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...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
Graymatter Video supports more than 220 events at The Great British Drive In posted: 14/01/2021 
