news articles

December 2007

Rescue Dawn

Richmond Studios embarks on a new film title for Pathé Films this month.

Rescue Dawn recounts the true story of German born Dieter Dengler, played by Christian Bale, who fulfils his dream of becoming a pilot in the United States military. After being shot down, the captive pilot is imprisoned in a small camp in Laos, and the story follows Dengler's escape, run for freedom and epic survival through South East Asia.

Werner Herzog's first Hollywood production is a gripping study of quiet heroism; Dengler survives without surrendering his humanity, accompanied by supporting cast which includes the talented Steve Zahn.

From concept to design and authoring, Richmond Studios are working on the PAL DVD release which contains many bonus features such as a director's commentary, a "making of," deleted scenes and a stills gallery. With a 5.1 soundtrack on the main feature, this absorbing disc will be available for release next year.

December 2007

Britain Sings Christmas

Britain Sings Christmas was a unique celebration of music defining the season of goodwill. Radio DJ Craig Doyle, actors Claire Goose and Jeremy Sheffield, TV presenter Gaby Roslin, comedian Jo Brand, pop stars Kelli Young of Liberty X, Liz McClarnon of Atomic Kitten and Blue's Antony Costa, plus 80's pop sensations Kim Wilde and Martin Fry all volunteered their vocals as part of our twenty strong celebrity choir. For this exclusive performance the choir, led by top vocal coaches David and Carrie Grant, was backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Toby Alington was contracted by Endemol UK to record this big studio event, filmed live in BBC Television Centre's TC6 Studio. With a full orchestra, choirs, soloists, presenters and outside broadcast feeds, Toby engaged Derrick Zieba (BRIT's, MTV EMA's) as the PA Sound Designer, responsible for all studio microphones and feeds.

The end result was viewed by millions across the UK, and an album from the live recording is available with proceeds going to the Prince's Trust.

www.itv.com/Entertainment/Music/BritainSingsChristmas

October 2007

The Nature of Britain

2entertain commissioned Richmond Studios to design and author this three-disc DVD boxed set. Alan Titchmarsh guides the audience through a journey of discovery through key British Landscapes, as he offers a contemporary portrait of the most celebrated, most watched, and best-loved wild creatures in the world.

Throughout the eight episodes, the series uses the latest in video technology to achieve stunning slow motion shots and rock-steady aerial shots of Britain’s magnificent scenery. From otters to orchids, badgers to butterflies, dolphins to doormice the series tells the stories of the suprising relationships between the land and the creatures that live there.

This DVD9 set, with fully-animated motion menus designed by Richmond Studios to reflect the quality of the series, incorporates an additional bonus-feature of six ten-minute in-depth documentaries entitled Britain’s Wild Places, including ‘Wild Dive – Channel Islands’, ‘New Forest Ponies’ and ‘Wild Yorkshire River’.

The Nature of Britain is due for release on 26th November 2007.

October 2007

Taking Liberties

The Producers of Taking Liberties describe the film as controversial, questioning our right to protest, right to freedom of speech, right to privacy, right not to be detained without charge, all issues which they claim have been destroyed by New Labour.

With an impressive soundtrack including tracks from Oasis, Radiohead, The Stranglers and Franz Ferdinand, this contentious narrative uncovers many of the tales the government kept to themselves, combining real stories of liberty loss with previously unseen footage, cheeky stunts from Mark Thomas, leading politicians, celebrities, human rights organisations, academics and lawyers.

Revolver Entertainment commissioned Richmond Studios to author this DVD9 project from concept through to authoring. Animated menus with specially compiled audio and seemless transitions, along with a 5.1 option on the main feature, all add to this impressive release. The extras include a feature length commentary with writer and director, Chris Atkins, an animated featurette including storyboards and an interview with Simon Robson, along with many other interesting ethical debates from ID cards to torture.

Released in PAL on October 15th 2007.

August 2007

Scissor Sisters Live at the O2 Arena

Following on from their recent sold out arena tour, the New York five piece performed tracks from their recent no. 1 album 'Ta-dah' as well as tracks from their 2.4 million selling self titled debut album at the O2 Arena on 26 & 27 August.

Toby Alington, founder of Richmond Studios, was asked to mix the show for DVD and TV. Bassist and co-writer Babydaddy (Scott Hoffman) attended the remix at Abbey Road studios, and subsequent post-production will take place at Richmond Studios. Video production was by Done and Dusted, and was directed by Hamish Hamilton who has worked with Toby on the BRIT's and MTV EMA's for several years, as well as numerous single-artist shows.

