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NEW LOOK 4MC SQUARE Britain’s TVI and TVP join forces with an American giant
On Wardour Street in the heart of Soho, the UK’s newest - and oldest - post-production house is steadily taking shape. Combining together the strengths of seasoned veterans TVI (founded in 1965, making it the longest-surviving production house in the Capital) and TVP (itself no stripling at 17 years of age), the new British arm of American giant 4MC is well on the way to being a major player in a highly competitive industry.
“Officially everything became 4MC as an official name, as a trading entity, on December 29, 1999” explains Simon Kay, co-founder of TVP back in 1983 with his partner Nick Pannaman and now - along with Pannaman - joint MD of 4MC in the UK. “Effectively TVI, TVP, Postbox and any other associated names are no longer trading entities. It’s all 4MC.”
The American firm actually acquired TVP as long ago as spring of last year. TVI was finally purchased from its owner Carlton about a month later. Since that time it’s been all hands to the pumps as Kay and Pannaman supervised the movement of the entire new operation into the one Wardour Street building.
“We’re more or less gutting the whole place and starting again, while at the same time maintaining business that we already have and developing the business that we already have,” says Kay. Around 10,000 square feet worth of equipment and personnel needed to be moved from TVP’s offices in Golden Square and on Lower James Street and relocated to the 30,000 square feet Wardour Street office alongside all of the kit already there. It could have been a tight squeeze, says Kay, but “by removing corridors and various bits and pieces, it all fits. There’s been no problem - it’s all been planned out. We’re actually adding to some divisions.”
“Because we’re doing it in phases, taking one chunk at a time, sectioning off areas and working through the whole process, it’s actually working out fairly comfortably.”
Phase one of the five stage plan involves the movement of non-linear editing division Postbox - now rebranded as 4MC Editing into the St Anne’s Court section of the new offices (the Wardour Street
EXPOSURE • 6 & 7