February saw the release of the BBC1 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse. It was also the first project completed at our new regional Visual Effects studio in Norfolk, East Anglia. Located at the former RAF Coltishall base turned creative hub and film studio, the 600-acre site is just 20 minutes from Norwich city centre. Speaking of the expansion, our founder Alexis Haggar explained: “We must be able to meet our client’s needs for regional production, but it’s also an exciting move for us creatively”.

Our second studio houses a 4k playback and review suite and is underpinned by a Resolve and Fusion pipeline. We join almost one hundred other businesses at Scottow Enterprise Park, which through the work of Hethel Innovation and October Studios, has been reinvented as an enormous studio space with an expanding production base and easy access to multiple creative locations. The site includes a full-scale Oval office; a 2.5 km concrete runway; private roads with access to nearby secluded forests, lakes and beaches. A 61,000 sq ft hangar with a comparable footprint to the 007 stage at Pinewood can accommodate expansive productions, and substantial set builds and the surrounding on-site space is ideal for large scale stunts and physical effects. A variety of accommodation options, proximity to Norwich International Airport and access to local talent make it a convenient base for filming.

VFX Supervisor at Lexhag, Jonathan Hancock – “We love to be creative and having space there to shoot elements to combine with Visual Effects, for example, is fabulous. It plays to our strengths of being a hands-on VFX team; talking through ideas and being on-set early in the process, problem-solving with clients and combining physical and digital effects to achieve the creative vision. And, there’s so much room for us to grow”.

North Norfolk’s beautiful scenery, easy transport links to Cambridge and London, and affordable house prices are attracting young professionals in search of the good life. Sandy Heslop, Studio Supervisor, relocated from our Soho studio to head up the new venture – “The opportunities here are incredibly exciting”. With a rich cultural heritage, active art scene and Norwich University of Arts nearby, Norfolk has no shortage of talent. “Our current team is a great mix of local artists and relocated seniors, and as we grow, we hope to continue this mix”. Check-out open roles for our Visual Effects Studio in Norfolk here.