The Isle of Wight is soon to be home to a significant new television and film studio, situated on the banks of the River Medina in East Cowes.
Medina Studios Ltd is set to build a facility comprising 4 sound stages totalling 70,000 sq ft, along with all production support space including workshops and office facilities, creating a hugely attractive venue for both film and television projects.
The exciting new development, which could create up to 1,000 new jobs, will be built on 16 acres of river frontage at Kingston Marine Park, creating the Isle of Wight’s first screen-based media hub.
Last night (Thursday) the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet approved the sale of land at Kingston to Medina Studios Ltd. The area has been vacant for more than 10 years, and until 2018 was owned by the government under its Homes and Community Agency. Planning permission was granted in 2012 for the 15,000m squared marine business park, with the hope of relocating boatbuilding from Venture Quays. A smaller application for the marine park was approved in January 2018 but did not go ahead.
Those behind the company are said to have a plethora of experience in this sector; Duncan Heath is the Co-Chairman of Independent Talent Group, David Godfrey is the former Director of International Operations of the Pinewood Group and Neil Blewett is the Managing Director of Datasat Media. The trio feel the timing is perfect to attract high-end TV dramas and feature films to an area of the UK already blessed with an abundance of locations.
Duncan Heath, having been a resident on the Isle of Wight for over 50 years, is extremely excited about the opportunities this new facility will bring to the Island.
“I’ve been in this business a long time and been lucky enough to be involved with some of the largest feature and television productions. But I have to say this is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved with”.
David Godfrey who is integral to the studio design and build said:
“We are fully committed to this project and are confident that Medina Studios will attract a variety of productions who wish to base themselves on the island. The studio lot will offer stages and support for traditional production needs, technical filming and weather cover for the many productions currently utilising the island’s wonderful and varied locations”.
Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member for Levelling Up, Regeneration and Business, has said:
“The approach from Medina Studios is a game changer for the Island, in terms of high-quality creative jobs at the leading edge of this evolving and fast-growing sector. With many of the major studios looking to expand and creative talent looking for a home, we are glad to welcome Duncan, David and Neil and will work with them to deliver the vision.
“The Alliance administration has prioritised the further development of creative industries, building on the great talent base we already have, as part of the development of a holistic cultural strategy for the island.”
Heart and centre to Medina Studios will be the integrated technology. Neil Blewett, a key part of this design, has said:
“Our aim is to make the studios digitally future-proofed by understanding the latest production technology requirements. We will harness the latest camera workflow technology and provide ultrafast broadband to ensure seamless connectivity to global media hubs, including London and Hollywood.
“Security is key to this and as the landscape for producers and production teams, all over the world, has changed we feel cyber security has now become a necessary service for the modern studio. That’s the technical side, for me personally I can’t wait to see what this new venture will bring to this magnificent island and the opportunities it will create”.
As part of the contract, the Council will retain the right to buy back 2 and a half acres for £1 as a potential location for a battery storage facility.
won’t happen, more houses within 5 years
So right Yule, as so easy then to put in for ‘change of use’ on land given permission for ‘never to be’ but welcome businesses.
I expect the dingy crew will soon fill and then over fill many new homes in the future to ensure our children have more issues than we do to contend with.
So glad many here are not easily ‘fooled’ by such now.
Gives hope, despite all parties and councils feathering their own nests and not caring for the rest of us.
Really, nice thought but more pie in the sky
There’s two or three major film/tv studios on the mainland- Shinfield , bedford… How can this venture survive when they will have to’import’ everything ?
How can Sainsburys, Morrisons, B&Q…. survive when they have to import everything?
It is an attractive location for film making and has the benefits of a southern location (generally some of the best weather in the UK) and plenty of location/scenic possibilities.
This venture is in East Cowes. And thus has the best connection via the car ferries.
It will attract Specialists and encourage the establishment of other support businesses on the island, such as craft services, Prop rental, Construction. We already are home to a Film ‘Fire Support’ company and several talent agencies who will benefit. Not to mention a more than a few CGI specialists.
