Shinfield Studios advances final phase of construction

Shinfield Studios, the largest new film and television studio development in the UK, is nearing completion of its final phase of construction. With 13 soundstages now available, all 18 will be fully operational by early 2024. Over the past two years, as construction progressed and facilities became available, Shinfield Studios has welcomed film and high-end-TV (HETV) productions from some of the largest media companies in the world including Disney, Sony and the US streamers.

Based near Reading in Berkshire, and just 30 miles from central London, Shinfield Studio’s state-of-the-art facility already offers two of the largest, fully climate-controlled soundstages available in the UK at 43,000 sq. ft. each. On completion, the studio campus will include 18 soundstages, 38 workshops, substantial and contemporary office space, and a 9-acre filming backlot.

Nick Smith, Joint Managing Director, Shinfield Studios said: “Shinfield Studios now looks just like the plans we put to paper several years ago. Not only does it feel like a slice of Hollywood in Berkshire, it also offers producers everything that we promised. That’s to say a modern studio facility that has been carefully designed from the ground-up to meet all the needs of the most ambitious film and HETV productions. We really have considered every detail.”

Ian Johnson, Joint Managing Director, Shinfield Studios added: “We had always planned for Shinfield Studios to make a significant contribution to both the UK creative industry and the community in Berkshire. As it visibly takes shape, we’re also working behind the scenes to bring a substantial and varied range of opportunities to local people.  We’ve just begun taking our first steps tapping into the local community to build our own team, as well as contributing to industry efforts to develop skills and training opportunities through our work as a funding partner of Screen Berkshire.”

Shinfield Studios offers the most modern, production-friendly film and HETV studio facilities available in the UK today. The 18 sound stages range from 17,000 to 43,000 sq. ft., with up to 50 ft. working height clearance and, all feature two elephant doors per stage. From the full-length overhead gantries, up to one tonne of weight can be hung per each 6m runway beam. Accessibility has been at the heart of the design with accessible toilet facilities available on each stage and every floor of the offices. Each office floor also offers an accessible kitchen. A large canteen known as ‘The Hub’ will be part of the site and has been designed to be supplemented by external catering facilities for the very largest productions.

In addition to the amenities offered at the studio, Shinfield Studios has been constructed to BREEAM excellent standards, an internationally recognised sustainability assessment method for planning infrastructure and buildings. Throughout construction, an external consultant monitored and advised the team on a range of environmentally conscious measures including minimising waste, sourcing resources locally, where possible, and reducing transportation of materials. Sustainable infrastructure such as the use of air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points are also featured throughout the facility.

Shinfield Studios is owned by US-based Shadowbox Studios (“Shadowbox”), an industry leading independent film and television studio platform. Shadowbox develops, owns, and operates purpose-built, soundstage facilities and provides a range of on-site support services for its clients. In Atlanta, U.S., Shadowbox owns and operates a 9-stage, 850,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art studio complex that has been home to blockbusters such as Jumanji: The Next Level, Jungle Cruise and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and which is currently being expanded to exceed 2 million sq. ft. and feature up to 31 soundstages. In addition, Shadowbox is developing a large-scale soundstage campus in the LA metro area. Shadowbox is owned and controlled by affiliates of Commonwealth Asset Management and Silver Lake.

Peter Rumbold, CEO of Shadowbox Studios stated: “With the near completion of Shinfield Studios, we are thrilled to expand the Shadowbox platform in the UK – one of the world’s top film and television production markets. We are firm believers that best-in-class facilities in tier one markets will continue to see an outsize benefit from the secular shift toward streaming and our Shinfield facility was carefully designed to meet the most discerning production needs of our clients.”