Graymatter Video supports more than 220 events at The Great British Drive In posted: 14/01/2021
Video control solutions specialist partners with the festival of film, great food and live entertainment at Sandon Hall
British Drive In (TGBDI) at stately home, Sandon Hall. Starting at the beginning of July, TGBDI ran every day until the latest lockdown in November. TGBDI was started by two friends, Coalition Event Services and Funicular Productions Founder, Craig Wilkinson, and tech event specialist, Ed Myhill, who brought in Graymatter and staging company, NoNonsense.
We always strive to create world-class experiences with film presentation being essential for our drive-in, says Wilkinson. Many other drive-ins use inflatable screens, but we didn't want to compromise as we felt it was important to have best in class for our video production and our structure. This is why we chose to work with Graymatter. Their expertise is outstanding, and they helped us pull together a world-class team in iMAG and NoNonsense who are all wonderful to work with; they are creative and solution driven, with a fine pedigree of work that we were blessed to have onboard.
Combining their decades of experience working on experiential events for world-renowned clients such as Facebook, Google, NFL, and Bacardi, long-term professional relationships with Sundance Film Festival and creating immersive theatre experiences such as The Murder Express, the team came together to transform one of Staffordshire's most beautiful estates into a drive-in experience to entertain, educate and unite people in the midst of Covid-19.
There were no sponsorship packages to start with and zero culture funding grants, says Graymatter's David Voyce. It was just a bunch of industry professionals who had worked with each other through previous projects and had a vision to create something that was both appealing and sustainable.
TGBDI can accommodate up to 180 cars per screening. Ensuring every member of the audience has a great view, Graymatter supplied a massive 100m2 ROE MC7-H 7mm LED screen from iMAG Displays and set up the entire technical ecosystem for seamless video control.
There's a lot of infrastructure required, and this is where our experience came in, adds Voyce. We knew the Cinema would be popular and not just a short-term event, so the solution needed to be robust and yet easily serviceable in order to endure the rigours of being exposed to the elements for such a long time. We opted for a ground support with rear access to the screen across three levels, coupled with the excellent ROE Visual MC7-H and our custom rigging solution designed to securely mount the screen onto the ground support. This provided quick and simple replacement of LED modules to keep the screen in tip top condition for the entire duration.
TGBDI's programme is diverse and includes anything from film, quiz nights and Q&As to live entertainment like comedy and music to food festivals. Focusing on quality of experience at a reasonable price, it offers a first-class visual experience as well as some of the best street food available, provided by Digbeth Dining Club.
Drive-ins surged in popularity this summer, and whilst many opted for weekend-only work, TGBDI has been the gold standard by running throughout the week, says Wilkinson. So far, we've delivered over 220 events and accommodated over 12,000 cars.
Feedback has been truly outstanding, with over 35,000 visitors enjoying the opportunity to get out and enjoy themselves in an open, socially distanced environment from the safety of their vehicles.
From the start, we wanted to use our accumulated knowledge of events and go above and beyond to keep visitors safe and entertained, Wilkinson adds. Without our customers, we're just a giant screen in the middle of the field, so a Covid-friendly user experience was our number one priority.
Cash-free payments, online ordering, sanitizer stations spread across the site, as well as clear signage throughout, are some of the measures that were implemented to ensure a protected environment. Great comedians and musicians such as Marcus Brigstocke, Reginald D Hunter, Suzzi Ruffel and Rachel Paris all had the opportunity to take part in comedy and live music nights and the team even had actor, comedian and beatboxer Michael Winslow coming all the way from Hollywood for a live Q&A session at Sandon Hall.
Being able to support the industry, the talented performers and of course our audience is a responsibility we feel obliged to continue for as long as we can, Wilkinson concludes. Having Graymatter on board, setting up the LED screen to taking care of all the video control tech, has been imperative in terms of delivering a high-quality visual experience. We've all been one team fighting through the crisis to deliver events during these strange times. We're truly grateful for this experience and are all geared up to continue TGBDI and to deliver a great experience.
Whilst TGBDI is currently closed, it is looking forward to returning as soon as restrictions are eased.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Graymatter Video supports more than 220 events at The Great British Drive In posted: 14/01/2021 
