One of the joys of UK film production are the crew I work with. Over my years of being a producer and fixer I've built a network of talented and gracious crew who have taught me many things. In particular, a well-fed crew is a happy crew. Enter Bobby Tonge, my go to guy for exceptional shoot and craft service catering. Read my Q&A with Bobby to hear bout him, ballet and his heart-stopping pizzas.

A key insight I've gained? A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Enter my secret weapon: Bobby Tonge. For the past decade, he’s been my go-to caterer, impressing everyone with his delicious, from-scratch meals tailored for each shoot. Check out a little Q&A I did with Bobby on a recent shoot to learn more about him, ballet and his heart-stopping (in a good way) pizzas.

I was chatting recently to a production company who were umming and ahhing between London and Manchester as a location. Don’t get me wrong, London is London, I get it. But having produced in both and many places in between, Manchester, for me (of course) is the better bet for three reasons:

Firstly the location. Manchester’s architecture and buildings, both old and new, creates a backdrop that can be uniquely Manchester, but also mimic other cities like New York (and London 🙂) It gives production teams a lot of flexibility. It’s also REALLY near country settings - if you need a multi-location shoot, you can be in the Peak District in 30 minutes. The Gucci x North Face ad was shot in rural Yorkshire, but the crew and kit came from Manchester.
Access to talent. There is a strong community of friendly, highly experienced, highly talented creatives and film crew, who’ve worked on every level of project you can imagine, from features, to high end dramas to commercials, and everything in between.
Budgets go further. Location hires are affordable, accommodation and travel is cheaper plus almost everything from facilities, vehicles and catering, right down to walkie talkies, tend to be less expensive. In my experience time and time again is that you get more for your spend, and a healthier profit margin to boot.
Things can be done quicker. Last minute shoots can be handled easily because of the strength of the community here. Knowing which crew to hire and knowing the exact person to speak to in the Film Office for example has meant I’ve turned around big productions in a matter of days.

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Things I've learnt: A happy crew is a well fed crew

Shooting Up North