FACILTIES FRIDAY: BRIDGING THE GAP

#FacilitiesFriday stops at Notorious DIT, the nationally recognised DIT organisation strengthening its presence in Liverpool while helping develop the next generation of industry talent. 

Founded in Newcastle, the company has been providing Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) and dailies services for productions across the UK and internationally since 2015. Its roots go back even further however, with founder Michael Pentney launching a sister post-production company in 2010 and becoming the first in the North East to offer dedicated DIT services during the industry’s shift to digital filmmaking. 

Today, Notorious DIT operates from offices in Liverpool, Glasgow and London, and recently joined the Molinare Creative Group as part of its continued growth. But despite expanding nationally and internationally, the company says supporting regional production remains central to its approach. 

“One of the things we always try to do is if we have a production that isn’t in London, we will always try to source local staff,” Karla from Notorious explained. “We recognise concerns across the nations and regions that work can feel overly concentrated in London, and we are actively working to ensure a more balance and inclusive approach” 

Liverpool became a natural choice for a permanent base as production activity in the region increased. The company already had DITs working regularly in the city and wanted a local hub that could support both on-set work and lab operations. “Although the DITs are quite often out on set, there’s another part of the process which is the lab part, and that generally requires a local office,” they said. 

The company’s Liverpool credits include Untold: Liverpool’s Miracle of Istanbul and Dexter Proctor, while its lab continues to support productions across the wider UK. 

Alongside work in the North West, Notorious DIT reach also takes them internationally, with recent projects taking staff to Ibiza and Malta. One recent standout production for the team was The Magic Faraway Tree, recently showing in cinemas. 

As the company continues to expand, developing new talent remains a key priority. Notorious DIT runs a six-month in-house training programme giving new entrants experience across the kit room, lab processes, and on-set data wrangling before progressing onto larger productions. “One of the things that Notorious have been incredibly good at in the past is growing talent,” say Karla. 

For those looking to enter the industry, the company recommends seeking trainee DIT or lab roles and taking advantage of training schemes wherever possible. 

For the team, DIT work offers crucial and unique role in the filmmaking process, sitting between production and post-production. “You get to work with the post house, but you’re also working at the front end with production,” they explained. “It’s the bridge between the two.” 

With a growing presence in Liverpool and an expanding portfolio of work across the UK and internationally, Notorious DIT continues to combine technical expertise with a strong commitment to regional talent development. Through investment in local crew, training opportunities and production infrastructure, the company is helping support the long-term growth of the screen industry both within the region and beyond. 

FACILTIES FRIDAY: BUILDING A WORLD OF SOUND

Tucked away on a quiet residential street in Formby, BHP Sound Post is making waves in the world of sound. 

FACILTIES FRIDAY: EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THE RESCUE!

Tucked away across a four-and-a-half-acre site in Secombe, Emergency Services Training Centre is not your standard production facility…

FACILTIES FRIDAY: FROM SET TO SCREEN!

This week’s Facilities Friday dives deep into LA Post, the post-production arm of one of Liverpool’s longest running and most revered production companies LA Productions.

FACILTIES FRIDAY: THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND PRODUCTION!

Action Vehicle Services is a Knowsley‑based supplier of specialist vehicles for film and TV productions, founded in 2024 by Mark Cummings, an experienced by Action Vehicle Coordinator with over 16 years in the industry. 

Facilities Friday: Making the Imaginary Real

For our latest feature of Facilities Friday, we visited Karl Sharples of KSKS TV & Film in Fazakerley. 

A skilled craftsman and propmaker, with 20 years’ experience in welding, engineering and joinery, Karl describes his role as ‘making imaginary things real or real things fake!’ 

FACILTIES FRIDAY: BRINGING METALWORK TO THE REGION

Metalworker Harry Prescott of Proper Sets Limited has recently brought his craft, and young family, to the Wirral, joining a region he believes is full of opportunity for people working behind the scenes in Film and TV.

FACILTIES FRIDAY: MASTER CRAFTSMAN, BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS!

We spotlight C Relph Ltd, owned and run by Colin, a master craftsman with nearly four decades in set construction whose work has shaped some of the Northwest’s most distinctive productions – none more so than Peaky Blinders.

FACILTIES FRIDAY: THE QUIET BACKBONE OF PRODUCTION!

Direct Film has been a quiet backbone of the North West’s screen industry since the 90s, supplying the facilities that keep productions running long before most people even know a shoot is happening.

FACILTIES FRIDAY: BRINGING STYLE TO THE SCREEN

We spotlight Christine Clarke and behind Bijou & Vintage, a one‑woman costume supplier whose work –including for the recently released Netflix drama Run Away – has shaped the style of major productions across the Northwest and beyond. 

FACILITIES FRIDAY: TRANSLUX COMES TO THE LCR

We take a look at Translux International – one of our Northern TV and Film Gala sponsors and supplier of high-quality facilities trailers and technical trucks to production up and down the UK.

Translux got their start in the film and television industry back in 1987, founded by former camera crew member Simon Johnson. Simon bought two Winnebagos and supplied them to the series ‘Minder’, a move that marked the beginning of Translux’s journey in production support.

Now, 39 years on, the company has gone from strength to strength, growing far beyond those first two vehicles. Over the decades, Translux has played a part in servicing some of the biggest and most beloved films and television shows ever made, earning a reputation as a trusted and reliable brand in the industry.

On their new home, Translux said, “Having worked on a number of projects in the Liverpool region, including ‘The Responder’, ‘Heads of State’ and the upcoming Peaky Blinders feature, ‘The Immortal Man’, we are really excited to be opening our Liverpool office in the very near future.

Liverpool’s rich and vibrant history translates so well to screen, and its variety of architecture means it can be shot as other locales or provide the perfect backdrop for a period piece. The local people who make up the crews are some of the kindest and most hard-working we have had the pleasure of knowing. In an industry of long-hours, travel and high-pressure, qualities such as these make productions a far more enjoyable and pleasant experience.

These are just some of the reasons why Translux love Liverpool and why they have chosen it to become the latest member of the Translux family, positioning us to work alongside local productions, contribute to the local economy and industry, and help continue the incredible storytelling history of the region.”

RETURN OF FACILITIES FRIDAY!

We begin with a look at GWF Catering, the Knowsley-based, Northwest operating catering services that have kept production fed throughout the LCR since 2021.

FACILITIES FRIDAY: SUNBELT FILM AND TV

#FacilitiesFriday returns with a look at Liverpool Film Office partner Sunbelt Rentals Film and TV.

FACILITIES FRIDAY: A peak inside the world of costume

After more than a decade working across film, television and music, costume designer Holly has dressed global music stars, worked on award-winning productions and built an impressive archive of costumes and creative resources. But it was Liverpool that finally gave her the space, both creatively and physically, to build something of her own.