Hollywood comes to Basingstoke: BCoT opens new film production studio

Students from across north Hampshire studying film and production now have access to the cutting-edge technology used in big-budget Hollywood TV shows like Star Wars The Mandalorian and House of the Dragon.

Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) has opened the CreaTech Suite, a new production studio, fully equipped with motion-tracked cameras, an advanced green screen and lighting setup, high-spec video editing and colour grading hardware and software.

Students taking the college’s Level 2 and 3 Games, Media and Art courses have been getting to grips with the new technology. First-year student Alex Foster-Duckworth said: “It’s amazing to use the same technology that made films like Transformers and Star Wars. You don’t get opportunities like this every day, it’s great to not have our work held back by the equipment. I hope learning to use the studio will open lots of doors and lead to many more exciting opportunities.”

The £500,000 facility has been partly funded through the Local Skills Improvement Fund and was co-designed by CJP Broadcast Service Solutions.

The real-time rendering equipment allows aspiring filmmakers to see digital environments live on set so they can make creative decisions on the spot.

But it is not just film students who can benefit from the Createech Suite. BCoT students taking any course in the Creative Industries Department will have access to the studio and will be encouraged to work collaboratively.

Peter Gordon, Course Director – Games, Media and Art & Design, explained: “The CreaTech Suite will benefit all our creative industries students. They will have access to some of the highest specification equipment being used in the industry today and be able to work side by side, whether it’s props, narrative planning or motion design, the students will be able to form a working film studio.

“The studio has been years in the making, so to finally open it today, is very exciting for everyone involved. We want to be able to give our students, real hands-on experience that will help them stand out to potential employers in the future. We’re delighted that so many of them are already creating exciting work and enjoying using the technology.”

Anthony Bravo OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of BCoT, said: “BCoT has a long-standing reputation for offering excellent educational opportunities. We are proud to open such a unique facility at the college, enabling the filmmakers and set designers of the future to have access to such pioneering technology.”

Kieran Phillips, Director of Sales and Marketing at CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, said: “We designed and delivered the CreaTech Suite as a comprehensive virtual production facility, integrating real-time rendering, camera tracking, and motion capture technologies. This setup ensures BCoT students gain hands-on experience with the same tools driving innovation in professional media production today.”