Find out which stories about the post-production, studios and playout sectors were the most popular of the year.
The availability of studio space was the main theme of this year’s most popular facilities stories, with articles about Wimbledon Studios entering administration and Pinewood’s expansion among those that dominated our list of most-read pieces. But it was a story about an altogether different issue that topped our chart - scroll down to find out more.
20) Hackenbacker joins Halo Group (March)
Bafta-award winning audio post facility Hackenbacker joined the Halo Group. The Soho-based TV and film sound facility, which counts Downton Abbey, The Musketeers and Whitechapel among its broadcast credits, held on to the Hackenbacker brand.
19) Pinewood TV revenue drops as it prepares Teddington exit (November)
Pinewood Shepperton suffered a dip in revenue from its TV operations ahead of its exit from Teddington facility, which is to be redeveloped into housing next year.
18) Suite TV and Narduzzo Too join forces in drama push (August)
Boutique grading outfit Narduzzo Too linked up with picture and audio post facility Suite TV, with founder Vince Narduzzo to operate a grading theatre at Suite’s central London premises.
17) Post community confident of successful move to file (October)
UK post-producers confidently predicted that the highly anticipated switch to digital programme delivery would pass without a hitch, thanks to months of testing and many having invested more than £250,000 upgrading their facilities.
16) Lime in call for permanent studio facility in Liverpool (December)
Lime Pictures led a campaign to set up a permanent studio facility in Liverpool. The indie is in talks with Liverpool City Council about establishing a series of managed four-wall facilities of between 15,000 and 30,000 sq ft.
15) TLS to all but close post unit (November)
With ITV Studios opting to use third-party facilities to edit and finish programmes made by producers within the group, Broadcast revealed that The London Studios (TLS) is to radically scale back its post-production operation.
14) Mediasmiths puts UK hub into voluntary liquidation (September)
Broadcast technology consultancy firm Mediasmiths, which had worked on projects including the design of shared media infrastructure for MediaCityUK and assisting BSkyB’s shift to a tapeless workflow, shut down its UK division.
13) Goldcrest recruits for move into high-end picture post (February)
Audio specialists Goldcrest poached several key figures from DI facility Company 3 to support its move into the world of high-end picture post.
12) Jellyfish expands as tax credits boost VFX and animation (June)
VFX firm Jellyfish Pictures launched an animation unit in Brixton thanks in part to the animation tax credits.
11) Pinewood expansion plans green-lit by government (June)
Pinewood’s long-running plans to double the size of its Buckinghamshire base were eventually cleared by the government this year, paving the way for the build of 1m sq ft development including 12 large studios.
10) Evolutions primed for move to ‘bigger and better’ HQ (January)
Evolutions kicked off 2014 with news of its relocation from Berners Street to a 13,000 sq ft facility on Sheraton Street.
9) Re:fine acquired by US post-production firm (December)
Content processing firm Re:fine was acquired by Los Angeles-based post-production and digital distribution facility Visual Data for an undisclosed sum, with Re:fine set to rebrand next year.
8) Marjan TV agrees lease for Wimbledon Studios site (August)
Persian broadcaster Marjan Television Network has agreed to take over the former Wimbledon Studios site.
7) Riverside Studios prepares for rebuild (August)
Hungry Bear’s 1,000 Heartbeats was the final production to shoot at the Hammersmith facility before it closed in September ahead of a three-year rebuild that will include new studios and some 165 apartments.
6) Hat Trick boss hits out after Wimbledon Studios closure (August)
Jimmy Mulville was none too pleased at the owners of Wimbledon Studios after his production company was forced to stump up tens of thousands of pounds to finishing shooting at the soon-to-close site.
5) Wimbledon Studios enters administration (August)
The one-time home of shows such as Episodes and Tipping Point was put into administration by Property firm Panther Securities a week after the facility’s managing director Piers Read quit following an investment row with the company.
4) Ericsson’s Red Bee deal green lit (February)
Major consolidation in the playout sector was given the go-ahead by the Competition Commission which dismissed fears the deal would reduce competition.
3) Sumners shuts MediaCityUK base and calls in liquidators (July)
Having closed down its central Manchester operation at the end of 2012, Sumners shut its Salford facility and went into liquidation in July due to what owner Andy Sumner described as a “southward drift of post-production work”.
2) London studios crisis deepen (August)
After Wimbledon Studios entered administration Broadcast gave an overview of the studio sector in and around the M25, highlighting the facilities under threat and those with plans to add extra capacity.
1) Jamaica Inn team defend sound (May)
Following a host of accusations and finger-pointing over inaudible dialogue sound recordist Martin Beresford and post facility LipSync broke their silence to defend their work on the three-part drama.
The three-part series drew 2,200 complaints over inaudibility, prompting the BBC to adjust the programme’s dialogue levels for the second and third episodes.
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