TV Triangle

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LEADER

4 Go west for opportunities

UKTV moved to Hammersmith in 2011 and stayed in the area when it relocated to its new state-of-the-art office earlier this year. It has cottoned on to one of the best-kept secrets of TV production in London: things are hap- pening out west. Hammersmith is one of the points of what has become known as the ‘TV Triangle’. The BBC’s Shep- herd’s Bush site and Osterley, home to Sky for the past quarter- century, are the other two – with the bustling Chiswick Park 8 sitting in the centre. Within this triangle nestles an exciting cluster of start-ups, technology companies, studios, digital producers and inter- national broadcasters from Disney to Discovery. As with Soho’s post houses and the technology specialists of Shoreditch’s Silicon Roundabout, signs are emerging that this is creating a new kind of media community, spurred on by cheaper rents, hungry talent and proximity to Heathrow. We thought it was high time that we explored the benefits and challenges of bringing this unofficial cluster together – and where it might be going next. From training specialists to post facilities and property devel- 14 opers, we’ve been talking to those determined to shape a very 21st century media hub, its ethos perhaps best encapsulated by one Chiswick Park agency whose name is simultaneously its mission statement: Enjoy Work. ➤ Robin Parker, supplement editor

Contents

4 Overview With lower rents, plenty of space and a host of TV businesses in close proximity, the TV Triangle is challenging Soho’s dominance 20 8 Skills Businesses, schools, colleges and training bodies in west London are joining up to develop the next generation of TV talent 12 Map A handy guide to the locations of all the major TV businesses in the TV Triangle 14 International The TV Triangle’s location near to Heathrow and strong local skills base have attracted some major international players 20 Tech & Innovation Good technology infrastructure and a culture of co-operation are making west London a centre for TV innovation

Broadcast Editor Chris Curtis Supplement Editor Robin Parker Production Editor Dominic Needham Group Art Director, Media Peter Gingell Senior Commercial Director, Media Alison Pitchford Sales Manager Sonya Jacobs Business Development Director Patricia Arescy Business Development Executive Donogh Hurley Contributors Ann-Marie Corvin, Jane Marlow, Nicola Smith www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 3 TV Triangle

OVERVIEW

Triangle with a cutting edge An area of west London is challenging Soho’s dominance with cheaper rents, more space and tenants ranging from the BBC to Sky and UKTV. Jane Marlow reports

Gone west: UKTV’s new home at 10 Hammersmith Grove; interior (inset)

4 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

OVERVIEW

e’ve all heard of Silicon Valley in California and TV TRIANGLE THE WEST LONDON ‘TV TRIANGLE’ W Silicon Roundabout in (SEE PAGE 12 FOR FULL MAP) BUSINESS BENEFITS Shoreditch, east London. But now a business cluster on the other side “You’re always going to bump of the is putting itself on the into interesting people at map: the TV Triangle. networking events and be Nigel Walley, chair of Decipher exposed to new ideas that Group and the TV Triangle trade you might not have thought body, was one of the fi rst to see the about before. It doesn’t auto- business benefi ts of putting a name to matically mean that you’re the organic cluster of TV and related going to go into partnership industries that had emerged in west with people you meet there, London. It is defi ned by three of the but at the very least it can major TV companies at its corners: spark ideas about things Sky’s Campus at Osterley; the BBC you should be doing with and TalkTalk at White City; and Virgin your own business.” at Hammersmith. Kim Thesiger “In the early days, a few of us were Managing director, TVT struggling to keep younger staff here who wanted to be in the bright lights “The rents in west London of the West End,” says Walley. “Part of are quite keen, but where the the thinking around [the TV Triangle] partners, facilities and creative ‘We wanted Triangle is doing a great job as was that if we could recreate some of agencies we use.” a collective is by saying to local the social and networking buzz hap- UKTV followed in 2011 when it to make sure councils: would you look at the pening over in Shoreditch, it would moved from Great Portland Street to our back- rates? Unfortunately, it’s a long help us retain staff.” Hammersmith, driven by a desire to offi ce infra- process, but it gives us a col- Along with the BBC and Riverside put more money on screen. Chief exec- lective voice.” Studios, Sky was one of the fi rst to utive Darren Childs says: “When you’re structure David Maglio colonise the area when it moved into spending lots of money on rent and was effi cient Director, Loft London its Osterley outpost 25 years ago. rates, it’s not making TV programming. so we could “At the time, this was a pretty poor, We wanted to make sure our back- “When we moved out here in rundown area with not too many other offi ce infrastructure was as effi cient as put more 2003, competition was really businesses. think Sky came because possible so we could put more money money into fi erce in Soho, as it still is. land was relatively cheap and easy to into creating programming and hiring programming So we thought: why don’t we develop,” says Sky corporate affairs people. We were in a growth stage so base ourselves out here? It’s director Graham MacWilliam. it became an easy decision for us to and hiring worked out well for us; a large And develop it has. First came the put that money on screen, and it’s paid people’ amount of our work comes Sky Studios building, then corporate dividends for the business in terms of Darren Childs, UKTV from local businesses.” centre The Hub, followed by the our ratings performance.” Soren Andersen Believe in Better training and develop- Director, Twoears Post ment centre that opens this month. Strategic clustering The fi nal phase, which brings the As well as cheaper rents and sheer “The TV Triangle might be remaining Sky staff into one building, space, proximity to key partners under- useful in showing people will be completed in 2016. pinned UKTV’s move west. “When we who previously thought ‘TV = “The BBC has been in Shepherd’s were looking at our offi ce space fi ve Soho’ that we are plugged Bush for a long time and with us there years ago, we drew a triangle on a into a vibrant and growing hub too, that’s created an anchor and other map that included Sky, the BBC and where talent and services are people have come into the space,” says our ad sales partner C4, and handed on our doorstep.” MacWilliam. “In the past few years, it over to the people who were helping Ruth Sessions we’ve massively increased our invest- us fi nd offi ce space. That was the brief,” Director of operations, ment in original British program- says Childs. Atlantic Productions ming, so we’re working with more As the mix of companies inhabiting production companies. Sky has the area increases, so too do the pos- “UKTV needed to be in a place become a bigger magnet.” sibilities for innovation. where talent was prepared The arrival of large broadcasters such Kim Thesiger, managing director to come to work. We knew as Disney, Discovery and Paramount at of digital services and post fi rm TVT, this was a good area for high- Chiswick Park in the early 2000s says: “You’ve got the broadcasters achieving, smart people look- sparked more strategic clustering. needing to be dragged into the 21st ing for their fi rst or second Attracted by core clients Virgin, century and a bunch of very intelli- job – the kind of people the Disney and Red Bee Media, Loft gent, entrepreneurial people who industry needs.” London moved west from Lambeth want to get involved in that. It’s Darren Childs in 2009. Director Davide Maglio says: at the interface of those two things Chief executive, “We have developed this eco-system where some really interesting things UKTV within the triangle with the technical are happening.” ➤

