Prime Focus launches

Prime Focus has announced the launch of a new division, Prime Focus Productions. Headed up by newly-appointed managing director, BAFTA award-winner Rod Brown, the division will neatly complement the broad range of post-production services already offered by Prime Focus, and provide broadcasters and directors with concept-to-delivery expertise for TV drama productions.

The first project is already underway, an adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's best selling novel, Good Omens, scripted by Monty Python's Terry Jones and Gavin Scott of Small Soldiers fame. STV is funding script development and will be a co-production partner for the project.

Simon Briggs (Managing Director UK, Prime Focus); Rod Brown (Managing Director, Prime Focus Productions); Terry Jones; Sir Terry Pratchett; Gavin Scott; Colin Smythe; Rob Wilkins.

Ex-Mob Film Company partner and executive producer, Rod Brown, joins Prime Focus with 23 years experience in the industry. His credits include Sky 1's Hogfather, for which he won a Television BAFTA, Colour of Magic, Going Postal and Sky's long running drama series Dream Team. Rod's role will be to establish Prime Focus Productions as a leader in producing outstanding television drama.

"We set up Prime Focus Productions to produce fantastic television drama and we’ve hit the ground running," said Rod. "We have a great team and have already moved into development on a number of projects, collaborating with some high-profile names including Sir Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Terry Jones and Sir David Jason. It's very exciting to be part of such an ambitious project."

Another project in the pipeline for Prime Focus Productions is set to star Sir David Jason and is currently being developed by Caleb Ranson, the writer behind hit ITV dramas such as Diamond Geezer and Distant Shores. The project will be co-produced by Prime Focus Productions, STV and Shoreline Entertainment.

"Working with Rod Brown and his creative team at Prime Focus has been a really invigorating and productive process," said Margaret Enefer, Head of Drama, STV. "At STV we're looking forward to continuing to develop these exciting high profile projects, and to making them into ground-breaking television shows."

Joining Rod Brown at Prime Focus Productions is creative executive Rebecca Fisher, who began her television and film career as a screenwriter in Sydney for the Australia Broadcasting Corporation. Before joining the Prime Focus Productions team she was creative executive at Infinity Features Entertainment in Vancouver.

As part of a continued drive to expand Prime Focus beyond post production, Prime Focus Productions brings together the right people at the right time. "A production division has been part of our thinking at Prime Focus for a while now but it was about getting the timing right and finding the right people to drive it. I am delighted to have Rod on board to head up this new venture and with several exciting projects in the pipeline, we already have significant momentum to Prime Focus Productions," said Simon Briggs, managing director UK at Prime Focus.

He continued: "Our offering provides an end-to-end TV production solution for broadcasters from concept to delivery and is seamlessly supported by Prime Focus' comprehensive range of post production and VFX services which now become an integral part of the production process. By utilising our creative teams, our sizeable post production infrastructure and by establishing front-to-end workflows we will be able to effectively manage the budget to ensure that the true value is seen on the screen."