Many European countries formerly in the Soviet bloc have begun to re-equip their studios, and Arri Lighting reports consistent sales to studios in Poland, Hungary and other East European countries. Locations in these countries are now often used for films, particularly TV dramas. Arri has noted a growing interest in 35mm from wildlife cameramen, driven by demand for higher definition; however, those filmmakers represent only a small part of the company’s 35mm market.
The facilities business is highly competitive. One film-equipment rental house, VFG, has grown rapidly since it was formed in 1989 and is currently the largest U.K.-owned, publicly quoted equipment-rental company in the country. It has nine offices in the U.K. as well as one in Dublin and one on the Isle of Man. VFG acquired Michael Samuelson Lighting two years ago, giving it a base at Pinewood. The company offers a full range of equipment, from 16mm and 35mm cameras to lighting, grip equipment and video cameras, and it also sells film stock. VFG has invested £30 million in new equipment over the past three years. Among the projects that recently used its equipment were The Bridget Jones Diaries.
Two of the best-known major lighting-rental companies, Lee Lighting and AFM Lighting, are both based in London. Tony Lucas, managing director at Lee Lighting, says the company has invested heavily in new lighting and is looking for new premises. While shooting part of Hannibal in Florence, Italy, Ridley Scott used the latest Leelium light balloons to illuminate the interiors of an ancient church without causing any rigging damage. Leelium’s innovative system is increasingly being used in historic buildings for this reason and for speed. Lee’s lights have also been used recently on 102 Dalmatians, Mummy 2 and Proof of Life. AFM Lighting is based on Waxlow Road and uses more than 65,000 square feet of floor space to house its lighting stock and fleet of 120 vehicles (which include the MovieStar, which is capable of lifting a lighting rig 100’). AFM Lighting’s relatively new building incorporates a demonstration studio, where cameramen can try any piece of equipment and alternative lighting solutions. The company supplied lights for the last three James Bond films, as well as Entrapment and The Beach, among others.
The U.K. studio infrastructure has changed little in the past two years. Last year, Pinewood opened two new stages totaling 40,000 square feet and installed a broadband fiber-optic ring main. Pinewood was also sold by Rank to a consortium led by Michael Grade, former head of Channel Four. Steve Jaggs, who continues as managing director of Pinewood, says that in addition to attracting traditional features and filmed TV productions, the studio hopes to attract a greater variety of TV productions.
The East London facility 3 Mills Studios, which offers both studios and a media center, is being steadily transformed with a mix of development within and alongside existing buildings that originally housed an 18th-century gin distillery, and further development is scheduled on an adjacent site. The studios include a helicopter pad, an exterior lot and rehearsal rooms suitable for ballet and circus acts, as well as river frontage with barge moorings. Daniel Dark, managing director of 3 Mills, says the company has spent £8 million on the site in the last three years. Its newest soundstage, finished this year, was in use within days of completion.
Elstree Studios’ two new stages, each of which offer 16,000 square feet, are in full use. Features recently shot there include Enigma, Sorted and Final Curtain. Elstree’s Joe Dunton is working on Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, for which he developed a special 28-290mm zoom lens. Scott and his brother, Tony, still own Shepperton Studios, which has been the base for 102 Dalmatians, The Mummy and Chocolat. The clubroom in the old house at Shepperton remains the home of the British Society of Cinematographers.
Two businesses formerly owned by Rank, Cintel International and Cooke Optics, have both introduced successful new products. Cintel is in the process of restructuring in the U.K. and America. Cooke Optics, now occupying new premises and best known for its 25-250mm and 18-100mm zoom lenses, has had a runaway success with its new range of S4 primes. Thus far, the firm has introduced six prime lenses out of an intended set of 12. Demand for these new lenses has been so high there is now a waiting list.
One British studio has made extraordinary progress since its small beginnings just over 20 years ago. Aardman Animations, whose stop-motion feature comedy Chicken Run was a summer hit in the States (see AC August ’00), will produce four more features for DreamWorks SKG to fulfill its £150 million deal with the American studio. The deal has been a coup for both studios and is a tribute to the single-minded persistence of Aardman’s directors, Peter Lord, David Sproxton and Nick Park.
Technical advances, particularly in digital techniques, data-storage and high-definition capabilities, are unremitting, and the postproduction houses centered in Soho, London, are constantly updating their facilities. Visual-effects work for Gladiator by Mill Film, postproduction on Chicken Run by de Lane Lea, and visual effects for Deep Blue Sea and Saving Grace by The Film Factory are indicative of the constant work flow in the area. Many of the post houses, such as Computer Film Company, VTR and Framestore, are linked within London through the broadband fiber-optic Sohonet. For Gladiator, Mill Film made constant use of Wam!Net for approvals in America (see AC May ’00), and the company uses the system to interact with U.S. agencies on a daily basis. International high-speed broadband links such as Wam!Net are being carefully evaluated by other companies interested in transferring work back and forth to the world’s film production centers, particularly between America and the U.K.