The Polydor DVD release will take place later in 2007.

August 2007

The Upside of Anger

Richmond Studios commissioned by Universal Pictures UK, designed and authored the comedic drama 'The Upside of Anger,' written and directed by Mike Blinder.

Joan Allen stars as sharp-witted Terry Wolfmeyer, a suburban wife and recently single mother who develops an offbeat relationship with her new drinking buddy and neighbour Denny, played by Kevin Costner. Terry is left to raise her four headstrong daughters when her husband unexpectedly disappears. When she falls for her neighbour Denny, this leaves her daughter out on a limb and they are forced to juggle their mother’s romantic dilemmas as well as their own.

With extra features such as a trailer and audio available in 5.1, this 'comedy about life on the rocks' was released on 27th August 2007

August 2007

Fiddler on the Roof

Toby Alington has just finished recording the cast-album of the current Savoy Theatre production Fiddler on the Roof. The album was recorded at Angel Studios, Islington, with the remix taking place at Olympic Studios, Barnes, where Toby was a staff engineer from 1981 to 1987. Mastering and CD production is taking place at Richmond Studios in Toby's self-designed mastering suite.

Olivier Award-winner Henry Goodman, who stars as Tevye, has been hailed as 'superb' and 'sublime' by the critics in a role he was 'born to play' and 'achieving the star status he so richly deserves'. Winner of 9 Tony Awards in 1964, this spectacular stage show went on to become a smash-hit Oscar-winning film and features some of the most memorable songs in musical history, including Tradition, Matchmaker, Sunrise,Sunset and the unforgettable If I Were A Rich Man.

The CD is for immediate release, and will be a must-have addition to the collections of musical lovers world-wide.

August 2007

Father Ted

2entertain have enlisted Richmond Studios to put their humorous touch on this five disc DVD box set.

This 1990's television comedy is set around the lives of three priests Father Ted (Dermot Morgan), Father Dougal, (Ardal O'Hanlon) and the infamous Father Jack (Frank Kelly) on the extremely remote Craggy Island. They are joined by Mrs Doyal (Pauline Mclynn) who in her own way looks after the household.

Father Ted has rather a lot to contend with when it comes to dealing with the folks of Craggy Island. The dimwitted but lovable Dougal as well as Father Jack who lives for the simple pleasures of life, (sleeping, drinking, and swearing). Ted tries to bring stability to his congregation as well as the very surreal townspeople of Craggy Island.

The fully animated menus on the disc reflect the unique humour of all 25 episodes with a different theme for each disc. Spread over five discs this set comes with a festival of extras such as commentaries by Graham Lineham and Ardal O'Hanlon, an interview with the writers, biographies, a photo gallery, Craggy Island memories, comedy connections, footage from the Ted Fest from 2007, Comic Relief with Ted and Dougal, commentary by T Suttlewoode and Chris Claycee and Dougal's sound effects gallery.

Richmond are having a lot of fun working on this collectable parody spoof which is due to be released in PAL later this year.

August 2007

Concert For Diana DVD

Following Toby Alington's record and mix of Concert for Diana in July, Richmond Studios has utilised their facilities to complete the 5.1 mix and are eagerly awaiting the DVD release of the show in November.

Universal Music commissioned Richmond's DVD facility to turn around this double disc set in three weeks, quite a challenge with nearly six hours of live material. The show features 33 artists including Elton John, Joss Stone, James Morrison, Tom Jones and of course Princess Diana's favourite band, Duran Duran.

The menus follow the brief of a sleek and classy design. Fully animated menus with seamless transitions throughout the set, the user has the option to play their own selection of tracks with the added personal playlist bonus feature on both discs. The release inludes four BBC in-depth interviews as well as the as-broadcast "Diana & Me" videos throughout the concert.

More than 60,000 people joined in the celebration at Wembley Stadium and the Concert for Diana reached over 500 million homes in 140 countries. This perfect tribute, introduced by the Princes themselves will be available for release in November.

Geoffrey Matthews, Project Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry and Producer of the Concert for Diana commented: "Richmond Studios has really done a quite outstanding job in producing a DVD that is completely and seamlessly in tune with the look and feel of the original live event and more profoundly with its underlying values. Many congratulations, and many thanks."

August 2007

Intel Shoot

MRM Worldwide has been keeping Richmond Studios busy with production on two greenscreen shoots for Intel.

Operating as a production company on both briefs, Richmond was required to shoot and produce footage for MRM's client Intel, to be used in their Internet website banners.

