Almost as many films were shot in London as LA in 2025 — with big movie money pouring into the capital and a state-of-the-art studio system, Tinseltown is losing its blockbuster grip, reports Laura Martin As Los Angeles fades from the movie-making spotlight like an ageing Hollywood star, is this now London’s time to shine? From the Golden Globes to the Critics’ Choice Awards, British films like Hamnet and TV shows like Adolescence and their stars have been sweeping the boards and this week’s...

Big Happy birthday to Brenda Loader, GBCT member for nearly 30 years and now retired after a long, varied and illustrious career. Brenda started in the Drama Department of the BBC, where she was Verity Lambert’s secretary for 2 years. When Verity left to work on Budgie, starring Adam Faith, she recommended that Brenda take the BBC Production Assistants (P.A's) Training course, which she duly did. Brenda on a Captain Birdseye shoot in the Bahamas Not quite virtual production! At that time,...

Step inside the creative world of Academy Award–winning DP James Friend ASC, BSC in this exclusive, first-of-its-kind masterclass. Go behind the scenes on his short film The Transaction – shot entirely on the VENICE 2 – and follow James through every stage of the filmmaking journey, from the first page of the script to the final colour grade, across ten immersive, never-before-seen episodes. Vie w Sony Masterclasses f eaturing James Friend ASC, BSC Episode 1: Script to Screen Episode 2:...

Born in Winchmore Hill North London, Mike had no aspirations to join the film industry, but grew up when cinema was an important part of every child’s life, ' Because that’s where we all went on a Saturday morning' . At primary school his class house name was Aylward about whom he knew nothing, until a major film came out called “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness”, starring Ingrid Bergman as Grace Aylward. It had a catchy song, so captivated his and many other children’s young imaginations at...

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