The Production Guild Awards
The Production Guild of Great Britain will pay tribute to leading UK film and TV industry professionals this Saturday night, with its new Awards, recognising remarkable achievements made by those working in a range of production management fields, including production office, accounting, assistant directing, location management and post production.
Launched in the Production Guild’s 15th anniversary year, the awards highlight the UK’s reputation and influence as a leading centre for film and TV production management and the destination of choice for international film and programme makers, at a time when the creative success of the UK film and TV industry and its contribution to UK economy has never been stronger.
Taking place on Saturday 27th September 2014 at The Grove in Hertfordshire, the Production Guild Awards, in association with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, will recognise four individuals for their exceptional work in film and TV production. They are:
- Location Manager Sue Quinn, who receives the Panavision Project Management Award, particularly for her work on Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow for which she achieved the closure of Trafalgar Square, in order to create the dramatic scene where Tom Cruise’s character lands a Puma military helicopter in the iconic central London location. Sue is a ‘star’ in the location filming world having worked on the Harry Potter films, Billy Elliot, Notting Hill as well as the forthcoming The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the new Tarzan.
- Production Supervisor Hannah Godwin, named the British Film Commission Rising Star Award winner for her rapid career progression. Hannah’s career path has been meteoric, moving from Production Coordinator to Production Supervisor on two big budget films for Disney last year, Muppets Most Wanted and Into the Woods. Hannah has also worked on the Bond films Skyfall and Quantum of Solace, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and Paul Greengrass’s Green Zone. This year she has been working on the major action film Avengers: Age of Ultron for Marvel Studios and the highly anticipated Bond 24 (working title).
- Producer Steve Clark-Hall, recipient of the Creative Skillset Mentor Award in recognition of his dedication to assisting the career development of young producers and production crew. Steve is one of the UK’s most experienced producers having worked on titles such as Sherlock Holmes and its sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Calendar Girls, Lesbian Vampire Killers and most recently the Warner Bros. productions The Man From U.N.C.L.E. starring Henry Cavill and Hugh Grant, and Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur, both directed by Guy Ritchie.
- Strategic policy advisor Stephen Bristow, awarded the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden Contribution to the Industry Award for his outstanding contribution to the development and sustainability of the UK film and TV industry. Film and TV production is a high-cost and high-earning business, and Steven’s contribution to the lobbying process that resulted in the introduction of the High-End TV Tax Relief and recent changes to the Film Tax Relief has been fundamental to ensuring the UK’s financial efficiency and competitiveness as a production base.
Kevin Trehy, Chairman of the Production Guild and Senior Vice President of Physical Production at Warner Bros. said: “These awards winners represent a cross section of professions that are instrumental in making our film and TV industry great; the outstanding achievements of Sue Quinn in location management, the impressive trajectory of Hannah Godwin’s achievements in production, Steve Clarke-Hall’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of producers, and the strategic guidance that Stephen Bristow has dedicated to ensuring that tax relief policies help to protect our industry’s status as a competitive world leader. Congratulations to all the winners. Their talent and skills are what makes the British film and TV industry continue to be such a success story.”
The Production Guild award winners were nominated by the Production Guild’s industry membership, and selected by juries of leading industry professionals.
The Award Winners
Sue Quinn – Location Manager
Winner: The Panavision Project Management Award
Acknowledging an individual who has achieved something extraordinary in their work, within the production office, production accounts, location management, post production or assistant directing.
Sue’s extensive career in the British film industry has spanned two decades, and has seen her travel the length and breadth of Britain and beyond. Whether a project requires one of Britain’s fine country manors for a classic period drama, or a remote beach on which to build a house from scratch, or landing helicopters in unusual places, Sue relishes the unique challenges of location management. Sue’s major credits include Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow, for which she achieved the closure of one of London’s busiest locations, Trafalgar Square, in order that Tom Cruise could land a Puma military helicopter during filming. Sue has also been behind a range of memorable scenes in iconic British films including the Harry Potter films, Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Billy Elliot, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Gosford Park and Elizabeth. She has recently been Supervising Location Manager on the forthcoming spy thriller The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and is currently working on the upcoming live action 3D movie Tarzan.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Sue many times over the last decade and there has never been a location she has not managed to get us permission to film, whether it be the wilds of Scotland or in the heart of London. Having found the perfect location, she and her team then manage it perfectly so that both us the Production Company and the location come away very happy. When finding locations she has a unique ability of understanding the Director's vision but also keeping very aware of the Production requirements and capabilities.” Tim Lewis, Co-Producer (Edge of Tomorrow)
Hannah Godwin – Production Supervisor
Winner: The British Film Commission Rising Star Award
Acknowledging an individual who, through their skills and tenacity is rising through the grades within their area of work, and has had a significant rise in their career since 2011.
Hannah began her career in New Zealand at the age of 18 on a three month summer placement as a receptionist in a commercial production company. She stayed on and quickly progressed to Agency Producer at McCann-Erickson by the age of 21. Hannah moved into feature films in 2003 after relocating to London. In her early career she worked on films including The Descent, Derailed, Amazing Grace and The Other Boleyn Girl. Hannah worked on her first Bond film Quantum of Solace in 2007 as Travel Coordinator, managing travel across six countries. She went on to progress to Production Coordinator for Skyfall in 2011. Other major titles Hannah has worked on include Paul Greengrass's Green Zone, Clint Eastwood's Hereafter and Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Hannah was Production Supervisor on two Disney films in 2013; Muppets Most Wanted and Into the Woods. She has most recently finished Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age of Ultron, and is currently working on the highly anticipated Bond 24 (working title).