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 5 For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit TV Triangle www.broadcastnow.co.uk

OVERVIEW

This is just the kind of innova- to allow for the extensive work to tion that Childs is passionate about CHISWICK PARK A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT be completed, at the same time as inspiring at UKTV’s new cutting- the all-new edge offi ces on Hammersmith “TV is an industry in which companies feed into and off each other development relaunches with Grove, which it moved into earlier in many ways through infrastructure. They borrow each other’s even more bells and whistles. this year. The work environment is broadcast and satellite capacities and a lot of the talent is contract- The plans to transform River- designed to inspire creativity. based, so they regularly shift between companies. Geographic side took some fl ak from local Childs says: “The environment proximity is something that benefi ts all those natural tendencies.” residents, but executive director you want people to come to work “Chiswick Park [below], a 33-acre site situated towards the west Guy Hornsby says the building in is as important as what you pay end of the TV Triangle, is a geographical location in which media com- was no longer fi t for purpose: “A them and their terms and condi- panies could cluster. But what it did fi rst and foremost was create a lot of the people who were object- tions – particularly for graduates very different work environment. ing didn’t understand that no and the digital community, both of “Its Enjoy Work brand is about focusing on supporting organisa- action wasn’t a possibility.” which are increasingly critical for tions from a talent management standpoint. How can the physical and The current facilities will be the success of our business.” business environments feed and support organisations by attracting preserved in its new incarnation. Childs talks about the importance the best talent in the industry, retaining that talent and enhancing pro- “This is a way of securing our of “serendipitous innovation”, and ductivity? That was the mandate. We set about doing that and creat- future, coming back with much the open, free-fl owing layout of the ing an environment that lived up to that wonderful strap line. Fourteen better facilities than we’ve ever UKTV premises refl ects his com- years later, that is what Chiswick Park is known for.” had,” he adds. mitment to facilitating creativity. ➤ Kay Chaston, former chief executive, Chiswick Park Enjoy Work “You want the whole company Riverside revamp colliding with each other and As well as three multi-purpose sharing ideas,” Childs says. “The studios, the building will house great new programming idea post facilities, a cinema, a screen- doesn’t necessarily have to come ing room, rehearsal space, a local from the programming team; it entertainment space and a variety can come from anywhere in the of catering outlets, offi ce and resi- organisation. That’s what we’ve dential units. done with the environment. UKTV “Riverside has always had is so successful because we’ve got tenant companies in the building,” the culture right.” says Hornsby. “When we closed, there were 18 companies that Encouraging interaction had based themselves with us This principle can be applied because they wanted to be part to the benefi ts of clustering in of our environment. the wider world. At Chiswick Park, “With the new building, we’ll management company Enjoy Chiswick Park have twice as much offi ce space. Work organises sport, entertain- It’s a deliberate attempt to encour- ment and cultural events that age media organisations to be a encourage the 8,000 ‘guests’ on there’s everything there that part of our hub. Moving forward, the site to interact. ‘The new building you’d expect from a studio. We’ll our aspiration is to concentrate Former Enjoy Work chief execu- will have twice as have refurbished green rooms, on digital art – bringing arts and tive Kay Chaston says: “From the much space. It’s a dressing rooms and production entertainment to people on lots of outside looking in, the Enjoy Work offi ces, and we’re upgrading our different devices.” brand could look like just a nice deliberate attempt control rooms. Despite the obvious similarities social offer, but in reality it’s gone to encourage media “Productions and audiences in aspiration of the two projects, far deeper than that; it’s about fi rms to join our hub’ will also be able to spill out into BBC Studios’ Conway believes knitting this community together. the public spaces, using the new they are complementary. “There Guy Hornsby, Riverside Studios That wasn’t by accident. We restaurants, hotels and bars. The is such a depth and breadth of strategically created the infra- aspiration is that by putting offi ce work in the studios industry at structure to do that.” associated facilities, plus residen- accommodation onto the moment that those two sites Two state-of-the-art redevelop- tial and much-needed com- the site, other like- will serve production needs well, ment projects at Riverside Studios mercial space. minded media plus it consolidates the talent pool (home of Russell Howard’s Good BBC Studios and Post companies into that part of town.” News, pictured) and Television Production managing will co-locate Chaston is of a similar mind: Centre have the ability to broaden director David Conway here and it “Rather than competition stimu- the economic benefi ts of this kind says: “We’re creating a will become lating business benefi ts, it’s more of clustering still further. purpose-built footprint a vibrant of the typical millennial approach Chaston is now heading up to serve studios one media site of growing and building ideas the Television Centre redevelop- to three. We’re with us as an together. This group is a very ment for Stanhope Properties. She spread over anchor tenant.” collaborative demographic and describes the vision for the site as four fl oors The having them surrounded by their a “new evolution”, with residential and we’re opening has peers has a knock-on benefi t. As an units, bars, restaurants and hotels reconfi guring been held industry, they’re bigger and better sitting alongside the studios and the space so back to 2017 and stronger for being together.”

