Founders to be given the Contribution to the Industry Award
The 45-year careers of Sargent-Disc founders John and Marija Sargent and the production expertise of British film and TV drama professionals will be celebrated at the Production Guild of Great Britain Awards this Saturday.
The Sargents have been handed the Contribution to the Industry Award to recognise their role in transforming the financial reporting and management processes for UK productions of all sizes.
The couple founded Sargent-Disc in 1986 after identifying a gap in the market for an efficient and reliable payroll service which understood film and TV industry demands and legislation. The business is now run by their children, Lara and Laurence.
The other three winners at the awards are:
- The UK production team behind Woody Harrelson’s ambitious directorial debut Lost in London, who receive the Production Guild Production Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Panavision.
- First assistant director Gareth Tandy, who receives the Production Guild Inspiration Award sponsored by Kodak, in recognition of his long-standing dedication to helping others develop within their careers.
- Assistant production accountant Ruby Avards, who receives the Production Guild Spotlight Award sponsored by Pinewood MBS Lighting.
Lost in London was the first film ever to be broadcast live. It was shot in a single take with one camera over 100 minutes and starred Harrelson, Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson. Featuring a cast of 30, more than 250 supporting artists and 260 predominantly British crew, filming began in London at 2am on 20 January 2017 and the film was broadcast live across more than 550 US cinemas and one UK screen.
Tandy has amassed numerous credits over five decades, ranging from films such as Superman (1979) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) to TV shows such as Jeeves and Wooster (ITV), Detectorists (BBC4) and Delicious (Sky).
Tandy’s brother Adam, who produces Detectorists, said: “Gareth was not only the earliest and greatest inspiration to me in my career but also an inspiration to literally hundreds of others. He is, as far as I am concerned, first among Firsts.”
Avards joined the Production Guild Assistant Production Accountants Training Scheme (APATS) in 2012. Since graduating, she has forged a strong path into her new production accounting career, demonstrating impressive levels of support to teams she has worked with over the past five years, with credits including Sky Atlantic’s The Tunnel and BBC Films’ On Chesil Beach.
The Production Guild of Great Britain Awards will again support the charity MAMA Youth Project, which works to equip young people with the skills and experience to secure long-term, fulfilling employment in the TV and media industry, with particular focus on those with limited educational or employment opportunities.
No comments yet