A snapshot of the Audio Visual Industries in the South West
The South West is home to many successful companies and freelancers working in the audio visual industries. Whether you want to shoot a major film, find your voice on the airwaves, photograph the scenery or learn a new media skill, there is a huge range of facilities in the region, producing a wealth of talent.
Animation
The South West is known worldwide for its strength in animation. Internationally successful Aardman Animations is based in Bristol, and there are a considerable number of smaller animation companies in the region who are gaining recognition.
Film
The South West is geographically stunning. With luscious rolling green fields, stark and atmospheric moor land, dramatic coastlines and history dating back to prehistoric times, it's no wonder that many film companies choose our region as the backdrop to many well know films. Where else would they find so much diversity in such close proximity. Currently the Regions main film studio is in Cheltenham, plus there are a number of other smaller film studio facilities dotted around. There are also a number of film festivals that take place each year in the South West.
Interactive Media
The interactive media sector in the South West is mainly centred a round Bristol, Bath, and parts of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. E3Media, based in Bristol, is ranked third in the Design Weeks league table of digital companies. HP Labs Bristol is HP's second-largest central research laboratories. Researchers have developed a rendering service for digital animators which speeds up the process of converting wire-frame models into finished, fleshed-out frames with services that can be accessed and used in a manner similar to conventional utilities such as electricity or water.
Photo Imaging
As the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries, Skillset has now assumed responsibility for the work of the Photo Imaging National Training Organisation, and will be building on their successes to analyse and address the skills issues in the Photo Imaging sector. There are many Photo Imaging and Digital training providers through the South West, private and public sector.
Post-production and Facilities
An important sector with a strong base in Bristol. Films@59, based in Bristol, was voted top UK regional post production house by Televisual, based on criteria including turnover, volume of staff and commissions on air.
Radio
The BBC has 8 local radio stations in the South West. GWR has the largest share of audience and more radio licences than any other UK commercial radio broadcaster And it operates GWR FM based in Bristol and Swindon and has seven local radio stations. All in all there are around 50 radio stations broadcasting across the entire region. The move towards digital radio broadcasting is likely to fuel growth in this industry but also fragments audience sizes.
Television
Broadcast:
The South West is well known for its strong links with the production of Specialist Factual and Natural History programmes. BBC Bristol has the experience and facilities to produce quality programmes in both of these fields and is recognised as a world leader in natural history programme making, producing big budget programmes such as Blue Planet. ITV Westcountry is based in Plymouth and broadcasts to Cornwall and Devon, Dorset and Somerset – transmitting to 1.7 million people. ITV West, The Channel 3 commercial terrestrial broadcaster for the West of England, began life as HTV in 1968, and transmits to over 2 million people.
The Independent Sector:
The independent television production sector is flourishing too. Companies such as Twofour TV and Twofour Productions, based in Plymouth, are ranked in the top 20 UK independent production companies and Bristol's independents produce 25% of all natural history programming in the world! The independent sector is growing, with the south west also attracting companies such as Endemol, who have now opened a new studio complex in Bristol. Independents are spread right across the region. For example, Cheltenham Film Studios, founded in 1995, acts as a base for films visiting the Gloucestershire and Bristol area. Chilli Media, a leading producer of action sports programming is based in Penzance and Spider Eye is in St Just and they specialise in 2D and 3D animation and in Dorset there is Touch Productions operating from Shaftesbury, to name but a few.