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TRAINING Joined-up thinking Businesses, schools and training bodies in west London are coming together to develop the next generation of TV talent. By Ann-Marie Corvin

iven the number of media TV studio, now has links with Ealing- companies, schools and based Red Bee, which has organised a G universities based in west series of school visits and work experi- London, there’s a feeling that the ence placements for pupils. area’s education, training bodies and According to Red Bee’s long-serving industry should be more joined up. creative business director Charlie This may be down to the sprawling, Mawer, who serves as the Academy’s 35 sq km area that the triangle covers community governor, the new school and the lack of any formalised train- was the brainchild of Tom Ilube, a ing network similar to those that tech entrepreneur with a passion for exist regionally. charities and education. “It’s not quite the same as what’s “He had an epiphany after happening in Shoreditch and Soho – seeing a bunch of school kids flocking both of which have that village, cottage- around Apple’s flagship store on industry feel,” says Met Film School Regent Street and wondered why production head Steve Pinhay. “It more schools weren’t set up in this doesn’t feel like there is any epicentre way,” Mawer explains. Clockwise from top: here yet, and there are too few infor- Opportunities within the triangle Sky Academy Skills mal places for networking.” may be further enhanced by plans Studio; Met students on for a national live arts production location; QVC provides a Creating links training hub, to be housed within the training ground for TV There’s also a desire from schools – newly rebuilt Riverside Studios when talent, producing 17 particularly those that offer media or it reopens in 2017. hours a day of live studio performing arts as a specialism – for “The vision is to bridge the gap content; Creative Media closer, more formalised links with between the live arts and televisual Skills runs practical local creative industries. worlds and make the arts more acces- courses such as hair Fulham’s Enterprise School, for sible to a wider range of people,” says styling for film and TV example, was one of 15 government- Riverside artistic director William backed ‘studio schools’ that launched Burdett-Coutts. two years ago under plans to create He is in the process of contacting establishments backed by large Arts Council hubs around the country employers to ensure school leavers to establish how such a venture can be 1 S KY ACADEMY, OSTERLEY have relevant business skills. funded. “It might not be feasible for Yet a Fulham Enterprise spokes- everyone – but it’s important that it ‘We’re taking Marking its 25th anniversary last person says nothing concrete ever serves a national purpose.” year, the satellite broadcaster came of the backing it was officially Companies based in the TV the whole launched its multimillion-pound given by the BBC and , Triangle, including IMG, Discovery, of our Sky Academy programme. This detailed in a Department of Education Endemol and Red Bee, all offer work training and encompasses a range of initiatives press release back in 2012. experience or internship programmes. designed to inspire the under 25s, “We’ve found organising formalised However, besides the schools initia- development with a target of reaching a million work placements with the media and tives, the onus is on individuals to and future young people by 2020. performing arts organisations seek out these opportunities. There is talent “We’re taking the whole of our extremely hard as employers are too a feeling that a virtual or actual train- training and development and future reluctant to commit,” she adds. ing network that brings together initiatives talent initiatives and making them a Other schools are, however, begin- schools, universities and training and making priority for our business,” says Sky ning to make inroads. The Livery opportunities is needed before the them a corporate affairs director Graham Companies-backed Hammersmith west London triangle can claim offi- MacWilliam. Academy, which boasts specialisms in cial ‘media cluster’ status. priority for The opportunities include the creative and digital media and houses These are four of the area’s biggest our business’ broadcaster’s schools programme Sky its own radio station and green screen training initiatives: Graham MacWilliam, Sky Skills Studio, which gives groups of

