Zinc launches post service Bumblebee

Zinc Media Group has launched a new post-production service, Bumblebee.

Bumblebee begins in London, but aims to scale up to a nationwide service at speed by utilising Zinc’s existing locations across the country for physical facilities in addition to scalable remote edits. Overall it will offer a hybrid service, with dedicated upload hubs at its nationwide facilities in London, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast, Manchester and Macclesfield, flexible remote and physical edits and producer collaboration tools.

Bumblebee aims to become a net zero facility, beginning by using 100% UK-sourced renewable energy providers, being single-use plastic free and having a zero to landfill waste target.

Olly Strous, Chief Technology Officer, Zinc Media Group, commented on this: “We are mapping out the future of post-production, from uploading rushes on location, to editing using more energy efficient codecs.  As well as committing to helping shape the long-term sustainable future of the industry, Bumblebee also pledges to fund initiatives to offset its carbon footprint, in its journey to becoming Net Zero. 

“Having spent my career looking at how technology can drive efficiency in content creation, you quickly realise the positive impact you can make on your carbon footprint by just working smarter.  Transiting data through the cloud, digitising release forms and reducing travel through remote collaboration are all great starts.  The greater environmental impact typically comes from production and therefore anything we can do to empower production teams through technical innovation will help.”

Work has already begun at the post house, with it completing full post for The Decade the Rich Won (BBC Current Affairs) and Michael Moseley: Who Made Britain Fat? (Avalon Television).

As part of the launch, Rowan Jennings has been appointed Bumblebee’s head of audio in London. Prior to this move, Jennings was a freelance dubbing mixer and sound designer, for which he recently received an Emmy nomination for his work on 9/11: I Was There (History Channel). He also has a BAFTA for his work as dubbing mixer on the BBC Two documentary David Bowie: Five Years, and was BAFTA nominated for the BBC Four documentary Britten’s Endgame. 

Before going freelance, Jennings worked at The Edit, Sound Store, Noise London, and United Audio Project Post Production.

Strous said of the launch: “Bumblebee is a response to the changing production landscape that has emerged since the start of the pandemic. How we make content has changed significantly since March 2020. It has created demand for the flexibility to work anywhere, maintaining the highest levels of collaboration and in the face of significantly increasing costs, to produce the best content possible without destroying our climate or our budgets.  Our ambition is to meet that demand - and more. 

“Rowan joining the team is a key part of our launch, meaning that we are able to offer a truly world-class roster of staff to oversee projects and enter the market as a truly outstanding solution for all post production needs.”

Jennings added: “Zinc has an incredible track record of making high-profile programming, working with the biggest international clients and some of the most talented people in the UK production community. With that in mind I am excited to be part of the launch of Bumblebee as we strive to become a major player in the post production landscape.”