Stage Fifty, a company that specializes in building film and TV stages, is opening its second UK site, this time in Winnersh, west of London.
Winnersh Film Studios is operational as a shooting facility now with stages set to be completed in 2022. It will feature 120,000 sq ft of studio space, plus 25,000 sq ft of offices and 50,000 sq ft of workshops.
Key to the development is a purpose-built virtual production stage that measures 30,000 sq ft [pictured top]. The stage is being created in partnership with Fin Studio Pictures and features an 84m x 7m screen with more than 140 million pixels.
Winnersh Film Studios is being developed with Frasers Property. The site is in the existing 90-acre Winnersih Triangle Park, which features a hotel, data centre, nursery, sports hub, cafes, restaurants, and an audio post house.
Stage Fifty’s other UK site is the Farnborough Film Studios, which has two 22,000 sq ft sound stages.
The UK studio market continues to scramble to cater to seemingly ever-growing demand for filming space, primarily from the U.S. streamers and studios. Earlier this week, Netflix re-upped its deal for the UK’s Shepperton Studios, while the facility’s owner Pinewood confirmed it was set to double the number of sound stages at the site.
“The substantial investment in the site will grow the UK economy, support existing local businesses and create hundreds of new jobs at the studios and throughout the wider supply chain,” said James Enright, CEO, Stage Fifty. “We’ve redeveloped existing spaces on the site to create offices and workshops that are in use now, and the stages at Winnersh Film Studios, including the VP stage, will be operational in 2022. Our stages are robust, high-quality and quick to build. And as 90% of the construction materials are reusable or recycled, they’re more sustainable too.”
“Today’s announcement of the opening of Stage Fifty’s Winnersh Film Studios is brilliant news for the UK’s screen industries,” added Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission. “Our industry is experiencing a phenomenal growth period. Indeed, the demand for content has never been greater, which in turn is driving the need for greater skills development and additional studio space, services and facilities. The creation of additional stage space capacity such as that at Winnersh Film Studios will help considerably in ensuring that the UK remains a global leader in international screen production.”