8 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

TRAINING

eight to 16 year-olds the opportunity As a private training body, fees to visit the studios and make a news are relatively high, and loans and report based on a subject linked to the bursaries are availa ble but limited. national curriculum. So far, 20,000 However, the school does have a good kids have paid Sky a visit, with another graduate employment record, with studio set to open in Livingston, near around 70-80% now working in the Edinburgh, in the new year. creative industries. The broadcaster has joined forces with the National Film and Television 3 Q VC, CHISWICK PARK School to offer Broadcast Production and Producing Digital Content and In 2012, the retail channel’s studio Formats courses. Both include a six- operation moved from the now demol- week internship at Sky and one ished Marco Polo House in Battersea student from each course is guaran- to a new 126,000 sq ft studio complex teed a three-month contract upon at Chiswick Park. graduation. The programme also Producing more than 17 hours a day offers five Bafta-funded scholarships of live studio TV content, QVC offers a to students from economically disad- training ground for those wishing to vantaged backgrounds, with a focus cut their teeth on the studio floor, and on supporting BAME students and the channel has partnerships with the disabled talent. universities of Staffordshire and The third tranche of Sky Academy is Bournemouth. “Half of all our new its Starting Out programme, a series studio hires come from those intern- of unpaid and paid work-experience ships,” says manager of corporate placements, apprenticeships and development and training Dan Kerkel. graduate programmes – with the The channel also runs a number of latter two schemes guaranteeing technical internships with Ravensbourne. partici pants a job upon completion. Kerkel says QVC’s non-hierarchical This month, Sky is set to unveil structure makes it a good place to its dedicated training centre – the meet senior people and learn from Believe in Better building – and will them. “Although the broadcast busi- announce a new scheme aimed at ness is fast-paced, we have a relaxed sixth-form students. and informal culture,” he says. “You can meet anyone in the hallway here – 2 T HE MET FILM SCHOOL, it doesn’t matter how senior they are.” Boasting a fully operational produc- 4 C REATIVE MEDIA SKILLS, tion company and post company, as CHISWICK well as a range of BA and MA degrees Among the many creative consultants and short courses, the Met Film and business start-ups housed within School claims that unlike other film Club Workspace Chiswick is Ailie schools, it is completely integrated Smith, chief executive of specialist into the industry. training outfit Creative Media Skills. “The nature of training at The Met The company delivers specialist train- Film School is very practical. We are ing courses aimed at craft freelancers always keen to expand the way we who want to stay on top of their game. interface with industry,” says Steve The daughter of movie producer Pinhay, a seasoned TV producer who Iain Smith (The Fifth Element; Cold heads up Met GO, a division that aims Mountain), Ailie grew up on film sets to increase work-based opportunities and worked as a hair and make-up for students and graduates. artist for 15 years before deciding to Indies involved in the school’s paid put her contacts book to good use. internship programme include Shine Her training business delivered and Fresh One, including its online 50 courses last year, ranging from content company Food Tube. stunt training with the James Bond Andy Serkis’ Ealing Studios-based team to facial hair courses with the The Imaginarium is a regular artist who supplied all the beards for employer of the film school’s gradu- The Life Of Brian. ates on a freelance basis. Al Brennink- With some of the UK’s top heads meijer, who worked at the motion of department on board as trainers, capture company during his two-year Smith hopes that some of these dying BA course in practical film-making, crafts and the professionalism that says the opportunity opened his eyes comes with practicing them will be to the multitude of jobs that a career passed onto freelancers to give them in film and TV production has to offer. an edge in a highly competiti ve field.

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 9 rapid pictures 006 aw.pdf 1 29/10/2014 14:17

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Scale without the stress Rapid Pictures facilities director Ben Plumb says that with offl ine, online, audio and grading suites, the West London post facility is big enough to cope with any length of series, but still small enough to provide a dedicated, informal atmosphere

Q When it comes to providing environment in which we are post-production services, surrounded by media companies. what are the values that Rapid There are major broadcasters, Pictures holds dear? major indies and other post facil- ities. We have a good relationship We are a post-production with pretty much all of them and company that wants to create a we try to help each other out. It’s stress-free environment for our a community all of its own. clients that allows them to con- It is no less creative or vibrant centrate on being creative. than anywhere else in London Having been going for more but it is that bit more relaxed and than 20 years, we’ve grown to a you don’t feel as much pressure. good enough size that we can The infrastructure has improved handle a wide variety of jobs but signifi cantly in recent times too everyone still knows everyone and there are now good travel else. It makes for a very personal connections and more shops, service and this attracts a lot of Meet the Orangutans: Discovery Networks International hotels, cafés and bars. There is repeat business. Our people are lots of development going on – friendly, talented and work as a post, or from building to build- but not too much – which is team in an effort to make the ing. It has a real connected feel improving the whole area so that production process as pain-free and, as a result, we are able to it is an even more pleasant and as possible for producers. pick up on problems before they comfortable place to work. This is also refl ected in our happen and large productions employment and staff develop- run really smoothly. What is next for Q ment policy throughout the facil- Rapid Pictures? ity. We have excellent in-house The people that run Q home-grown talent, such as our Rapid Pictures are now We want to take advantage of the colourist Matt Eversfi eld, as well company directors. How will ‘It’s all about opportunities that are opening as people we have brought in, that benefi t both the company attention to up both in broadcast and other like Steve Crook our audio editor. and your clients? detail. Everyone new media platforms. With this We make sure that everyone is is involved in a in mind, we’ve been refurbishing not just good at their job but very We now have the power to make project from and will be expanding into other approachable. It creates a trust- changes and develop the busi- start to fi nish parts of the building to give us ing environment so clients know ness. We’ve been running it on a and everything more capacity to handle the work that when they come here, they day-to-day level for such a long is in one place’ we’re bringing in. can rely on us and there won’t be time that we know all of the ins Ben Plumb, Rapid Pictures Beyond that, we’re looking at any problems. and outs. Now we can look at offering more graphics and things strategically and action visual effects services. The way How do you balance the things like new services that we SELECTED CREDITS things are going with online and Q Meet the Orangutans need for scale and size can offer or new areas of busi- (Blink Films for Discovery new media platforms, the graph- with the desire to provide this ness that we can go into. Networks International) ics side of things is an area that is friendly and personal service? Genesis Together becoming more of a necessity. What is unique about TV and Apart (Eagle Rock Q for BBC2) Contact details It’s all about attention to detail. production and post- Walking Through Everyone at Rapid is involved production in West London? History with Tony Rapid Pictures in a project from start to fi nish Robinson’ (Wildfi re TV 21-25 Goldhawk Road, London W12 8QQ for ) and, because everything and Historically, companies moved T 020 8743 8053 Racing Recharged everyone is in one place, clients here because of the BBC. This Formula E (Epic Screen E [email protected] are not pushed from pillar to has created a unique creative for National Geographic) W www.rapidpictures.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 11 THE WEST LONDON ‘TV TRIANGLE’ MAP

