Three Bristol production companies have been named among the UK’s Best Places to Work in TV by industry bible Broadcast magazine.
Animation production firm A Productions appears in the list for the second time along with natural history TV production company Silverback and documentary maker Drummer TV.
The prestigious Best Places to Work in TV awards, which are run by Broadcast in partnership with the Workforce Research Group, were presented in London earlier this week.
The awards are based on the results of a survey which aims to identify and recognise outstanding employers in the TV production industry.
Firms are reviewed and rated on criteria such as staff satisfaction and rewards, training, fairness and work environment.
A Productions was founded in 1985 and is now based across two studios in Bristol making iconic children’s content for TV and film for audiences in the UK and around the world.
These include JoJo & Gran Gran, which is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions for CBeebies, and Sesame Workshop’s first-ever animated special The Monster at the End of This Story.
Since its launch, A Productions has been committed to nurturing new talent and providing a supportive and trusting environment where employees can flourish.
Initiatives and policies range from an internal mentoring scheme, extensive and open staff feedback programmes and free life drawing classes as well as being a dog-friendly studio.
Silverback, a long-term collaborator of David Attenborough’s ground-breaking wildlife documentaries for the BBC since it was founded in 2012 by leading natural history TV figures Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, was praised for putting its trainee and junior production co-ordinators on overseas and foreign filming courses.
The firm’s output has also included The Hunt, a seven-part series which revealed the remarkable strategies used by hunters to catch their prey, and 11 out of 16 Disneynature films released on streaming platform Disney+.
Drummer TV, which was established in 2012 by Tamsin Summers and Rachel Drummond-Hay, has made programmes for Channel 4, BBC, CBBC, Channel 5 and BSLBT (British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust).
Recognition in the Best Places to Work in TV awards came for its use of renewable energy and public transport.
A Productions said its award came at an exciting time for the company as it moves into developing its own creator-driven content alongside its ever-expanding slate of commissioned animation production.
Joint managing director McQueen, who attended the awards ceremony with the firm’s welfare and human resources manager Hannah Murdoch, pictured above, said: “What a fantastic start to the year. Our success in creating award-winning, iconic content is only possible thanks to the incredible team of creatives behind it.
“We strive to make our studio a fun, diverse and supportive environment and we’re proud to have that recognised with this award.”
A Productions has grown rapidly in the past five years, providing animation for an impressive roster of broadcasters and SVoDs including CBeebies, CITV, Channel 4, MAX and Sky.
French animation powerhouse Cyber Group Studios’ acquired a majority stake in the firm two years ago.
