VERSA Studios has officially opened its new operation in Manchester, the former home of Granada Television.
The entire space has been updated, but with throwbacks to the historic shows that were filmed on the site – including Coronation Street, Brideshead Revisited and The Jewel in the Crown. It also hosted famous performances by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Stone Roses and Joy Division.
VERSA has installed 2 new 4k Tech Galleries, TV, Film, Motion Capture, and VR/AR Studios and is now offering more than 200,000sq ft of production space.
“VERSA Manchester Studios is built to be the leading destination for television, while also providing a first-class environment for film and creative productions,” explained Charlie Ingall, Founder and Executive Director of VERSA Studios.
“With world-class facilities, cutting-edge technology, and a location at the heart of the industry, we’re here to support broadcasters, filmmakers, and content creators in bringing their projects to life.”
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The studios also include dressing rooms, “luxury green rooms,” event areas, and the VERSA Club Lounge, which it says, provides a “home away from home” for productions.
The virtual production capabilities are from SilverScape, which has installed a technology stack, including a 14m x 4m LED wall in Studio 12, disguise media services and camera tracking from Mo-Sys.
The company is led by co-founders Ian Armstrong, Executive Chairman, and Simon Binns, CEO.
Armstrong brings over 25 years of experience with Britvic, Honda and as a global marketing director for Jaguar Land Rover, while Simon is a senior creative industry business leader and innovator, formerly a Director at global agencies BBH and Ogilvy/ WPP.
“We’ll be working closely with producers and agencies to understand the creative requirements, assess the feasibility and cost requirements, and provide guidance throughout every step of the process until the work is on air,” said Binns.
“AI tools will help to streamline and support the creative workflow but will not replace human creativity. The idea and script, performance and direction on set, and decision making on the final edit will remain entirely human.”
VERSA was founded in 2018 at Granada Studios and now has studio facilities in London, Leeds and Manchester.