From Sky’s Osterley base to White City and Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios, the TV Triangle is a cluster of media com- panies, with Chiswick Park at its centre. But the pioneers of the concept are determined not to be shackled by geogra- phy, and outlying players such as Fountain Studios in Wembley and the Met School, based in Ealing Studios, have joined in. Our map shows the locations of the key players in this community.

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12 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk TV Triangle companies

A ChyronHego Iron Bridge House, Windmill Place, Hanwell, UB2 4NJ B Met Film School Block A, Ealing Studios, W5 5EP C Atlantic Productions Brook Green House, 4 Rowan Road, U Hammersmith, W6 7DU D Disney/ESPN Building 12, Chiswick Park, Chiswick High Road, W4 5AN E Creative Media Skills 10 Barley Mow Passage. W4 4PH F QVC L Building 8, Chiswick Park, Chiswick High Road, W4 5XU G TVT 540 Chiswick High Road, W4 5RG H Red Bee Media 201 Wood Lane, W12 7TP I U K T V P 10 Hammersmith Grove, W6 7AP S J H EMS Technical Personnel The Lightbox, 111 Power Road, W4 5PY K IMG Media Y One Burlington Lane, Hogarth Business Park, W4 2TH L Wazoku The Perfume Factory, 140 Wales Farm Road, W3 6UG M W e s t D i g i t a l 59 Goldhawk Road, W12 8EG N N Rapid Pictures M 21-25 Goldhawk Road, W12 8QQ O Twoears Post Power Road Studios, 114 Power Road, W4 5PY P BBC Worldwide Labs 201 Wood Lane, W12 7TQ Q C Enjoy Work I Building 3, Chiswick Park, Chiswick R Z High Road, W4 5YA E R Decipher/iBurbia Studios 3 Heathfi eld Terrace, Chiswick, W4 4JE S Television Centre (Stanhope) White City, London, W12 K T Riverside Studios T 65 Aspenlea Road, Hammersmith, W6 8LH U Fountain Studios 128 Drive, Wembley, HA9 8HP V MTG Chiswick Green, 610 Chiswick High Road, W4 5RU W Discovery Building 2, Chiswick Park, Chiswick High Road, W4 5YB X Sky Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 5QD Y Talk Talk 11 Eversham St, Hammersmith, W11 4AR Z Virgin Griffi n House, 161 Hammersmith Road, W6 8BS

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 13 TV Triangle

INTERNATIONAL A magnet for global players From Discovery to Disney, the TV Triangle’s proximity to Heathrow and strong local talent base have attracted a host of international broadcasters. Jane Marlow reports

8,000 Number of people employed by Chiswick Park’s 40 tenant companies

F W rom MTG to Disney, Discovery, “There is a perceived D Ericsson, Sky, Paramount and ‘West London is the cluster of skillsets here,” Q F Fox, many of the inter national hub, arguably, of the says Walley. “That’s TV industry’s largest players now have always a benefi t of an offi ces in the TV Triangle. So what western European economic cluster.” makes the area so desirable? TV industry, so it’s TV Triangle’s focus on For Richard Beeston, vice-presi- important we’re here’ graduate recruitment and dent, fi nance, at MTG, the reason is Richard Beeston, MTG training will ensure that this simple: talent. pool remains topped up and “West London is the hub, arguably, attractive to inter national com- of the western European TV industry, press, HR, legal and acquisitions panies, he says. so it’s important we’re here,” he says. people based at Chiswick Park. “One of the things we think we can Chiswick Park “There’s the linguistic advantage “It was important when we moved make a difference with down here is companies too. English is the language that to Chiswick Green that we had a co-ordinating graduate recruitment every one does business in. And there’s building that had the capacity to bring training and hiring events,” says D Disney/ESPN a pool of talent. Even back in 1987 us all together. It’s so easy for people Walley. A TV graduate recruitment Building 12 when we set up in London, that was to sit in their silo and you forget what event is planned for next spring. the basis of the decision.” they’re doing. The move was based on F QVC In recent months, MTG’s commit- bringing us all back under one roof, Training and recruitment Building 8 ment to west London has grown with the ability to shape the building The trade body’s website has an stronger. The company has moved its as we wanted.” area dedicated to training, intern- Q Enjoy Work workforce under one roof in new It also gave the group the opportu- ships and graduate recruitment. “It’s Building 3 premises at Chiswick Green. “Our nity to rebrand from Viasat and Viasat crucial for us that the big companies playout was in West Drayton so there Broadcasting to MTG. get involved. The likes of Sky and the W Discovery were around 200 people based there Acting chair of the TV Triangle BBC have graduate training pro- Building 2 doing transmission, engineering, trade body Nigel Walley recognises grammes, but what we’re keen to do is logistics and on-air planning, as well that the pool of talent available to get some of the small- and medium- See map on page 12 for full details as the creative services team. We also international companies is key to sized companies to co-ordinate had around 150 head offi ce, fi nance, them choosing London as a base. around those,” he says. ➤

