marks a period of growth and renewed focus for one of the UK’s most well-regarded and progressive post-production companies.
With over 30 finishing and delivery systems, dozens of physical edit suites and a powerful virtualised infrastructure, The Finish Line offers fully scalable post-production services tailored to each client. Its high-end digital dailies, editing, conform, finishing and delivery pipelines integrate seamlessly with productions of every size, enabling fast, secure and colour-managed workflows from shoot to delivery.
With the share purchase complete as of January 2026, The Finish Line is now expanding its capabilities, migrating all systems to Apple Silicon, expanding UHD and HDR capacity across its full fleet with QD-OLED reference monitors, and increasing investment in immersive and stereoscopic tools to meet the next generation of content needs. Over the coming years, the facility expects to double the size of its team, continuing to grow sustainably while staying focused on what matters most: the welfare of its people and the quality of its output.
“Our growth has always been driven by purpose, not ambition,” says founder Zeb Chadfield. “Post-production is an industry I love deeply. It’s a complicated one, and as a dyslexic, high school dropout and the son of a fisherman, I never would have imagined this world was open to me. But nearly thirty years in, I’m still obsessed with post and feel lucky to be part of it, especially to be working alongside the best of the best in the UK. The Finish Line brings together everything I love about this industry: the people, the technology and the creativity. Acquiring full ownership of the company and expanding our capabilities is exciting, but what really matters is how it helps our team and our clients to deliver their best work.”
Founded by Zeb Chadfield in 2011, The Finish Line began as a bootstrapped operation before securing investment and becoming incorporated in 2014. From the outset, the company was built around a different way of working, one that prioritised people, creativity and technical excellence over traditional facility models. Today, The Finish Line is that vision realised, a modern, distributed and people-first post-production company, serving a wide range of clients across film and television, from major production companies to other post facilities who rely on them to scale up during peak periods and deliver to the highest standards.
At the heart of this success is a simple belief that great post-production depends on talent, tools and training. With Zeb now the sole owner of the business, that focus is undiluted, removing shareholder expectations and allowing every decision to be guided by what delivers the best creative output and client experience. By supporting its artists, refining its processes and continually investing in research and development, The Finish Line delivers world-class services that keep production budgets on screen, delivery on schedule and the quality of work at its very best.
The Finish Line is the non-Indie Gold Winner for Broadcast Magazine’s Best Places to Work in TV for 2023, 2024 and 2025, with fingers crossed to remain on the list for 2026. This recognition shows that the company’s dedication to its people goes far beyond lip service. “It’s important to me that we spend money where it matters,” says Zeb. “It’s very easy to get drawn into ego and vanity-led projects, but ultimately all that matters is what we deliver. We need to stay focused on stability and investing in what improves our output, which is our people. Everything else is superficial.”
The company’s embedded and scalable services are designed around each client’s needs, offering the flexibility to provide full end-to-end post-production to production companies, or specific support for other post facilities during busy periods. This adaptable approach ensures clients have what they need, where they need it and when they need it, without taking on heavy infrastructure or long-term commitments.
“Running a responsible business means meeting our obligations, investing in our people and contributing positively to the economy, rather than seeking to exploit it.” says Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Blessley. “Our clients value reliability and consistency, qualities that can only be sustained by looking after our staff and building a business with longevity in mind. We recognise the pressures created by rising costs and tightening budgets, which is why we invest in initiatives that improve efficiency and create more time for creativity, not less. By involving our technical teams early in the quoting process, we work closely with clients to identify intelligent and cost-effective ways to maximise their budgets. In doing so, we support them as a partner rather than simply a supplier, enabling them to succeed in an increasingly challenging commercial environment. The calibre of our clients, the standard of our work and the strength of the relationships we have built over the past 14 years speak for themselves.”
Zeb adds, “While this is a big moment for me personally, and for my family who have supported me, it is very much business as usual for The Finish Line. I am incredibly grateful to our team and to all our clients who have backed us over the years. When designing the company, we had to throw out the rule book to improve the process. Taking a different approach to the norm can be daunting for new clients, but their trust and loyalty tells me we’re doing something right. We could not feel more fortunate to work alongside and collaborate with such brilliant people.”
As The Finish Line moves into its next chapter, the mission stays the same. The company will continue to push creative and technical standards while taking care of the people who make it all possible. With innovation at its core and wellbeing at its heart, The Finish Line continues to show that world-class post-production can also be ethical, sustainable and beautifully efficient.