Utilising many of Richmond's production facilities from sourcing the star of one of the shoots, Holtzer, a beautifully trained German Shepherd, to bringing the footage back to Richmond for the keying process ready for composition.

Richmond Studios' head of design was there on set with the help of After Effects to supervise the greenscreen set up on both shoots. Both sets of concepts were shot on HDV with extensive use of lighting and a very talented dog!

August 2007

Half Nelson

Richmond Studios design and author this remarkable award winning, independent title for Axiom Films.

The film tells the story of an inner city high school teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) who flips between his inspirational life in the classroom to his unsettling home life, managing a soul-destroying drug habit. Total Film class the films as "Witty, harrowing and glinting with edge, Half Nelson is 2007's must-see indie."

This enlightening film is set within animated menus and transitions, supported with a mass of extra material including a feature length commentary with filmmakers Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, Fleck and Boden's Sundance award-winning short film "Gowanus Brooklyn", exclusive interviews with the filmmakers, extended audience Q&A at the Everyman Cinema, plus outtakes, deleted scenes and photo gallery.

With strong performances from the cast and an original score that includes Canadian indie rock group Broken Social Scene, director Ryan Fleck weaves together a moving story of redemption in an unforgiving world.

Half Nelson is due for release on the 24th September 2007

July 2007

Wembley Three

Toby Alington completed his third Wembley Stadium soundtrack in a month with Live Earth on Saturday 7 July. Transmitted worldwide from eight cities, this multi artist, twenty four hour event marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign to take action to solve global warming.

Soundtracks for George Michael (earlier in June) and the "Concert for Diana" (1 July) were both supervised by Toby, contracted by Whizz Kid and Live Nation respectively.

The post-production has already begun on Concert for Diana, and Toby will complete the soundtrack in Richmond's 5.1 dubbing suite for the forthcoming DVD due to be released this year by Universal.

Concert for Diana was recorded across more than 200 tracks of digital multitrack, and utilised four separate sound recording areas: Floating Earth's digital mobile and both Fleetwood trucks handled the music while CTV provided presentation audio recording in the main HD scanner. Duran Duran turned in a great set, and requested that Toby mix their performance the following week on the Live Earth event.

Concert for Diana reached over 500,000,000 homes, with a peak audience in the UK for Elton John of over 15,000,000, reducing the audience for Coronation Street to one of its lowest ever.

May 2007

Simply Red

Having launched the new album Stay, Simply Red return to London to play six nights at the Royal Albert Hall in May; one of these is being filmed for a forthcoming DVD release.

Toby Alington has been contracted to look after the soundtrack, recording the event on 26 May with final post-production taking place at Richmond Studios. Using a totally digital solution - the same recording facility as Toby used earlier in the month on the Classical BRIT Awards at the same venue - this will be Richmond Studios' third DVD soundtrack in three years for Simply Red.

Toby's soundtrack for Cuba!, recorded in Havana in 2005, won a DVD Association award for soundtrack excellence.

May 2007

Spanking The Monkey

Winner of Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, this provocative film by David O. Russell is being released on DVD in the UK.

The film stars Jeremy Davies as a pre-med college student who has to put his dreams on hold to care for his invalid mother, being harassed by his domineering father whilst trying to romance the naïve girl next door. This outrageously offbeat look at growing up has been described by Emmanuel Levy as "a gleefully subversive, bleakly comic family saga seething with misanthropy".

Axiom Films commissioned Richmond Studios to handle the design and authoring of the project. This highly entertaining disc includes chapter selections, a stills gallery and feature-length commentary with David O. Russell. The DVD is due for release on 11th June 2007.

May 2007

Off The Black

Nick Nolte stars as a middle-aged, high school baseball umpire who develops an unexpected relationship with teenage pitcher (Trevor Morgan). James Ponsoldt's debut film is an assured and beautifully played drama about a broken man's redemptive relationship with the son he never had.

Axiom Films, who have used Richmond Studios for all their DVD production and authoring, are due to release the DVD on the 11th June 2007. The extra features include a feature length commentary with director James Posoldt, 'The Making of Off The Black' featurette and a stills gallery.

"Told with gritty finesse and laced with a strong, hard performance from Nick Nolte", Hollywood Reporter.

May 2007

The Classical Brit Awards

This year's Classical BRIT Awards with NS&I was filmed live at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 5 May. The resulting programme is scheduled for broadcast in the UK on ITV1 on Sunday 13th May.

Richmond Studios' Toby Alington looked after the soundtrack for the eighth successive year, recording and mixing the live music. The final audio post-production was completed in Richmond Studios' dubbing suite by Leaf Troup.