14 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk TV Research Testng Educaton Events

www.iBurbiaStudios.co.uk iBurbia is a Decipher Group company For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit TV Triangle www.broadcastnow.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL

Kay Chaston, managing director of Stanhope’s TV Centre redevelop- ment and former Chiswick Park Enjoy Work chief executive, believes London itself does the job of attracting global players. “Capitalising on the location of Chiswick Park and being close to Heathrow – that’s very much a strate- gic opportunity,” she says. “It’s a huge benefi t to be 15 minutes from Heath- row. These organisations are oper- ating on a global level and that translates through everything from productivity to their bottom line.” Twoears Post has a long-standing relationship with MTG but company director Soren Andersen is unsure if the presence of global operators automatically creates potential for new collaborations. “Disney is self-suffi cient: it has six to eight sound studios and 30 edit suites in-house,” Andersen says. “We’ve specialised over the years at fi tting into other people’s workfl ow, which has served us well. It’s not as if Sky: Harlequin 1 building at Osterley the big internationals move in and then there’s a massive amount of work “I run the UK and Ireland business west London than you can in the – it’s not quite that way.” but I have colleagues here who are centre. That makes it quite attractive Susanna Dinnage, executive vice- responsible for businesses out in for companies making TV shows.” president and managing director at Central and Eastern Europe, the Chiswick Park has 8,000 workers Discovery Networks UK & Ireland, Middle East and Africa. Our educa- spread over 40 companies, not all of says her company works with more tion business is also based in London.” which are involved in the TV industry. than 70 production companies in any Proximity to Heathrow makes But Gemma McNelis, head one year. face-to-face meetings with of brand at the site’s man- “If indies make the effort to come far-fl ung colleagues much agement company Enjoy out west, I hope we make the effort easier than from a central Work, sees a lot of to give them a little more time,” she London base too. “We 15 collaboration. says. “There are plenty of people to see ‘Not being in are a truly global Minutes to get to “We do a lot of net- Chiswick Park from in the cluster, but I’d like to think that the middle company so the amount Heathrow working at Chiswick wherever we were based, we’d be of London is of travel time we save Park and have quarterly working with that number of indies.” being based in west meetings of our HR direc- very helpful. London is signifi cant,” she tors,” she says. “There are Room for growth You can get adds. “I think it also makes a lot of changes in terms of As one of the fi rst to go west in 2004, around much people more inclined to come and legislation for HR so knowledge Discovery was attracted by the space visit us for a day.” sharing is important. We have an and working environment. quicker in Sky’s international business is also active set of HR directors from various “The company was looking for a west London’ consolidating around its Osterley site sectors. Media is represented, but space that would allow it to grow over Guy Hornsby, as Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland we also have people from the oil a period of time,” says Dinnage. “The Riverside Studios merge to become Sky Europe. and gas sector, and from consumer- park itself has got bigger and allowed Sky corporate affairs director facing brands.” us the fl exibility to grow our staff here Graham MacWilliam says: “This Brentford and Isleworth MP Mary from 700 six years ago to around campus will be the headquarters for a Macleod is also actively bringing 1,300 people now.” new international business with oper- the broader business community Discovery House has become the ations across Europe. Being close to together. “She’s very proactive and hub of its international business and Heathrow is going to be a key factor.” keen on the promotion and network- Discovery Networks International It’s not only execs who feel the ing of the creative communities,” president JB Perrette is now based at benefi t of easy travel. Proximity to says Dinnage. “She encourages us to Chiswick Park. Heathrow is also good for business get together beyond the creative com- “We’ve expanded enormously for performance spaces like Riverside munities into other interesting busi- because our international business Studios. Executive director Guy nesses too. She’ll bring us all together has grown so much and we’ve got Hornsby says: “Not being in the and ask how we can work together. more people with an international middle of London is very helpful. Suddenly you realise what a thriving focus here in London,” says Dinnage. You can get around much quicker in economy it all is.”

16 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL WEST DIGITAL

Bigger, better, smarter West Digital managing director Peter Zacaroli explains how the expansion of facilities at the Shepherds Bush post facility and investment in tapeless workflows is delivering real benefits to its TV clients, saving them time and money

What areas are you Q focusing your energies and investment on right now?

