Swindon is the new Hollywood (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon is the new Hollywood

7:00pm Sunday 7th February 2010 in

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A London based film production company has come to Swindon following its expansion last year.

London based Sandstorm have moved their studio operations to Badbury citing the area as being often overlooked despite the links with major cities such as Bristol, Oxford, Bath, Cheltenham and being placed on the M4 corridor.

“The west is an amazing and vibrant place for video production” said Tom Ward, Sandstorm’s director.

“The cultural history of the west brings with it amazing experience of the arts and has the edge over London in many ways.”

While London is long regarded as the capital of film and video industry in the UK, the West Country has been the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters such as Saving Private Ryan, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, The Other Boleyn Girl and popular TV series such as Lark Rise to Candleford and Cranford to mention a few.

Their studio in Swindon is in a converted dairy building at Badbury, on the outskirts of Swindon but they have offices and post production facilities in Soho. They employ 30 people.

South West Screen, the Governments regional media partner said the region is a centre of excellence in animation, natural history production and digital media and The South West generates £153m of television production each year.

“Our clients are delighted to come to the Wiltshire studios; they are used to the bustle of the city so rural West Country is such a sanctuary for them” said Ward.

“With many of the world’s global corporations choosing to settle in the west, we are in good company. Why not bring video to these companies on their home turf”

Sandstorm was established in 2000 as a Special Effects specialist for Film and TV and quickly evolved into a Film Production and Post Production Company.

Ward started the business at the tender age of 20 after working in the industry as a director and producer in London.

For more call 01793 741524 or email rob@sandstorm.co.uk