Video Design benefits from ACE support
- Details
Company CEO Alex Leinster explained, “We bid for funding to support the business as we experienced the sudden and near total cessation of all work. The services we provide are a fundamental part of the live music business, a significant multinational and culturally important industry. The ACE funding has enabled us to improve our resilience and preparedness for the end of lockdown by developing and extending our skills and expertise. We have used the time to ensure we are fit and ready for the future.”
Video Design’s grant application was based on their extensive catalogue of past projects including many which involved new and innovative approaches that broke new ground and advanced the industry.
Their submission included two recent examples, the video sphere for Take That and the inventive application of video media for Stormzy’s sensational show at Glastonbury, both in 2019. The live shows in the Take That tour were seen by more than half a million people whilst, in addition to those who saw the Stormzy show live, it has had over 1.5m views online. Neither show would have happened in the way it did without Video Design’s input to realising the outstanding ideas of Stufish and Mark Owen of Take That and Bronski for Stormzy.
“We are able to take other people’s ideas, and through our own set of skills and our ability to work cooperatively with others, we can turn them into a reality,” explained Leinster. “I think the way we work with others, our innovative approaches, our support for freelancers and the reasonableness of our funding bid are key reasons why we were awarded the funding.”
Video Design implemented a work programme based on a two weeks on two weeks off, schedule for all staff including a number of freelancers. The schedule was almost immediately impacted by lockdown number three. ‘We used video conferencing to deliver the first two training sessions whilst we rapidly developed an approach that enabled us to meet and work together safely in the same physical location.
“We used the concept of a company bubble and implemented an intensive testing regime. We introduced testing as part our ways of working as soon as lateral flow-tests became commercially available. Plus, we are fortunate that we have a large well ventilated warehouse space that enables us to readily meet all physical distancing requirements.”
Training sessions were delivered on a variety of topics including: heavy power installations, signal transmission, rigging practices, personnel lifts, projection and LED processing. All the expertise to deliver these sessions came from within the company, at least one individual already had the necessary knowledge and experience.
“We have used the funding to increase the expertise and resilience of individuals and the company. Both have benefitted. Our team of employees and freelancers have maintained their specialties, but with their new skills they also have the ability to adapt easily to other demands. The overall experience has had significant mental health and wellbeing benefits and we intend to embed the process of skill-sharing throughout the company on a permanent basis, as opportunities arise.”