We’ve focused on two areas. We’ve recently expanded and doubled our facilities and now have 15 edit suites, a screening room, a café, and graphics and audio suites. We’ve also found that companies are looking for cleverer ways of working due to the changes in technology and broadcasting. For example, we now have to manage growing amounts of media content, in various formats, from the start of each production. So, by continuing to invest in cloud- based services, we are finding new technical solutions to help them save money. Over the past 10 years, we have developed Rapid- View, which manages clients’ tapeless workflows and archives. and it’s great to see so many large nice to spend time with your production companies moving ‘By continuing to peers in a relaxed environment. Q What’s next for into the area. People coming to invest in cloud- We are a community of compa- tapeless? see us who are more used to Soho based services, nies that do work together. It has facilities comment on how light we are finding been very informal, but now it Having consulted with produc- and airy the rooms are while new technical can be driven forwards. tion managers from factual pro- still offering competitive rates. solutions to save With our new facilities, we’ve duction companies across the Because of the additional space, clients money’ been using the screening room UK, we’re now looking at how to we can offer pre- and post-pro- Peter Zacaroli, for local events including the TV track metadata through the edit. duction offices, and having a West Digital Triangle group, Media Trust and How much of it is archived, and garden, café and screening room Women in Film and Television. what sort of archive? We can offers our clients more comfort We’re hoping these screenings will data-mine each version that’s and somewhere to relax. continue and will help to build uploaded, so we can track the up some buzz about the area. It’s amount of HD content and what How collaborative is the interesting how the concept has mix of archive there is. This will Q culture in the TV Triangle? come at a time when the BBC has eliminate the need for endlessly scaled back its West London oper- looking through EDLs to work We’ve always had a great relation- ations but others, like Sky and out archive costs. You can find ship with local production com- UKTV, are filling their spaces. out instantly, delivering massive panies, audio and VFX studios, savings in time and money. and some of our competitors. A Contact details few years ago, there were organ- Contact Peter Zacaroli What advantages does ised get-togethers in the pub West Digital Post Production, Q your location offer? with local facilities, which worked 59 Goldhawk Road, London W12 8EG quite well, so we might try to T +44 (0)20 8743 5100 There’s a rich history of pro- revive that alongside the TV E [email protected] gramme-making in West London Triangle initiative. It’s always W www.westdigital.co.uk

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 19 TV Triangle

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

QVC: taking advantage of good connectivity Making strong connections With its good technology infrastructure and large number of firms within a short distance of each other, the TV Triangle is becoming a centre of innovation. Nicola Smith reports

echnological advances in the QVC is another player that has here that we needed and we were co- broadcast industry continue ‘We had been seduced by the area’s techno- located with lots of our clients so it T to gallop, and the move from all the logical infrastructure, moving from would be very easy to deliver files. We tape to file delivery has contributed connectivity Battersea to the Chiswick Park busi- looked at different parts of London to making the TV Triangle an attrac- ness park two years ago. “Any network but this was an obvious choice.” tive location. here that we connections we need are here, so the Fibre-optic technology is critical to “We sat down in 2007 with a con- needed. deals we have with new platform TVT’s service and it operates a dark nectivity company and worked We looked operators tend to feed into the Park as fibre network. By leasing the entire through our volumes and the amount opposed to being in a building some- fibre, it can carry as much information of bandwidth required – but what is at different where down a BT line, for example,” as it needs. “If I’d taken a managed needed now is completely different,” parts of says director of media operations service then I would just have that one says Davide Maglio, chief sales and London but Brian Farrelly. connection, whereas with dark fibre I marketing officer at Loft London, “At Battersea, we had to do it very have 15 different connections going which began life in SE11 and has since this was an much off our own back but there are down one piece of fibre thanks to multi- opened an operational centre and HQ obvious several media companies in the busi- plexing technology,” Thesiger says. in Power Road, Chiswick. choice’ ness park that benefit from that Most of the company’s workflow is Kim Thesiger, TVT shared infrastructure.” Driving innovation file-based – distributing content glob- One fellow Chiswick Park resident While the TV Triangle is lending ally to rights holders and film compa- is TVT. Managing director Kim itself to the changing technical nies. “We are asked to move anything Thesiger believes it was the first inde- demands of broadcast, innovation from 4K files to DCP masters,” Maglio pendent facility in the country to start is also gathering pace, thanks to says. “Connectivity isn’t great in SE11, operating an end-to-end file-based the growing number of technology so with traffic ramping up, we needed service, a move that underpinned the companies located in the area. somewhere with good connectivity. We development of the company’s new Broadcast graphics specialist now have just over 500GB of capacity.” premises. “We had all the connectivity Chyron Hego was formed 18 months