In short this is a really good idea and location. I expect good things
Have you checked out the director credentials and their associated companies, both past and present. ? Doesn’t inspire confidence in the story…
I hope everyone would be happy with what is proposed and as no doubt the council will have plenty of legal advice re this sale.This should be open to inspection by the public and ensure that anything built other than what is agreed on sale involves a suitable payment to the council and the present value at an independent valuers assessment.
That’s if they can get a ferry..lol
You’re right. I work in the film industry and you can’t get insurance for shoots here because of the risk associated with getting crew, equipment and talent via boats. And I know of Duncan Heath. He’s a has been talent agent, knows nothing of film production. It’s a con.
Exciting news, Let’s hope those of us that work in the sector are blessed with much work opportunities, as a film and Tv extra work is strangled by the cost of getting off the island and personally I have to reject most assignments. Fingers crossed for Island people and all those on the island struggling.
Think transport to Island would be an issue!
Or free ferry’s think not!
Not if they have their own pontoons and access to boats?
The stars will be staying at calverts
Medina studios is a company that was only started in August 2022, whose directors are
Barrie Heath age 76, no info
David Godfrey, who recently quit from the “studio group” a dormant company that has only existed for a couple of years and is also a director of a couple of other “new” companies that have no trading history., David also runs “david godfrey ltd ” which after deducting liabilities is valued at £165
david blewitt a former director of failed “big oak tree productions” that was dissolved recently and Island Studios, which is a dormant company that was about to be dissolved, however, discontinued.
the registered addresses for some of the companies was 27 sun hill, cowes!
where are they getting the money for this then?
Good work. Why didn’t island echo ask them about their history instead of printing their promotional speech. They will get to own the land. Then go bust, and a mate will ‘bail them out’ and build houses on the land.
thanks – all publicly available information on companies house
Micky Mouse i expect..
I found the same doing a simple companies house search…
Totally agree Isle of Wighter, more Pie in the Sky ideas,
One moment just spotted at least 10 Pink Elephants flying past in formation.
As said everything they apear to have been involved in so far does not have happy endings, does not look good for any investors.
Nice one investigative journalism.. paints a completely different picture …. from the above story … thanks
Guess their first productions might be comedies/farces such as the Cowes Floating Bridge, IOW Railways, The mainland ferry services, land gobbling by greedy developers and agents and public toilet facilities and infrastructure.
Don’t forget “Secrecy and Lies”, an Alliance production.
Is it the 1st April already? I will believe it when I see it.
Give it a while and we’l get the same sob story as Norris Castle. Not viable unless we build a massive luxury hotel and 50 x 5 bed detached houses selling for £1 mill each as they are on the waterfront. Didn’t the council see this ? Oh, they saw an opportunity to build a battery farm on 2.5 acres for £1 . What about the 5Mwatt solar array to charge the batteries? Where is that going? Maybe they’re going to plant a 10GW wind turbine in the Medina ? More questions than answers, as usual.
I would love to see wind turbines from where I live in the in the Medina valley. It is windy, they are majestic, and most importantly we need as much cheap, sustainable electricity as we can get.
I dunno about the film studio project, are the backers genuine.
Why should anyone invest her with such ****wit comments on here, moany moany moan moan, all of yous get a life. Never known such a negative bunch til moved here. What came first uneducated kneejerk moaning all time or economic malaise. No company wants to have a gene pool of potential employees who always but always always, see the glass as half empty. It saps people’s souls as it does mine. Location ok, population diabolical, let’s go elsewhere..
What a nice day (think it’s going to rain later). Delicious meal (mine had a bone it, too much salt). On and on and on and on.. For heaven’s sake get a grip!
overner alert!
see ya then!
bye clive – mainland is only a few short miles away
if we are uneducated then what does that say about you for moving here – like finds like -eh
How do you know if Clive is an Islander or not??
because he says it in his message “til i moved here”
If you’d read his tirade you may have seen him write, ’till I moved here’.
