Colour, Craft, and Storytelling: UNIT Delivers Grade for ITV’s “Union Black”
UNIT is proud to have provided colour grade for ITV 1’s new documentary “Union Black”, directed by Sebastian Whyte and produced by Whispering Rebel Films. The film aired on Monday 20 October 2025 as part of ITV’s acclaimed Fresh Cuts strand.
Fresh Cuts is an ITV initiative showcasing short factual films and series from emerging and diverse UK filmmakers, across genres including documentary, interview, and sketch.
Supported by ITV’s £80 million Diversity Commissioning Fund, the strand champions new perspectives and fresh voices in British storytelling.
“Union Black”, a play on the name of the United Kingdom’s national flag examines ideas of unity, identity, and cultural pride through a contemporary lens. The film explored what it means to be Black and British today, and how attitudes have shifted over time.The film was directed, edited, and executive produced by Sebastian Whyte, with UNIT colourist Harry Shelton leading the grade alongside Head of Production Tania De Sousa and Executive Producer Phil McCluney.
His work brought cohesion and visual depth to the film, ensuring that each sequence felt consistent, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
UNION BLACK Director, Sebastian Whyte, said “It was an absolute joy working with UNIT on this film. The usual production constraints never got in the way. Tania was my guardian angel and her team constantly found solutions. Harry’s final grade is phenomenal, adding to the terrific work of DoP Damian Daniel. UNION BLACK punches well beyond its weight, and UNIT played a large part in making that possible.
The film comes at a time where racial tension and xenophobia are on the rise, this has been the catalyst for many black brits to question what it means to be black & British, how these experiences have shaped their identity, and how the contributions of these immigrant communities have shaped British culture.
“UNION BLACK is an important film, ” continued Sebastian. “It speaks on Black British identity in a time of growing racism that’s masked in nationalism; it is about our visibility and our right to be here. But at no time do we dwell on or make our story dependent upon trauma. With contributors such as Jazzie B (Soul II Soul), Afua Hirsch, Llewella Gideon and Curtis Walker (The Real McCoy) Eddie Kadi, and Wretch 32, UNION BLACK celebrates the depth of Black British culture.“By combining technical precision with sensitivity to the film’s themes, UNIT helped bring Whispering Rebel’s vision to life, creating a final look that complements the project’s spirit of reflection and celebration.“I focus on delivering immaculate skin tones and tasteful, honest colour application to everything I grade,” says Unit Colorist Harry Shelton, whose previous work spans music videos, fashion films, and high-end branded content. “For a film like this, it’s about supporting the story and tone, not overpowering it, letting the people and the message shine.”
