London gains new £20m studio as the UK becomes the ‘premier destination for film production’
A new film studio is being built in London, providing with five new sound stages, as the UK tries to keep up with the cinematic explosion.
RD Studios, opening April 2022 in West London, will provide five new large sound stages within the M25, ensuring the boom in UK music, film and TV production driven by the popularity of streaming services can continue.
The £20m studio development is being overseen by Ryan Dean, founder of one of the largest creators of commercial and corporate content in Europe.
Started from his bedroom in 2009 when Dean was just 23-years-old, RD Content now has four international offices and an annual turnover of £10m.
His next venture RD Studios, also completely founder-owned, is part of Dean’s plan to create 250,000ft of independent studio space over the next five years to meet the growing demand for UK-based production.
All of the stages feature a fully automated truss, allowing for rigging work at ground level, and a drive-in stage door enabling large set constructions to enter and exit the stages with ease. There will also be extensive post-production facilities on site, including a cinema screening room, edit suites, sound engineering facilities and a Da Vinci colour grading suite.
The studios, created through a net zero-carbon refurbishment of an existing warehouse, intend to be the most sustainable film production facilities in London. The units will be energy efficient, drawing on solar power from photovoltaic panels across the roof, and harvesting rainwater for reuse. They will also provide charging points to encourage electric vehicle usage.
RD Studios will be completely independent and are managing the construction of the site themselves, to ensure the space is completely fit-for purpose for content creators, including plans for a virtual production stage to open later in 2022.
Ryan Dean, Founder of RD, says: “The UK has become the world’s premier destination for film production, but a lack of high-quality sound stages and studio space has the potential to limit the growth of the creative industries at a crucial time. I’m delighted to be bringing to the market a truly world class facility that has sustainability at its core, and is driven first and foremost by the needs of content creators. Having addressed the immediate need in London, my aim is to build further RD Studios across the globe, creating the largest network of independent studios in the world.”