A company specialising in rope access and rigging and a casting agency for young local actors are the latest firms to join the expanding creative hub at Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios.
Figure Nine and Briz Kidz Casting bring two more important production needs that are frequently required by incoming productions using the studios. 
Their arrival takes to 19 the number of specialist firms based on the site – a former wine warehouse and bottling plant turned film and TV studio in Hengrove.
The hub has grown into the largest TV/film production facility in the West of England, capable of supplying most of the needs of the production companies that use the studios – from creative, digital, technical and audio/visual expertise to grips, transport, structural, fire and safety assistance.
Figure Nine provides rope access, pictured, rope rigging and safety support to productions shooting around the world, working in remote, urban, industrial and studio environments.
An approved provider for the BBC Natural History Unit, the team has extensive experience working in tropical forests, and has most recently worked on the ‘Jungles’ episode of BBC One’s current series Planet Earth II.
The firm has also recently provided camera safety and rigging for the upcoming three-part BBC Two series Mexico and the soon-to-be-screened BBC One special Attenborough and the Giant Sea Dragon.
Founded in 2011, it was created from 15 years’ diverse experience. The team can provide cable dolly rigging, location safety at height and near water, rigging for the movement of persons and cameras, lifting and lowering, positioning and safety of camera operators, safety and rescue cover.
Its access specialist Ollie Laker described the move to The Bottle Yard as “a total gamechanger”.
“We are now firmly situated within the TV and film industry and have a greater network that we support with our skillset,” he said. “The ability to network from within the industry is key for us and we are excited about the potential and our future at the studios.”
Briz Kidz Casting specialises in providing children paid on-screen work with film and TV productions for children and young people under 18. It can also provide chaperones and assist with licence applications.
The new company was founded earlier this year by director Dawn Smith, who has a proven background in film, TV and theatre, having worked in the production office of a number of titles including most recently We Can Be Heroes, Trollied and Wolf Hall – all of which were based at The Bottle Yard Studios.
The agency’s ethos is to be production-friendly while also promoting local talent for roles filming in Bristol and surrounding areas. Its books are quickly filling up with a wealth of local youngsters, with more joining every week.
Casting director Dawn Smith said: “Setting up Briz Kidz Casting has been a very exciting adventure and the support from (Bottle Yard Studios’ site director) Fiona and her team has been phenomenal.
“Being able to benefit from the wealth of expertise on site has been invaluable and having worked on productions based here over the last three years there was never a doubt as to where to base the agency.
“It’s great to be part of this growing creative family of businesses and I look forward to linking exciting young talent to upcoming productions filming here and across Bristol.”
Site director Fiona Francombe added: “It’s fantastic to welcome these two excellent companies to our creative hub. Each new tenant that joins us adds their own specialism to the increasingly comprehensive checklist of services we can offer to productions, whilst also fortifying the already thriving atmosphere generated by our resident businesses working alongside one another.
“The technical skills and professionalism of Figure Nine sees the team travel the world to support filming for an impressive calibre of titles, including cutting-edge BBC Natural History Unit output. We’re hugely proud to be their new UK home. Our tallest stage boasts a ceiling height of 65ft, so we are also looking forward to having their services on hand for productions filming right here on-site.
“It’s also a great pleasure to welcome Briz Kidz Casting, the first agency of its kind that we’ve had here at The Bottle Yard. Incoming productions are often interested in drawing from local young acting talent so to be able to link them quickly to an on-site agency will be a massive plus.”
