The latest spotlight in our Studios series shines on Great Point Studios, Cardiff, part of Great Point’s global portfolio.

We talked to UK studios manager Gerwyn Evans about the past, present and future of the site.

History of Great Point Studios, Cardiff

The original building was purchased and converted by the Welsh Government ten years ago in January 2015. At that time, Pinewood operated the studios.

In September 2023 Great Point Studios bought the studio from the Welsh Government with the ambition of developing the site to meet its full potential. This was Great Point‘s entry into the studio business in the UK and the company’s first international addition to their growing portfolio in the US that includes Yonkers (New York), Atlanta, Buffalo and soon-to-be New Jersey.

Under the guidance of founders Robert Halmi and Fehmi Zeko, the Great Point Studios team has over 2,000 hours of productions under our belt. It’s this experience that enables us to design and deliver spaces precisely tailored for efficient, intuitive workflows.

Recent productions

The studio works best when it provides exclusive hire to large, Band 3 & 4 shows. We have had Guy Ritchie’s Young Sherlock filming for Amazon at the studio for the last ten months – it has been fantastic to see a show of that size come to Wales and use the studio for set-build, but also as a base to take advantage of the wonderful locations on the doorstep.

Prior to Young Sherlock we were home to Havoc (Netflix) and Black Cake (Hulu) – Havoc doubled South Wales locations for Detroit and Black Cake created a Jamaican beach inside the studio.

Other notable shows that have been made at the studio over its ten years have been The Huntsman: Winter’s War; Sherlock; Show Dogs; The State; A Discovery of Witches; The Crown and Doctor Who.

Standout offerings

Cardiff has a thriving creative community and offers highly-skilled industry professionals not to mention a beautiful setting for any location filming.

The sustainability factor – additionally, in our pursuit of our Net Zero aims, 75% of our electricity needs are met from the on-site Ecotricity’s 2.3MW wind turbine. As a result, all of this electricity is not only completely green but also time-stamped – we use it in real time as it is generated.

And because the turbine is on-site, our electricity does not need to be transported by the electricity network, which enables us to reduce our use of the grid, freeing up capacity for others to use.

At Great Point Studios, we’re committed to developing the skills the industry needs for the future. Our Cardiff studio is home to Sgil Cymru, which has trained 209 apprentices over the past few years through year-long apprenticeships. In 2024/5, 40 apprentices are currently enrolled.

We’ve also partnered with Screen Alliance Wales and the University of South Wales to establish the Wales Screen Academy, which has already hosted 22 events for 478 participants, including university students and staff, career advisors, primary school students, and community members.

Our commitment to nurturing the next generation of creators extends beyond the UK. In the US, we’ve launched the Robert Halmi Sr. Academy of Film and Television in Yonkers – a public high school dedicated to training a local crew base in a city that’s becoming a major hub for film and TV production.

Importance of inward investment

The UK has thrived as a global filming hub, experiencing substantial growth in production spending and studio space over the past decade. While recent challenges like COVID and the US writer strikes have had an impact, signs of recovery look promising for 2025 and beyond.

We are hopeful that the SVoDs continue to invest in the UK and see that filming in Cardiff is a real and financially viable option for them to consider, which we have proven over the last few years.

Sustainability strategy

We are signed up to the Studio Sustainability Standard managed by BAFTA Albert and we are very hopeful of an improved score and award this year off the back of some improvements we have made on site. The audit process within the standard allows us to identify and undertake continuous improvement on site with regards to sustainability which includes the recent introduction of eight new EV charging points.

The future of production in Wales

Wales has benefited from an increase in production over the last ten years and we remain confident that trend can continue.

As a studio in Wales it’s important that the nations and regions benefit as much as they can from the inward-investment growth. While London is the dominant market in the UK, there are good reasons why filming in studios like Great Point Studios, Cardiff can deliver the same high-quality outcomes for a reduced budget.

To help with those conversations, the Welsh Government via Creative Wales offers additional financial support through their production fund.

What’s next?

We have a site development plan agreed which will deliver 80,000 sq ft of new stage space at the studio. This will double our stage space and allow us to support two large Band 3 or 4 productions simultaneously or alternatively a larger number of smaller productions and independent films.

The development is supported by Welsh Government and Cardiff Capital Region and is planned to start at the end of 2025.

With many thanks to Gerwyn Evans, UK studios manager, Great Point Studios, Cardiff, and the wider team for their help in compiling this article. All images via Great Point Studios.

For more on UK studios around the nations and regions, take a look at our latest edition of World of Studios here. To book your spot in the next issue, email sarah.keegan@mbi.london or alex.curry@theknowledgeonline.com.

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