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The demand for new studio capacity, services and facilities has never been greater, with up to 4.5m sq ft of new development under consideration in order to meet it. This is more than double the current amount of permanent stage space in the UK alone and, most significantly, the sector has the potential to reach £6bn of investment by 2024/25. Film studios are now one of the latest targets of real estate investors scouring for opportunities in an increasingly competitive market. The explosion of content creation – a trend well underway prior to the pandemic, but accelerated by the ‘watching-from-home’ phenomenon – has lured some the world’s shrewdest real estate investors to deploy large pools of capital to studios for digital content creation, be it for feature productions, television series, commercials, animation, or even virtual – and possibly carbon neutral – production shot on ‘volumes’, or high definition screens. The parallels to data centre development are striking; the need for power, resilience, cooling and speed to market. We have harnessed the expertise and knowledge honed on data centres to give clients truely unique solutions and delivery assurance.
How we helped a UK studio space provider
Our client develops production-ready, professional sound stages using an innovative design and construction solution across sites in the UK. We were asked to support them in the development of one of their new locations that is set to become a substantial film and television making location in the South East of England.
The Challenge
Rapid deployment of the first sound stage and workshops together with the enabling work required for this green field site to set up the location for expansion to eight stages and all the necessary support accommodation. The site includes challenging existing utility infrastructure and landfill area. As a result of the shortage of production space in the UK, high levels of interest were being shown in the facility, driving the need for early completion to accommodate an incoming production.
The Opportunity
We were asked to provide project and cost management services to enable this project to get off the ground quickly by managing a series of work packages and project stakeholders.
The Solution
Through the overlapping of design and negotiated construction package procurement, the programme opportunities were maximised to allow for the fastest possible production-ready date. Understanding that agility was vital in maintaining schedule, we provided processes and controls that provided appropriate project governance without impeding quick decision-making and construction operations.
Our Services
The increased demand for ‘reel’ estate is creating a huge opportunity for investors across the world to diversify their portfolios and shift exposure away from retail and offices – two markets that have been hard hit by changing consumer behaviours and Covid-19. BCS can help clients focus that investment to achieve the best possible business outcomes.
Programme Management
- Programme Strategy & Set-up
- Programme Assurance
- Execution Strategy
- Programme Management Office
Project Management
- Project Brief Development
- Construction Management
- Design Management
- Testing & Commissioning
Cost & Commercial Management
- Cost Planning & Value Engineering
- Cost Audit, Benchmarking & Assurance
- Cost Estimating & Control
- Whole Life Costing