Over eighty feeds from the stage were recorded and mixed in the all-digital Floating Earth mobile recording studio, and a live stereo mix was provided for radio on the night. This was Floating Earth's second year on this event, and they have also been contracted for the pop BRIT Awards for the last two years by Richmond Studios. The TV show contains eight of the live performances from the night, and the show was hosted by Fern Britton.

Winners included Paul McCartney, Sir Simon Rattle, Anna Netrebko, Ruth Palmer, George Fenton, Leif Ove Andsnes, Rene Jacobs, John Adams, and the lifetime achievent award was presented to Dr Vernon Handley CBE.

April 2007

Perfect Housewife - Series 2

Anthea Turner's 'School of Domesticity' is being tidied away in to a DVD box set by the Richmond Studios' team for a second time!

Following the success of the first series, Delta Music has chosen Richmond to design and author the series two-DVD collection featuring all eight episodes and one Christmas Special.

The show is packed with needy housewife wannabies, like full time mums who have lost their motivation for housekeeping, part-time teachers who are at the bottom of the class when it comes to cleaning and home-making as well as those sentimental hoarders. Anthea is here to save the day but the question still remains. who will be crowned Anthea Turner's Perfect Housewife?

Richmond Studios have kept the energy of the show in their designs whilst adding to this 3 disc box set a quiz as an extra feature, enabling viewer to test their ability to become the Perfect Housewife. The set is due for release later this year.

March 2007

Stereophonics

The biggest Welsh band of their generation celebrates 10 years of musical excellence in this 92 minute authentic documentary. 'Rewind' gives the audience an opportunity to experience the face of the band by capturing the story-so-far. Growing up, getting together, sending off 12 demo tapes a week, the first break-out record, and on through growing acclaim, recognition by their musical peers, internal struggles, world tours, four consecutive No.1 albums, their first No.1 single Dakota, and continued success.

Directed by Danny O'Connor, the documentary is created from hundreds of hours of footage taking in the earliest pre-signed performances, home-movies of their very first gigs as Zephyr and Tragic Love Company, through to their latest sell-out stadium tours, and the making of recent promo videos. As well as interviews with the band and never-before-seen footage, 'Rewind' shows insightful nterviews with some of the biggest names in music, such as Ronnie Wood, Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher, Bono, Jimmy Page, Jools Holland, Roger Daltrey, the Black Crows and Tom Jones.

The release of the DVD follows a limited theatrical release on the 6th March, this was highly rated by Duane Doogan from the Guarudian.co.uk. 'This is a lot more than a mere documentary, it's a tale of ambition, struggle, triumph and passion, and it doesn't fill in the cracks or leave some doors close but this certainly isn't the ten reasons to love the Stereophonics, but for any fan, it'll show us why we already do...."

Packed with over 21/2 hours of live performances including rare recordings and never-before-seen 60 min acoustic preview film Just Enough Eductaion To Perform, extended interviews, theatrical trailers and a preview of their next studio album.

Richmond Studios post-produced the soundtrack of this in-depth and captivating documentary, both in 5.1 for the DVD and in Dolby Stereo for the release in theatrical format, and mastered and encoded all the soundtracks for the extensive special features.

The two-disc DVD set was designed by Richmond Studios with collaboration from the band and the distributors, Liberation, and the wealth of material on the discs has been carefully restored, encoded and authored to provide die-hard fans and newcomers with a rich and entertaining retrospective experience of this extraordinary British band. With animated menus and transitions throughout the disc this is due for release in PAL and NTSC on 2nd April 2007.

February 2007

The Perfect Housewife

Anthea Turner's 'School of Domesticity' is being tidied away in to a DVD box set by the Richmond Studios' team.

Delta Music has chosen Richmond to design and author this enlightening DVD collection featuring all eight episodes of the first series. Throughout this series Anthea manages to whip a selection of 'hopeless' housewives into shape by teaching them the ways of keeping a fun yet tidy household. The challenge is to become the Perfect Housewife.

Within the show, Anthea displays her top tips of how to do various tasks like testing a pillow, wrapping presents and hassle free ways of washing the dishes, Anthea has an answer for all your household woes. .

Richmond Studios have incorporated the fun and lively energy of the show through their designs and this double DVD9 box set is due for release on March 12th.

February 2007

Cirque du Soleil

Richmond's Head of Design, Daniel Luz, and Toby Alington headed out to Las Vegas in September last year to work on the concept for "Ô", Cirque du Soleil's resident show at the famous Bellagio hotel on the Strip. Daniel took the opportunity to shoot material for the menus in HD, both in the venue and out on location at Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon.

