Media City studio head praises Bristol’s role in film and TV sector

The name Andy Waters may not be a household one, but the plethora of shows made under his watch at Dock 10 are watched by millions on both terrestrial television and streaming platforms.

During a short visit to Bristol, the head of studios at Dock 10 in Media City met with Bristol24/7 to discuss the changing landscape of film and TV studios and the city’s place within the wider industry.

Among the shows produced at Dock 10 includes firm favourites such as Blue Peter, Match of the Day, Question of Sport, Countdown, University Challenge, and Wheel of Fortune.

With the burgeoning success of Bristol-based studios such as The Bottle Yard Studios and the recently launched Box 7, Waters believes that Bristol is primed to become a leader in the film and TV industry.

Andy Waters believes that Bristol is primed to become a leader in the film and TV industry – photo: Milan Perera

Waters started off at the BBC Television Centre in London, where he worked for 20 years before moving up to Media City in Manchester in 2010.

Looking back at his time in Media City, Waters said: “I have been running the studios at Dock 10 for 13 years, bringing in a range of programmes for BBC, ITV, Channel 4 , Sky and it’s been an absolute privilege.”

According to him, the conventional sets that used up vast amount of resources (space, timber, metal and electricity) have become thing of the past. The conventional sets were operated at huge expenses. Nowadays, the sets have become smaller, energy efficient and easier to manage on a daily basis.

Dock 10 studios in Media City, is responsible for shows such as Match of the Day, Question of Sport, University Challenge and many more – photo: Dock 10

He talked at length of the revolutionary technology, Unreal Engines, widely used in gaming that have transformed the industry beyond recognition. Unreal Engines as used in video games such as Fortnite, have created sets with greater control for studios to change backgrounds with few adjustments to the settings. For example, a Christmas-themed setting could be transformed into a neutral setting seamlessly with minimum cost.

He spoke of the trial Dock 10 with Match of the Day, where the entire panel show is shot inside a green box despite whatever we see on TV.

“The green box” has revolutionised programmes such as Match of the Day – photo: Dock 10

“There’s been a lot of change. About five years ago we, along with BBC Sport, put them on the journey and working towards a virtual studio. So for the first first eight years of working with us they used a conventional studio conventional set but back in the beginning of the 2019 season we move them to a much smaller set,” said Waters.

He added: “It is shot against green screen and that entire background is created using a virtual studio technology, based on the same technology that gaming engines work, called Unreal Engine. It’s the same technology you see on video games such as Fortnite. We are using the same technology to create backgrounds, greater creative control, changing the sets from one without considerable costs.”

Waters believes that sustainability is not a choice but a conscious exercise the industry must embrace. As the film and TV sector reaches millions worldwide, it has become imperative to use innovation to implement sustainable practices.

“For sustainability, really important changes have happened and it all started with blue LED,” said Waters.

“Once that has become a long term viable product they could then use blue, red and green LEDs to make white light. So, we see in our homes transition to LED technology for lighting and the same is being applied to large film and TV studios.”

The innovations of lighting have drastically brought down the power consumption. According to Waters, it is as much as one eighth of the usual cost. Consequently, there has been huge reduction in air conditioning to bring the temperatures down to optimum levels.

Making a comparison between the current operational systems with the previous ones, Waters said: “When I first started at Dock 10, the industry was still on the cusp. So, you still needed big air conditioning systems, big tungsten lighting rigs but over the last ten years even large lights for big spaces, big stages and big studios have been able to transition to LED.

“When it comes to LED lighting, you’re almost getting towards probably about an eighth of power which was used and not only is there a reduction in power for the lighting, there’s also an equal reduction in the air conditioning you need to bring the temperature of the studio down to levels where people are happy to work with.”

As an industry pioneer he sees huge potential in Bristol to become a bona fide leader in the sector that can stand shoulder to shoulder with London and Manchester. He lauded the city’s burgeoning potential, citing its creative talent pool, diverse filming locations, and supportive infrastructure as catalysts propelling Bristol towards becoming a hub for film and television production.

Waters singled out The Bottle Yard Studios as a leading light of the sector – photo: The Bottle Yard Studio

He singled out The Bottle Yard Studios and was upbeat about their recent upward trajectory which has attracted the likes of Disney +.

When asked if he thinks Bristol has what it takes to “punch above its weight”, he quickly responded: “Bristol has always been an important centre in film and TV sector and it is no stranger. With investment, talent and dedication it will no doubt go from strength and strength.”

Main photo: Dock10

Read next:

• ‘State of the art’ film and TV studio opens in South Bristol
• Paul McGann: ‘It’s nice to work in Bristol as I can sleep in my own bed’
• Film and TV studio outlines expansion plans

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: