Eleven-year-old post-production house Clear Cut is celebrating a year of increased business and expansion and is crediting its location in the wilds of west London for the success, writes John Oates
Eleven-year-old post-production house Clear Cut is celebrating a year of increased business and expansion and is crediting its location in the wilds of west London for the success, writes John Oates.

Despite widespread problems in the industry, Clear Cut has doubled the number of online and grading suites it operates and reckons its base in Brook Green, west London gives it an advantage over Soho, where overheads are much higher.

Clear Cut editor and company director John Dinwoodie said: 'We're in a slightly protected valley out here in west London. And there seems to be a gradual relocation from the West End to Brook Green.'

The company is building a new surround sound studio to complement its existing two dubbing suites and now has 22 editing suites, nine with remote access to multiple format decks. A new graphics department has already created work on The British Empire, Murder on Hungerford Bridgeand Hollywood Star Treatment.

On why Clear Cut has bucked the trend for downsizing, Dinwoodie said: 'Our core business has stayed robust, we've been hit a bit by ITV but we do a lot of work for the BBC and for indies like Endemol and Thames.'

The company, which currently service s a clutch of high-profile BBC productions including The Money Programme, Crimewatch and Horizon, employs 22 permanent staff and a roster of core freelancers.