20 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

ago through the merger of US-based Chyron and Swedish company Hego. Hanwell in West London was chosen as the location for the new entity, partly because of the site’s proximity to its core customer base. Last year, it partnered with Ealing-based Vizrt to work on Osterley neighbour Sky’s Monday Night Football programme. “We came together as two vendors that are usually in competition with each other and did what Sky needed,” says Chyron Hego director of enterprise sales Paul Glasgow. Their work, which included virtual sets and graphics, graphical analysis, player tracking and social media, won an IBC Innovation Award 2014. “It’s about having this eco-structure of skills and knowledge and technology and that really exists in the TV Triangle,” says Glasgow. Decipher director Nigel Walley, the driving force behind the Triangle concept, says the area is seeing two kinds of innovation: between larger Monday Night Football: ChyronHego and Vizrt partnership companies, and between smaller tech- nology companies and larger entities. He cites interactive TV as a good TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION example of the former: “The industry needs to resolve standards and formats, As file-based workflows become West Digital is developing a are developing a post-production so we have managed to broker meet- the accepted way of working in tool that will calculate the cost of tool to work in a file-based envi- ings around red button interactive TV post-production, many changes are an edit for a client. “If a produc- ronment and we are looking at and smart TV advertising, where it’s under way. As Ben Plumb, facilities tion is using archive material, we how the industry will develop. Our really about getting all the major director at Shepherds Bush-based are working on a system that logs software development arm is dou- players, such as BT, Sky and Virgin, Rapid Pictures, says: “We were the archive as it goes in and cal- bling in size every six months.” together to talk about innovation.” quick to recognise the changing culates roughly how much it will Andersen believes innovation At BBC Worldwide Labs, six needs so we have a really good cost,” says Zacaroli. in this area is chiefly about digital start-ups are selected to work internal infrastructure – we work on While developing in-house tech- streamlining. “Some of our main alongside BBC Worldwide each year, 10GB SCSI connections internally, nology is a growing trend, TVT clients, such as Discovery and with a view to forging a commercial making it quick to copy files or managing director Kim Thesiger UKTV, have been involved with the partnership. Interactive TV is also in move them around the building.” suggests this is because product development of our approval sys- the spotlight here. The first partner- A more collaborative way of development is lacking. “There is tems. I think a lot of broadcasters ship, in 2012, was with e-commerce working is also evident. West a big requirement for new prod- and producers have been sold on toolkit Foodity (now Constant Com- Digital, also in Shepherds Bush, ucts and since we were not see- the idea that file-based would merce), enabling visitors to the BBC’s has been sharing materials with ing these being developed, we save time, but at the moment that Goodfood.com website to fill a Tesco. clients over the cloud for more took the decision to build them.” isn’t the case. The focus is on com basket with a recipe’s ingredients than 10 years via its Rapid View TVT now has a software devel- streamlining workflows – it won’t at the click of a mouse. system. “Clients use it for approv- opment team of 15 people. “We take 10 years though.” Most recently, the BBC has part- als, but they can make time-coded nered with facial recognition start-up and annotated notes – if an edit CrowdEmotion, which will allow it to is done here and it is uploaded to determine how fans react to shows the cloud, clients can log in and using facial coding webcams. David make notes,” says joint managing Boyle, executive vice-president of BBC director Peter Zacaroli. Worldwide Insight, believes such pro- Remote access is a growing jects place BBCW “at the forefront of requirement and Twoears, in Power global audience research”. Road Studios, has also developed Idea management software a remote approval system. “It company Wazoku, based near White gives our clients the opportunity City, is another start-up working with to review work in progress on larger counterparts, with the BBC any device at the office or in the its first client. “We were based in the field without adding strain or cost Ugli Building so the BBC was our to our work in the suites,” says landlord,” says co-founder Simon Hill. director Soren Andersen. “When we saw a press release pertain- ➤

www.broadcastnow.co.uk 21 November 2014 | TV Triangle | Broadcast | 21 TV Triangle

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

ing to what we do, we just walked across the street and said: ‘We’re here’. It certainly didn’t do any harm being on the doorstep.” The BBC has been using Wazoku’s iCreate platform for two years, with a view to generating content ideas from employees. “Only a small percentage of people working at the BBC get to work on what the organisation is renowned for: producing great TV and content,” says Hill. “The goal was to enfranchise that wider 90% of the organisation.” More than 30 ideas have progressed through the platform, including an idea secured as a strand commission for The One Show, chosen for its potential to grow into a full series. Peter Zacaroli, joint managing director at West Digital in Shepherds Bush, says he is working with more start-ups and has noticed a different mindset. “New production companies tend to be much quicker to embrace new ways of working because they The One Show: iCreate strand commission see the benefits. They might not have the infrastructure in place, and we can ‘The pace of Investment in innovation is also invested £125m in programming and be that glue.” technological increasing. Red Bee has its UK head support in 2014. “Our new office space office in Ealing as well as a presence in at 10 Hammersmith Grove has been Building partnerships change White City, and was recently taken over designed to foster collaborative As Loft’s Maglio says, it is no longer within the by Ericsson, another Triangle resident. working,” says Jan Gooze-Zijl, chief about straightforward transactional broadcast Red Bee chief technology officer Steve financial and operations officer. relationships. “Increasingly, we try to Plunkett says the company has dedi- It also has an ‘innovation pot’, build frameworks and partnerships industry is cated teams focused on industry R&D, designed to help bring ideas to life. with like-minded companies that will probably as well as working with a number of “Over the past three years, we have benefit our clients.” unparalleled’ local companies. “We have a number of invested £1.5m in this pot and anyone Loft London has a close relationship Steve Plunkett, Red Bee active focus areas. These include the from across the company can apply with Cinelab (which, as Maglio says development of new media processing to have a creative idea funded,” says “is at the very tip of the Triangle, in services that operate in public cloud Gooze-Zijl. Slough”) and the two companies have environments, advances in automated One idea funded so far was a second- collaborated to manage the archive for speech-recognition systems, and build- screen activation where viewers could a sports company’s on-demand plat- ing sophisticated search and discovery ‘unlock’ exclusive episodes of Dynamo: form. “Some supporters have donated tools to help viewers find content.” Magician Impossible before it aired on old Super 8 footage and 16mm footage, UKTV, which works with Red Bee Watch. The company has also launched and we were able to work closely with and TVT, is another neighbour taking its first digital-only brand, UKTV Play, Cinelab to get that into good shape.” R&D seriously. The company has a VoD service that brings together content from across the network. TV is close to the forefront of techno- logical innovation, and the TV Triangle is a microcosm of this. As Red Bee’s Plunkett says: “The pace of technologi- cal change within the broadcast indus- try is probably unparalleled and the way that TV is created, distributed and experienced is evolving equally fast.” BBC Worldwide Labs programme manager Hannah Blake sees this as an opportunity: “Not only has the tech- nology evolved, but so has the way in which programmes are consumed. Whether that’s viewing from different platforms or the use of social channels to interact with shows, the pace of change makes the TV industry ripe Dynamo: innovative second-screen activation for disruption and innovation.”

22 | Broadcast | TV Triangle | 21 November 2014 www.broadcastnow.co.uk In association with:

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