WITH the long-awaited opening of Shinfield Studios just around the corner, residents and stakeholders have been given an update on works’ expected completion.
Into its final phase of construction, the facility already boasts 13 usable soundstages at the moment, and will see all 18 fully operational by early 2024. The studios have welcomed film and high-end-TV (HETV) productions from the likes of Disney, Sony and the US streamers over the past two years.
The state-of-the-art facility offers two of the largest, fully climate-conditioned soundstages available in the UK at 43,000 square feet each, and is also set to hold 38 workshops, substantial and contemporary office space, and a 9-acre filming backlot.
Nick Smith, joint managing director at Shinfield Studios, said: “Shinfield Studios now looks just like the plans we put to paper several years ago. Not only does it feel like a slice of Hollywood in Berkshire, it also offers producers everything that we promised.
“That’s to say a modern studio facility that has been carefully designed from the ground-up to meet all the needs of the most ambitious film and HETV productions. We really have considered every detail.”
Ian Johnson, joint managing director at Shinfield Studios, added: “We had always planned for Shinfield Studios to make a significant contribution to both the UK creative industry and the community in Berkshire. As it visibly takes shape, we’re also working behind the scenes to bring a substantial and varied range of opportunities to local people.
“We’ve just begun taking our first steps tapping into the local community to build our own team, as well as contributing to industry efforts to develop skills and training opportunities through our work as a funding partner of Screen Berkshire.”
In addition to its extensive technical offerings, Shinfield Studios has been constructed to BREEAM excellent standards, an internationally recognised sustainability assessment method for planning infrastructure and buildings.
Throughout construction, an external consultant has monitored and advised the team on a range of environmentally conscious measures, including minimising waste, sourcing resources locally, where possible, and reducing transportation of materials. Sustainable infrastructure such as air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points also feature throughout.
The studios are owned by US-based Shadowbox Studios, an industry leading independent film and television studio platform.
Peter Rumbold, CEO of Shadowbox Studios stated: “With the near completion of Shinfield Studios, we are thrilled to expand the Shadowbox platform in the UK – one of the world’s top film and television production markets. We are firm believers that best-in-class facilities in tier one markets will continue to see an outsize benefit from the secular shift toward streaming and our Shinfield facility was carefully designed to meet the most discerning production needs of our clients.”
