Manchester’s prolific media industry is set for a major boost with the opening of The Foundry Film Studios, an 8,000 sq ft purposely-built venue located adjacent to MediaCityUK, and designed specifically for the creation of TV and advertising content, photography shoots and events.
Manchester Social 101 was lucky enough to be invited to the official launch of the studios and what a night it was. The impressive white space was filled with people, mainly professionals within the creative industry, sipping champagne and enjoying the entertainment.
The Foundry is home to two expansive studios, with one studio containing one of the largest infinity coves in the northwest. A band played as dancers performed on stilts in studio one, while studio two featured ‘live art’ that captivated the crowd. It was all very avant-garde, firmly positioning the venue as the hottest artistic hub in Greater Manchester.
The facilities are complemented by edit facilities, dressing rooms, creative breakout areas, a mezzanine platform, bar area and its own in-house collective of directors, producers and editors.
The Foundary Film Studios is a £1.5 million facility on Ordsall Lane in Salford, being managed by a young and visionary team, which comprises of managing director James Shannon (aged 28) and Madeline Penfold (aged 23), both whom have an impressive track-record in delivering creative content (location and studio) for clients.
They have thoughtfully designed the space to craft and deliver a location where content producers can be supported in a creative, yet digital and agile environment, technology boundaries can be challenged and where their team of mobile film makers have the ability to spring into action to capture footage remotely to be beamed back into the facility.
The Foundry Film Studios also offers an innovative and adaptable space, where events producers can deliver innovative concepts for up to 600 people in a unique and inspiring environment.
James Shannon MD, said: “Our combined ambition was to create a space which is ultimately an artistic hub and where collaboration is at the core.
“We wanted to make it feel like a home-from-home environment and develop an alternative to the cold, un-welcoming feeling that is so often found in a lifeless empty studio. We have built a space where traditional workflows can be broken and a place where we can continually adapt to the needs of our clients. The TV industry has evolved and boundaries are constantly being pushed. Experience, process and technology are very much a focus of the Foundry Studios and being able to work with our clients across the world offering them an immersive live experience is second to none”.
Madeline Penfold, Producer said: “The development of the Foundry Studios has been a wonderful collaborative project bringing together such inspirational and creative people. We’ve listened carefully to the needs of our clients, looked at the changing needs of the industry and brought together a team of talented in-house directors, photographers, producers, editors and production support in a space where we can challenge traditional techniques and join our clients on a ground-breaking journey creating and delivering content. There’s so much happening in Manchester in the creative and digital sector and we want to ensure The Foundry is positioned right at the heart of the excitement”.
If you’re interested in utilising the space, visit the website: www.foundryfilmstudios.com
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