When Spectrecom began trading at our offices and studio in Deptford in 2005, the idea of operating a small film/TV studio in Deptford was dismissed by doubters as being non-viable. Given the location in South East London, and with our comparative inexperience in studio management, it was easy to see why. However, fortunately it proved to be an instant success, and we were right in at the deep end with our very first shoot – the music video for Miss Dynamite's Judgement Day. In the earlier years especially, when the corporate video side of our business was still growing, our studio provided much-needed regular cashflow and stability. To view some of the productions we've hosted here in the last few years, just click on the video above. 

However, as our business has continued to expand, we've outgrown our space and recent visitors have seen just how cramped our offices and studio facilities have become. Small picnic tables have become an all-too-regular supplement to our office desks! So I'm very pleased to announce our relocation to much larger premises in Waterloo on 4th January 2010. Construction work has already begun and soon we'll be able to offer our clients:
•    4 x sound-proofed studios, 2 with drive-in access
•    4 x green rooms
•    3 x make-up rooms
•    3 x wardrobe rooms
•    3 x production offices
•    2 x kitchens
•    Shower facilities

I believe that our studio at Deptford was so successful because not only were the hire rates attractively low, but we also kept the pricing structure as simple as possible. The support facilities, lighting, studio manager – all were included in the basic hire rate. And of course, we had a memorably striking green room. So we'll continue the successful format with our new studios. Although yet to be confirmed, I expect that we'll be able to hire the smallest (420 ft²) for less than £400 per day, and the largest (2,100 ft²) for under £900 per day. And all of this just 5 minutes walk from Waterloo Station. We'll be publishing full specifications, studio images and prices on this site in January. 

New Waterloo Studios

And what of our studio in Deptford? It remains open for business in the short term, although we plan to re-assign the lease and sell on the basic contents as a going concern once the Waterloo Studios are fully operational. We'll be happy to consider any reasonable offers from interested parties.

In the meantime, may I take this opportunity to wish all of our clients and friends a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
 

It’s often suggested that a managing director of a company should concentrate on working on the business rather than working in it. And as time’s gone on and our business has grown, I’ve increasingly come to recognise the value of this. Sales forecasting, profitability, systems, staffing, strategising for the long term – they all require focus. But it’s also important to retain a creative overview to ensure that the company retains its identity and quality of programming. Besides, much of what we do happens out on location away from the office, working for and with clients. For that reason, I still like to go out on shoots and work in a variety of different crew roles where I have the skills and experience; directing, producing, camera work, art direction. It helps me to stay in touch with the realities of work on the front line as it were, but just as importantly, it allows me to indulge my passion and my reason for setting up this business in the first place: filmmaking!

The last few weeks have seen me involved in a number of very different but personally rewarding projects. At the end of August I was directing the last day of filming for a video celebrating the 45th anniversary of Lancaster University. The video was hosted by the university's charismatic chancellor Sir Chris Bonington and the university team, led by Nick Fragel, have been a dream to work with - model clients who know what they want, and who have worked diligently and thoughtfully with us to help shape their film into something quite special. Were it always thus!
Two days later I revisited one of my original filmmaking roles to work as first assistant director on a studio shoot for a music video. Spectrecom was asked by New York-based Humble TV to produce the UK shoot for the official video of The Uprising, the latest hit single by Muse. The video was completed in the US and the result is a highly imaginative video that you can catch here on YouTube.
 
A week later we were shooting at Abbey Road studios to make the video for the song, All You Need Is Love for BandAged / TOG’s, Terry Wogan’s fan base. And two days after that, I managed to fit in another role, this time as camera operator on a one-man job. I was in Venice to film Cunard’s Queen Victoria sail in, and then off to the Fincantineri shipyard at Monfalcone to record the building of the new Cunarder, Queen Elizabeth.
 
 So, a number of different roles and projects, and the chance to get out and about. And to produce this shamelessly name-dropping blog. But it's now back in the office, overseeing installation of a new CRM, preparing for sales exhibitions and a seminar to be hosted here in the studio next week, and planning for next year. I'm very definitely back to working 'on' the business.

I recently wrote an article to make the case for online video. I believe that most websites can benefit from short video clips profiling a company's key people, their products or their services. And to that end, Spectrecom will be launching 2 new online video product-based sites over the next month. These will be showcased at an interactive presentation we'll be delivering in our studio on 17 September 2009. This seminar will be aimed at small business owners who want to know more about internet video marketing, and will be of particular interest to potential affiliate partners thinking of reselling our new services.    

Earlier this week I submitted an article to the online networking site Business Scene. The article heralds a new phase in our drive to educate and cater for the SME sector, and specifically, to open up new markets for what has traditionally been known as 'corporate video'.

We launched this site in January, and our analytics have shown us that 46% of all the traffic that lands on our home page then goes straight to our team profile videos. This bears out what I've always suspected - that a website is the shop front to a company, and that as such, it's entirely natural that visitors should want to meet our people. The proof has been in the pudding. We've won business or attracted affiliate partners purely on the strength of our online presence. I believe that most websites can benefit from short inexpensive video clips profiling a company's key people, their products or their services. So in my article you can find out exactly why I think we're just at the beginning of the web video revolution.

Spectrecom has started work with another 5 universities this summer: York, Lancaster, Sussex, Newman and Goldsmith’s. The videos are predominantly for recruiting students online, and it’s now becoming such an effective marketing tool that it’s being seen as an essential part of the recruitment strategy. The universities that started using online video a couple of years ago have been delighted with the upswing in recruitment that they’ve delivered. I’m especially pleased that we’ve been asked yet again to produce work for Durham and King’s. They’re great clients to work for, and it’s good to see that they’ve been getting fantastic results with their videos.

So what of our most recent work? We’re often asked if, since we specialise in university films, our work doesn’t become a tad, well, samey? The answer is an emphatic ‘no’, and this summer we’ve been working with a number of new ideas and, where the budget allows, more high-end equipment and shooting techniques. For example, we’re incorporating more tracking and crane shots into our work, and we’re shooting more on HD than ever before. And in a move that shows single-campus sites at their best, 4 universities are going to benefit from an aerial shoot courtesy of our partnership with FlyingTv. Beyond that, our story-telling also remains imaginative. Steve Milton has just finished a film for St Mary’s College at Durham in pure student-led documentary format, and it’s resulted in a highly watchable and enjoyable film.

The undergrad students have all gone home now, but we’re continuing to make the best of the weather as the sunshine allows, shooting campus buildings and grounds, and capturing the flavour of local attractions and surrounding areas. The next big push will be to prepare for the Fresher’s season at the end of September when the universities will be alive with activity, the weather will still be friendly, and the new students will experience their first taste of university life. It’s the best time to record the combination of a thriving, enthusiastic student environment, sport and activities, and surroundings that are still passably green and leafy. Not surprisingly, it’s usually the busiest time of our year, and we’ll be there yet again to capture the event for those future students still fretting over their A levels.