Manchester has so many qualities that make it an amazing place to work on video production projects in. From its filmmaking history to the thriving creative scene, everything is in place in the city to make producing video content a joy.
But what exactly is it that makes the video production companies of Manchester so well primed to execute top-quality content?
I know you’re all itching to find out, so let’s dive in.
Manchester’s striking and diverse filming locations
Firstly, the visual landscape of Manchester is incredible. The old meets the new in so many areas, with industrial warehouses and cobbled streets sitting next to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the country.
This distinctive pairing of glass and concrete means that when planning a shoot in Manchester, the visual options are vast, because of the diverse array of settings that the city offers.
This isn’t just the view of the locals, filmmakers from across the world have come to Manchester to capture bold and striking visuals for some amazing TV shows and films.
We’re talking Peaky Blinders, Captain America, Fool Me Once, Darkest Hour, The Crown, Fresh Meat, It’s a Sin to name but a few. Phew! That really is some list.
So much so that there is a self-guided tour you can do around the city’s iconic filming locations.
The industrial setting of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with its New York-style fire escapes and cobbled streets, attracts filmmakers for this distinct look, but wider areas of Greater Manchester such as Bolton, Didsbury and Salford Quays plus many more areas make Manchester a dreamland for filmmakers who want a variety of amazing filming locations in such a close proximity to each other.
High-quality crews & studios
It’s all very well and good having all these wonderful filming locations, but if there are no talented crew members to turn the visions into realities, then it’s all pointless.
Worry not, Manchester is awash with skilful and passionate filmmakers, video producers and content creators. We’re talking fish in a barrel territory.
The combination of Manchester’s historic creative and artistic culture, its huge enticement as a place to live and facilities such as Media City means that talented creatives in the world of film and video have flocked to and developed their skills here for many years.
When working with a video production company in Manchester, you can be safe in the knowledge that they will be able to assist in collaborating with top-notch crew members that will raise your production to the next level.
When you pair this with studio facilities across Media City, along with the likes of Versa Studios and Big Shed studios, plus the vast number of smaller bespoke studios, a Manchester-based production company has everything it needs at its fingertips to turn any creative vision into a visual reality.
Manchester’s thriving creative scene
If you worry that this is all very functional and actually what you need is artists and visionaries, not just people who can operate very expensive cameras, you’re about to be doubly happy.
Yes, Manchester has a top-tier infrastructure for video production, filmmaking and content creation projects, but the city is much more than this; creativity seeps through all parts of the place.
Manchester’s rich musical heritage is still alive and well today. Venues such as Manchester Academy (it has four different venues), the two arenas (AO Arena & Co-op Live), Aviva Studios, Night & Day, New Century, Gorilla, The Ritz, Stoller Hall and Bridgewater Hall (the list really does go on) are regularly playing host to bands, musicians and orchestras that attract music lovers in their mases because of their quality and diversity.
Manchester International Festival each year plays host to an eclectic array of exhibitions, artists, talks and performances. Then who can forget the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, where the city and its surrounding areas prove once again that its performing arts scene is still developing talented individuals and groups that connect with audiences night after night.
Yes, Manchester is a functional city ready to film videos. But at the heart of everything that is done here is creativity. This creativity courses through the video production companies of the city.
Manchester is cheaper than London
Taking a little break from my emotional outpouring about creativity, let’s talk money. I can wax lyrical about Manchester’s creative identity as much as I like, but if the numbers don’t add up, then videos aren’t going to get produced.
To put it plainly, filming in Manchester is cheaper than filming in London.
London has long been home to many of the UK’s production bases and feels like a go-to for high quality video production. However, a lot of money can be saved by filming in Manchester.
Costs such as crew rates, location hire, accommodation and food expenses, even closing off streets for filming, can be much cheaper in Manchester.
When you have amazing locations, top-level crew members and well-established production companies, adding into the mix the fact that you could save money by working with a video production company in Manchester, the decision makes itself.
Just look at the evidence
After all of this, if you still haven’t been convinced that working with a production company in Manchester is a good idea, just take a look at some of these videos.
If you’ve gotten this far and are now buzzing with Manchester fever, the city would of course love you to come and make the most of its video production facilities and produce your video content here in Manchester.
There are some amazing video production companies in Manchester and I’d thoroughly encourage you to reach out to the ones that fit your brand or business’ identity.
If you want a starting point, the team at Glacé Media are always very happy to have a chat and see how we can help you turn your creative concept into a visual reality.
Just drop us a message with your initial thoughts (no matter how early you are in the planning stages) and one of our team members will be in touch to chat about all things video.