Richmond have designed and authored all of Cirque du Soleil's recent DVD's, and have increasingly made use of on-location shooting of the amazing sets and staging for the menus and transitions.

A further DVD is planned March 2007 of "Mystere", another of Cirque du Soleil's highly successful resident shows in Vegas.

February 2007

The Grudge 2

Richmond Studios is to design and author the terrifying horror movie, ‘The Grudge 2’. Set between Tokyo and the States this sequel to the worldwide hit ‘The Grudge’, explores the dark secrets of the grudge whose victims are one by one infected by its supernatural curse.

Directed by Takashi Shimizu and starring Amber Tamblyn ‘The Grudge 2’ has been described by Maxim as “Even scarier sequel to one of the scariest films ever”.

This DVD9 is brimming with extra features including a Storyline Development, East Meets West, Ready When You Are, Mr Shimizu, Holding a Grudge: Kayako Toshio and deleted scenes. Along with 5.1 audio and is due for release in May 2007.

February 2007

BRIT Awards 2007

Toby Alington will produce the audio for his 13th consecutive BRIT Awards at Earls Court on 14 February. The event is live-to-air on ITV at 8pm in the UK this year for the very first time.


Oasis win the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Music award, and numerous other artists - to be announced soon - will once again make this the UK music event of the year.

Opting for a totally digital solution once again, Richmond Studios are contracting Floating Earth to provide their latest mobile recording solution with its SSL200 digital console, fibre connection to the stage, and digital output to the broadcasters.

Richmond Studios will once again do the sound-design and dubb for Hello Charlie's nomination packages.

Award-winning comic and TV/radio personality, Russell Brand, will be hosting the show. Peter Jamieson, Co-Chairman of the BRITs organising committee, said, “We always promised that BRITs 2007 would be an edgy, exciting show. First we announced we’d broadcast live. Then we announced Oasis as our Outstanding Contribution Award winner. And now there’s Russell Brand. The only place to be on Valentines Night is going to be with the BRITs.”

February 2007

Gold Series - Universal Music Group International

Universal Music assigned Richmond Studios to research, produce and master their upcoming 'Gold Series' DVD set, due for release this year.

Richmond have worked with Universal and their project manager right from the concept stage of this project, using all our resources to select fifteen of some of the finest, classic artists of our time. The first five to be released are INXS, Cranberries, Lighthouse Family, Kool & The Gang and the legendary Suzanne Vega.

Each title will be a comprehensive story covering a wide range of videos and in many cases these titles will be the most complete of the artists featured on each disc. Richmond Studios are creating the extra features, and creating a set of at least fifteen titles to include a wide range of archive video and TV footage. The next five artists will be Squeeze, Status Quo, Tears For Fears, Julian Cope/Teardrop Explodes and Island Life (Island Records Story).

Each disc will have a "Nuggets" feature which comprise random stories and facts about the featured artist to enthuse fans. This DVD set draws on many of Richmond's resources from concept and asset restoration, through to design and authoring.

This boxed set is due to be released in 3 phases in 2007 and may well be extended to more releases in 2008. Watch this space.

January 2007

A Prairie Home Companion

Universal Pictures is to re-releases Robert Altman’s final film, ‘A Prairie Home Companion’. The story revolves around a disparate group of entertainers as they perform one of Garrison Keillor’s hugely popular radio shows.

With an all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep, this comic backstage fable circles around the threat of the show’s closure. The film is a tribute to Garrison Keillor’s real-life celebrated radio show where Keillor himself even appears in the film that recounts the fun and antics that took place on his comedy show.

Richmond Studios are to design and author this DVD5 which is due for release later this year.

January 2007

Nokia

Billed as "Five Cities, One Party", this worldwide event celebrated midnight with live music events in Hong Kong, Mumbai, Berlin, Rio and New York.

Toby Alington handled the music mix for the opening show in Hong Kong, which included performances from Atomic Kitten and Hakken Lee. Derrick Zieba was reponsible for ensuring the PA audio was up to scratch for the massive live audience in Hong Kong harbour; Toby and Derrick have worked together on countless challenging music shows around the world, and are also responsible for the annual BRIT Awards and MTV EMA's.

Culminating in a massive pyro and firework display, Hong Kong's event was a tremendous launch to the night's celebrations around the globe which included performances from The Black Eyed Peas, Nelly Furtado, Scissor Sisters, Sugababes, John Legend and Sergio Mendes.