As British Turntable – a name well known and respected throughout the TV and film production industry – celebrates its 50th anniversary, it has announced a change of name to Movetech UK to reflect the wider range of movement options and solutions now available from this dynamic and innovative company.
The re-branding follows close on the heels of a major upgrade to the company’s rental portfolio along with enhancements to customer service and support, which is providing UK customers with, among other benefits, quicker turn round times. Nowhere is this more important than in the prolific London TV and film production scene, which Movetech UK services largely from its Epping facilities.
The spectacular nature of Movetech UK’s services is there for all to see through the medium of block-busting movies such as ‘Octopussy’ through to the more recent Guy Ritchie film, ‘RocknRolla’. The TV industry, too, has been quick to benefit from the company’s knowledge and experience. From ‘The Sweeney’ in the 1970s, when a simple automotive revolve was used to simulate high-speed car chases through the streets of London, to Channel 4’s ‘Big Brother’ and BBC’s ‘Top Gear’, the latest Ford Focus commercial, and a revolving phone booth in ‘Midnight Man’ (the ITV series starring James Nesbit), Movetech UK has been the force behind the movement technology.
Tim Entwistle, Managing Director of Movetech UK, is proud of his company’s long association with the industry. “Whether it’s a small turntable to spin the Premiership cup as an introduction to a sports programme, or bespoke set and staging designed and built for live film and TV events, we do it”, he says. “And there aren’t many in this industry that can match our complete package of movement solutions – innovative design, manufacture, transport, installation, strike and store from a single source, with great people, quality products and reliable back-up, operating on time and on budget!”
Showing the dedication of Movetech UK’s people when working to tight deadlines is evident in the ‘Midnight Man’ supply. Matt Forrest, manager of the Epping depot explains, “9-5 just isn’t in our vocabulary. In ‘Midnight Man’ the character Max Raban (played by James Nesbitt) lives only by night. Caught in a phone box as daylight dawns, he begins to freak out, the 2m revolving stage simulating the effect of him spinning out of control. The timing was crucial. We had to be on site for around 5am to catch the dawn light, then pushed the revolve round manually to get the right effect of increasing speed. It was exhausting, to say the least, but the production company was delighted with the result.”
Much of Movetech UK’s success is down to the extensive range of quality products and services offered, the company’s unrivalled industry knowledge based on fifty years trading, its in-house manufacturing capability, and its relationships with leading industry players. In recent years Movetech UK has strengthened the movement portfolio by adding Hovair air film technology, which allows products or people to be – literally – floated around on a thin film of air. It’s a technology that created a spectacular launch for Renault Trucks, when new models were floated smoothly and silently into the auditorium shrouded in dry ice. The effect was stunning.
Alongside this extensive product range lies a range of services extending from pre-project advice and project design, through to delivery, installation and on-site support. It’s a formidable offering.
