Back in 2010 I was contacted by Fiona Francombe; who at that time worked for 'South West Screen' (which was later absorbed into Creative England), regarding a huge site owned by Matthew Clarke drinks manufacturer in South Bristol that had become available as a potential TV and film production space. They needed a new name, visual identity and collateral roll-out and after methodical planning, workshops, presentations and implementation, The BottleYard Studios was born and is now managed by Bristol City Council. It is still one of my favourite branding projects.
The south west and Bristol in particular, has acquired an enviable reputation for its skilled crew and had sporadically enjoyed success in prising productions away from more established locations, in particular London. What the region was missing was a dedicated production facility that was able to have a variety of productions taking place simultaneously and Fiona spotted an opportunity. The rest is history and since it opened it has accommodated many feature films and countless television productions, including 'Fortitude' (Sky), 'Poldark' and 'The Trial of Christine Keeler' (BBC).
Fiona is sadly now leaving The BottleYard to take up a position as CEO at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and I wish her the very best for the future. To commemorate the incredible job she has done to make The BottleYard a favourite choice for producers around the world, TankHouse 1 (one of her favourite studio spaces) has been renamed in her honour to become 'The Francombe Stage' and I designed the panel that was unveiled in Fiona's honour on her last day.
If you would like to see The BottleYard branding case study, please email me at hellocompanyx@co-x.co.uk