The current filming schedule at Granada's studios includes the remake of hit wartime sitcom Allo Allo in Studio 12 which is controlled by an Illusion 500.
Provision is the TV and Camera rental division of Granada, providing all OB facilities for 3 Sixty Media. Based in Leeds at Yorkshire TV, current shows being serviced include Heartbeat and The Chase, which are both controlled on their own Illusion 500 with dimming being provided by Betapacks.
Stewart Grant, operations manager of the newly opened Manchester branch of Provision comments, "One of the key requirements for products used in OB work is their durability and reliability. We have numerous 18 way Betapack 1 racks in our stock which are over 20 years old and still going strong." Provision recently acquired 16A Betapack 3's for use on ITV Play and Glitterball.
Located at the heart of Manchester, Urbis is home to Channel M, a TV channel dedicated to Manchester. Featuring news, sport and entertainment programmes, the channel produces a schedule of over 20 programmes, many of these going out live with minimal pre-production time. Dimming is once again handled by the Betapack 3 range. Richard Goodaire, lighting and camera technician at Channel M is testing a Fat Frog to run the newly acquired moving lights used on their music and late night shows.
Flashlight supplied the two Illusion 500 consoles that are being used for Dr Who and Torchwood at the BBC studios in Cardiff (with Lee Lighting) and in Kendle Avenue, Acton on Waking the Dead (Webb Lighting). They have also supplied Betapacks into Channel 4's Horseferry Road Studios, London.
(Jim Evans)
