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Dragon International Film Studios

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Dragon Studios Wales
IndustryFilm and television production
Founded2006
Headquarters
Bridgend
,
Wales

Dragon Studio Wales,[1] is a complex of film and television studios in Bridgend[2] in Wales, United Kingdom about 5 miles from Bridgend, 14 miles (23 kilometres) from the Welsh capital, Cardiff.

Studio facilities

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The complex has five sound stages, ranging between 10,000 and 28,000 square feet (930 and 2,600 m2) in size.[3][4] Dragon Studios has dedicated support space of around 75,000 sqft. Stages 1 – 4 all have a two-story office block all fitted with toilet block, boiler room and kitchen. All floors are fitted with disabled access. Across the site, there are various buildings built for executive offices, post-production, editing, art department, costume and makeup. Additional production workshops have been built for construction, prop, electrical department and storage space. The Backlot is situated central to the site, and is a large 6 acre gravel area.[5]

Productions

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In 2021 Dragon Studios was the production base for Disney+' new series of Willow starring Warwick Davis.[6]

Productions previously filmed at the studios;

Construction

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Since 2018 the site has undertaken significant development, with the new owner building a fifth 28,000 sq ft sound stage, along with offices, dressing rooms and workshop space. The construction of a film studio in South Wales was first proposed in 2001, with two developers, Fairfield Properties and Westair Properties backing the production of a 350-acre site in Llanilid near Bridgend.[13] The Welsh Assembly government at first objected the plans, unhappy with proposals to link the studios to the M4 motorway by building a new junction to connect the site.[14] Discussions in October 2002 between the Assembly and Rhondda Cynon Taf local council, Assembly member Pauline Jarman and the consortium behind the bid resolved the issues.[14] Agreements were reached that any new access links to the M4 would only occur if a percentage of the development was completed and the construction of a theme park, which was part of a "Phase 2" of the plans.[15] The initial proposals had an estimated budget of £350m, rising to a cost of £1bn after the completion of a screen academy and the theme park.[16] Lord Attenborough, who was the chair of Dragon International Studios Limited, promised the studio would create 1,700 local jobs, with the local council believing a further 6,000 jobs would be created from a proposed adjacent development by the Villard Partnership, which planned to build hotels, a conference centre, health spa and a new hospital.[17] Due to the collapse of heavy industry in South Wales over the previous decades, the development, itself built on the site of a former open-cast coal mine, was seen by those involved as a major economic boost to an area with high unemployment.[13][17]

The following year, despite approved planning and a proposed completion date of 2004, no work had commenced at the site. The then chief executive of Dragon International Studios, Steve Villard, accused the Welsh Assembly of holding up the project through failing to approve grants needed to begin construction and threatened to move the whole project to a rival site in Newport.[18] The government's response was to state that they gave assistance to cases that provided "truly viable business case".[18] In August 2004 commencement of work was finally declared.[16]

In early 2005, with no buildings complete, work was delayed again after dormice, a protected species in Britain, were found on the site.[19] Despite Lord Attenborough's belief that the studio would be completed by 2004, a hold up in a grant meant that by May 2005 work at Llanilid had not commenced.[20] In July 2005 work again halted when the firm was found not to have the necessary permits to carry out sewage works. This was followed by further delays when bad weather hampered progress until March 2006.[21] Six years after the project was first proposed and nearly four years after planning permission was granted, construction work started on the first phase of the scheme in August 2007.[22]

Acquisition by Shadow Holdings in 2019

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The business was acquired by Shadow Holdings in 2019,[23][24] and since then a fifth 28,000 sq ft stage has been constructed. A post-production building was under construction as of 2022[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Dragon Studios". dragonstudioswales.com. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Dragon Studios Wales homepage". Dragon Studios Wales.
  3. ^ "FILM STUDIO TO EXPAND WITH BERGEN FINANCE BACKING". Insider Media Limited. 24 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Studios". bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Dragon Studios". britishfilmcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Willow and Star Wars actor Warwick Davis joins the celebs holidaying in Wales". walesonline.co.uk. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Dragon Studios". britishfilmcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  8. ^ "Dragon Studios | British Film Commission". www.britishfilmcommission.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Filming starts on the most expensive US TV show ever shot in Wales". 29 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Dragon Studios". britishfilmcommission.org.uk. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Rhydian puts the spotlight on new talent". s4c.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Ironclad filming brings Hollywood to South Wales". BBC. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Film studios complex plans released". BBC. 30 August 2001. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  14. ^ a b "'Valleywood' film studio plans back on". BBC. 1 October 2002. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Dragon International Film Studios". wales.gov.uk. 6 October 2006. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Valleywood work to start". BBC. 27 August 2004. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  17. ^ a b "Director promises 'Valleywood' jobs". BBC. 6 December 2002. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  18. ^ a b "Valleywood could switch location". BBC. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Mousehunt delays Valleywood". BBC. 12 January 2005. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  20. ^ "More delays for Valleywood studio". BBC. 11 May 2005. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  21. ^ "Delays hit Valleywood film start". BBC. 28 January 2006. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  22. ^ "'Valleywood' building work begins". BBC. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  23. ^ https://www.dragonstudios.wales/ [bare URL]
  24. ^ "About Us | Dragon Studios".
  25. ^ "Wales".
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