Had you removed your rose-tinted glasses for a moment you would see just how often this wonderous Isle is ripped off by unscrupulous Councils, Businesses and Venture grabbers, all intent on showing a classy introduction and a few great sales pitches and, as if by magic, they get a few millions in investment or property or land, or a going concern for a tenner, or even a going concern and a nice house for a pound! With that comes a change of use, a rushed through application and then the company collapses or needs even more help or cannot do what was agreed and once again WE pay the price. It has happened so often here that Private Eye almost had a regular paragraph for us in Rotton Boroughs! Been there, got the T-shirt.
Not saying it doesn’t happen, happens everywhere, and if there is a strong bulwark to prevent it instead of a collander then chancers would probably decide to go elsewhere; that doesn’t mean all incomers are chancers and no overner/overner company has the ability to add something to the economy. Haven’t exactly made a roaring success of it alone have you? Lot of it is down to attitude.
Read somewhere more sole trader businesses fail in first year on iow than anywhere else in the country, despite it being part of the prosperous south.The council could do worse than setting up some sort of business training initiative, problem is they don’t know either because councils are made up of retirees with unlimited time but v limited skill sets
Whilst I agree that we are not the only place to get ripped off, we ARE the only Isle of Wight. We offer so much by way of skilled workers and space and opportunities, and we are very welcoming to anyone willing to invest in us, we have had the huge opportunity with Vestas and other companies that cost us dear, we have a council that invest in mainland companies and turn roundabouts into complex and pointless traffic systems or replacement boats that cost millions more due to bad planning! There are only 160,000 of us and we are constantly left with nothing except broken promises and more austerity cuts. Bring on the companies with the money and foresight to build here and they will get 100% but allow us to want proof not words.
Ok, getit, but although I may be wrong, and perhaps they are the more vocal group, and not the majority although I do doubt that, but I could be wrong, BUT the main problem is mentality, as in individuals the “victim” mentality goes nowhere, woe woe and thrice woe, to quote Frankie Howard. Wightlink bashing, chain link ferry, roundabouts, Wightfibre digging up road. That and the “I’m alright Jack” brigade who don’t want anything to change. Not a hopeful recipe; someone needs to knock heads together and change the narrative. How about we are going to overcome obstacles and do it anyway? Is difficult with the haves pulling in diametrically opposite direction to the have nots, but until that happens absolutely nothing is going to change
Nothing useful then???
Great news for the Island. Having worked at Shepperton Studios – now handling all of Netflix’s creative output – I’ve had a great insight into the film industry being one of the largely untold success stories of the UK. The huge issue is there simply isn’t enough studio space to film all the productions that want to film here. This is great for jobs too… everything from behind the camera to electricians and carpenters. Great stuff.
We can’t even get pot holes filled, this simply will never happen.
What’s the point!!No one will be able to travel to the mainland anyway due to our appalling services
Is the a IWC distraction news clip .. must be an election coming up ..these councillors will do anything .. won’t they .. major investment only when the islands multiple transport problems are rectified.. and the council won’t / cannot get involved .. no news here move on ..
Seriously, talk about the most negative, pessimistic bunch of people, this is a serious venture backed by genuine people who believe it or not know what they’re doing, the chance of thousands of jobs that let’s be honest the Island needs, the chance to actually have some worldwide acknowledgement for something on the Island and all people seem to do is just moan. The Island will never move forward with this attitude, typical “we’ve always done it this way down here and we will continue to do it our way”.
Welcome to the Isle of Wight…
This is a local island for local people.
There’s nothing for you here
Let’s hope it happens
If it’s anything like the state of the art floating bridge and railway system it’s doomed from the stat
Cannot believe the Council has it head on – good idea to purchase back 2.5 acres for battery storage should that ever come off. Just hope the productions the intended holders make will contain a bit more joy and laughter than the rubbish coming out at present. There is enough misery and death in real life without having our homes invaded with the current level of nasty films. Only encourages the sick minded to act on them, and we seem to be getting more and more sick minded people thanks to media and technology.
There’s more chance of seeing flying unicorns and elephants,than seeing this plan happening
So buy back 2.5 acres for battery storage, there in its self is another disaster waiting to happen!!!
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