"The key thing that Hannah has, which is really important in our industry, is that she's 100% reliable, she's trustworthy and she delivers... It’s a very serious job that we do, it involves huge amounts of money, it’s very complex, but she always does it with good humour, she always does it with a smile." Callum McDougall, Executive Producer (Quantum of Solace, Skyfall)
Steve Clark-Hall – Producer
Winner: The Creative Skillset Mentor Award
Acknowledging an individual who has personally helped other member/s to develop within their work and/or career by offering guidance, advice and support.
Steve is one of the UK’s most experienced Producers/Line Producers, and has produced more than 28 feature films, and many hours of TV. His credits include Nigel Cole’s Calendar Girls, Kenneth Branagh’s Magic Flute, and Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes. He is currently producing the upcoming Warner Bros. productions The Man From U.N.C.L.E and Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur, both directed by Guy Ritchie. Steve has recently completed the first four episodes of the NBC/Carnival mini-series Dracula, a production based in Budapest. Prior to that he was the Exec Producer on Warner Bros. sequel Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows, directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Robert Downey Jnr. Steve also has extensive experience filming outside of the UK; recently he produced Britz, the BAFTA winning mini-series directed by Peter Kosminsky, part of which was filmed in India. Other countries he has filmed in include South Africa (Regis Warnier’s Man to Man), France (Julian Fellowes’s Secret Lies), LA (Nigel Cole’s Calendar Girls) and Hungary (Dracula).
"Without Steve I couldn't have got through my first film, he kind of made it work. So I kind of feel like without him there would be no career.... I think he's given the industry and people like me, more than he's taken from it. And that feels quite rare, and that feels like it deserves an award to me." Nigel Cole, Director (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham)
Stephen Bristow – Director (Film & TV), Saffery Champness
Winner: The Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden Contribution to the Industry Award
Acknowledging a Production Guild member who has made an outstanding contribution to the development and sustainability of the UK film and/or TV drama industry.
Stephen is Head of Business Development for the Film and Television Unit at media accountants Saffery Champness. He specialises in providing strategic policy advice to global media companies and its leaders. Stephen has been deeply involved in the policy development of independent British film and television for the last 15 years. He co-authored the case for a tax relief for high end television and initiated the lobbying process that resulted in the High-End TV Tax Relief, which came into effect on 1 April 2013. Working with the UK’s visual effects sector, Stephen successfully made the case for changes to the Film Tax Relief that were introduced in 2014. He also represented the BFI and the UK in the recent successful negotiations with the European Commission on the Cinema Communication, a key debate that determines whether the UK can have tax reliefs for film and television.
About the Juries
The Panavision Project Management Award Jury
Chair - Kevin Trehy (Senior Vice President of Physical Production, Warner Bros.)
Hugh Whittaker (Director, Panavision), Chris Curling (Producer), Chris Kenny (Producer), Luke Randolph (Executive Producer), Tina McFarling (Publicist).
The British Film Commission Rising Star Award Jury
Chair - Guy Barker (Financial Controller)
Samantha Perahia (Senior Production Executive, British Film Commission), Ali Moshref (Production Executive, Film Finances), George Bevir (Facilities Editor, Broadcast), Marianne Jenkins (UPM), Sarah Millar (Production Accountant), Sarah-Jane Wright (Producer, Working Title Films).
The Creative Skillset Mentor Award Jury
Chair - Mark Cooper (Producer)
Gavin Humphries (Film Partnership Manager, Creative Skillset), Peter La Terriere (Completion Guarantor, EFB), Ally O Leary (Financial Controller), Wendy Mitchell (Editor, Screen International), Samantha Waite (Line Producer/Production Manager), Liz Barron (Finance Director, Trademark Films), Marc Samuelson (Producer).
The Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden Contribution to the Industry Award
The winner of this award was chosen by the board of The Production Guild of Great Britain.
About The Production Guild
The Production Guild represents experienced production professionals working in UK film and television drama, across accounts, production, location management, assistant directors and post production. Based at Pinewood Studios with over 750 members and more than 70 company affiliates, they provide members with industry advice, employment opportunities, networking and seminars. The Production Guild’s training courses are available for both members and all those working in the industry. Their ‘availability service’ – which is used daily by UK and international film and TV productions - provides member’s availability for work, detailing their credits and production history. This trusted service is invaluable for HoDs looking for production staff in film and TV drama. Delivering informed and expert knowledge on key production issues to members, government and as part of industry consultations, The Production Guild advises productions a wide variety of issues affecting the UK production industry. www.productionguild.com
The Production Guild of Great Britain would like to thank all our sponsors for their generosity and support:
Headline sponsor: Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden
Award category sponsors: British Film Commission, Creative Skillset, Panavision, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden
Award sponsors: Artem, The Grove, Heathrow, The Knowledge, Molinare, Neil Corbauld Special Effects, Printed Solutions, Sara Putt Associates, TLO Film Services
Media Sponsors: Broadcast, Screen International