WINTER 2020 LEADER


CONTACTS Editor


Jon Creamer


jon@televisual.com Contributing editor Tim Dams Contributors Pippa Considine Michael Burns Art direction (editorial) Nicola Hannan Art direction (advertising) Rick Rogers


rick@rickrogers.co.uk Cover


His Dark Materials (BBC/Bad Wolf)


JON CREAMER EDITOR


WINTER IS COMING, BUT THEN SO IS SPRING As we drift into the dark cold nights of winter, it seems strange to argue that TV and film makers should be feeling at all sunny. After all, we’re currently in the midst of Lockdown 2 (with possible time off


for good behaviour at Christmas), so it’s not the most inspiring moment. But strangely there are reasons to be cheerful too. Unlike the shock of Lockdown 1, this second time around at least we’re


all old hands. Covid safe working practices on set are second nature, the Production Restart insurance is in place and most production was not forced to pause. Post and vfx houses are now past masters at remote working and on-site social distancing too. And then there’s the sound of not one, not two, but three vaccines


gambolling towards us with a spring in their step. There’s also a sense that while the pandemic slammed the brakes on the


fortunes of the UK production industry mid-year, the general upward trajectory for the sector has not been altered and will continue onwards once we’re all fully Pfizer-ed up and Covid retreats into the shadows. Because while the PSBs took a hit to their finances during 2020, the


Managing director James Bennett james@televisual.com


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streamers certainly did not. Confidence in the high end TV world doesn’t seem to have been dented, evidenced by the many major studio developments in the UK that barely broke stride this year. The opportunities in high end TV don’t seem to have faded one little bit.


And that theme of opportunity runs throughout our Winter issue. In our piece on factual TV, we look at how ‘streamers of different shapes and


sizes are stacking their budgets and broadening their factual portfolios.’ Our drama genre report too picks out one of the major problems for scripted


producers as finding enough crew, locations and studios when the logjam breaks and everyone piles back into production in the new year. Much of that production will be for the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Apple


TV+. But those customers demand an extra level of delivery with 4K HDR already standard and Dolby Atmos becoming so. So our HETV production special (we’ll look at the post side of the picture next issue) asks those in the know about getting HDR to properly shine. And as it’s the Winter issue, that must mean it’s time for our annual Facilities


50 survey (now in its 33rd year). Much of that is given over to the enormous change Covid has brought in technology and working practices. And much of it for the better.


Televisual First Floor, 23 Golden Square, London, W1F 9JP Editorial jon@televisual.com Advertising advertising@televisual.com Subscriptions Beeline Data 12 months £50 (£66 o/s) Mailing House One Post onepost.co.uk Solicitors David Salamons Cubism Law 020 7831 0101 Printing Stephens & George 01685 388 888 stephensandgeorge.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher. Published by Televisual Media UK LTD © Televisual Magazine 2020 ISSN 0264-9845


THE BEST OF BRITISH TV: THE WINNERS TELEVISUAL.COM/BULLDOGS


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