
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: April 17, 2024 Updated: April 18, 2024
Rory Springthorpe, founder and director at outside broadcasting company Vivid Broadcast, talks to TVBEurope about his route into the industry and understanding the value of teamwork. Talk us through an average day in your role I think that's probably one of the great things about working in media there really isn't such a thing [ ]
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Rory Springthorpe, founder and director at outside broadcasting company Vivid Broadcast, talks to TVBEurope about his route into the industry and understanding the value of teamwork.
Talk us through an average day in your role I think that's probably one of the great things about working in media there really isn't such a thing as an average day. One day it's meeting with a major fashion brand, then meeting internally with the team on a project or jumping on a plane to do a show in India or New York. I guess the more consistent thing is what am I responsible for? I spend a lot of time thinking about the next thing where are we going, what do we need to do to get there and what is holding us back. Our industry is all about the people yes the equipment is important but without people we're nothing. So a key part of my role is around building the right teams to work on each project and finding the way to look after those people.
Running an outside broadcast and production company is anything but a straight line there are bumps, mountains and ditches along the way that need to be navigated, and the earlier they are spotted the easier it is to deal with them, rather than waiting until you're deep in a ditch and trying to find the way back up. Having the right people around you for each stage of the journey is so important, and recognising that the right people might vary for different seasons. I'm keen to support staff to be all they can be irrespective of whether that means they stay with us or whether that journey takes them another route whatever is best for them is ultimately the best for the company. That support comes in a number of ways, from making sure people have the right tools for the job, making sure colleagues feel supported in their roles and also ensuring people always feel part of a bigger team, whether they be in the office or on location. So overall, I'm looking at how to develop people, provide the right opportunities, provide stretch moments whilst in a supported environment.
How did you get started in the media industry? Accidentally is probably the most accurate. My dad was a professional industrial photographer and I would help him on shoots, travelling around the country taking pictures of fascinating things, setting up equipment and being able to be in places that otherwise you just wouldn't find yourself. I initially started working in the charity sector for the first few years and then a friend and I started Vivid in 2005, initially mainly to be able to develop the work in the NGO and not-for-profit sector but that quickly expanded into multi-camera production and more and more work for broadcasters before becoming an approved BBC supplier (our first project was Radio 1 Big Weekend and then closely followed by Antiques Roadshow).
Over the years we've just kept turning up, kept saying yes to new challenges and tried to keep production values and great people at the centre of what we do. Today we have a staff of over 20, have filmed in over 30 countries around the world and produced literally thousands of hours of live television from Glastonbury to National Theatre, ColdPlay to Burberry. Festivals, theatre, sport, music, fashion, comedy, factual, studio and sitcom.
What training did you have before entering the industry? I trained to be a pilot so not too connected! I was home educated and after sixth form college went straight to working in outdoor pursuits, during which time I set up my first business building tree houses in Kent (yes that is a thing). I think you can learn lessons from wherever you are and whatever you do. Flying teaches you to do things like how to scan instruments and scan outside a sequence of intense, fixated observations. It teaches you to not focus so much on one thing that you miss something coming up, it makes you understand the importance of trusting your instruments and not ignoring the information they are telling you. All principles that can be transferred to business.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry? The variety of people and projects. From filming underwater to in helicopters, meeting kings and queens, telling stories of the forgotten and the marginalised, working with famous musicians and artists from around the world. The opportunities that come with this industry are incredible. I love that our work isn't about what I can achieve, but what a group of people working together can achieve. You can be the best director in the world but if you don't have engineers, riggers, camera crew and lighting directors to work with you then you are nothing each production has to be a team working at their best, respecting each others' role, supporting each other. At Vivid, we're passionate about starting as a team and finishing as a team just because your job is done, if there are issues in another area or someone else is struggling, then we all jump in and help all for one and one for all. I think staying involved in the details but letting others make the decisions is important. I love being surrounded by people who are much better at many things than I am. Knowing the difference between micro management versus staying engaged in different areas is really key. As a team we run quite a flat structure where anyone within the company can influence any area of the business ultimate
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
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...
24/09/2026
Manifold Technologies Appoints Ryhaan Williams as CCO for North America
Brie Clayton September 24, 2026
0 Comments
Brings three decades of broadcast e...
24/09/2026
UNIFACHA Expands Educational Program with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton September 24, 2026
0 Comments
Brazilian university empowers next generat...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Viewers watching videos from the Austrian Parliament online will soon find it easier to verify the authenticity of the content. Big Blue Marble, an internationa...
24/09/2026
nsign, the digital signage SaaS platform built around its Simplify Complexity principle, is now officially certified for BRAVIA Professional Displays from Son...
24/09/2026
Encompass Digital Media today announced the successful migration of multiple Viaplay free-to-air channels, including TV3, TV6, TV8 and TV10, to its Altitude Sch...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/09/2026
Music Supervisor, Composer, and Mixing Engineer Santiago Uribe has built a career around producing music for film and television, contributing to more than 40 p...
24/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) will hold a full-day cybersecurity summit focused on defending against growing cyber threats facing the broad...
24/09/2026
The home interiors retailer signs up for third year as sponsor
RT Commercial today announced that Harry Corry has signed up to a third year as sponsor of Live...
24/09/2026
When COVID-19 emerged, scientists had a crucial advantage: Decades of prior research on coronaviruses meant they understood the virus' key proteins well eno...
24/09/2026
RT Radio 1 Folk Awards Tickets on Sale
Dolores Keane to be inducted into the...
24/09/2026
A warped Manhattan is waiting in the cloud this week. Remedy Entertainment's CONTROL Resonant brings Dylan Faden's extraordinary abilities and a paranat...
23/09/2026
Four control rooms support B1G+ streams, videoboard shows, creative content, and...
23/09/2026
By Andrew Cohen, SVG Coorespondant
The Mountain West debuted its new Replay Operations Center at the start of this football season, bringing real-time collabor...
23/09/2026
The Taylorville, IL, native is pushing creative boundaries at Ball State, gaining reps across directing, technical directing, tape, and more than 100 ESPN+ broa...
23/09/2026
Alexander Heller, Nevada Jose, Will Brill, and Giselle Bonilla pose with cast members at The Musical premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at Eccles...
23/09/2026
Includes natural and processed patches
The Crow Hill Company's latest sample library captures a children's choir comprising a troupe of boys perform...
23/09/2026
Plug-in offers six bands of saturation
Kreuzberg Audio's product range includes a selection of plug-ins and virtual instruments aimed primarily at hard-...
23/09/2026
Latest DAW update now live
SoundBridge have announced that the latest update for the remote-collaboration-focused DAW is now available. The release of Sound...
23/09/2026
Koori Knockout returns home exclusively to NITV and SBS On Demand in 2026
11 September, 2026
Media releases
Fans can catch all the live action exclusively ...
23/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz acquires NEOSAT and PHYTRONIC and strengthens its competencies i...
23/09/2026
1. ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites applications from experienced producers who own or manage a South African product...
23/09/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce the opening...
23/09/2026
Download Now!
To receive a short case study showcasing NHK Technologies, Inc. (NT) s audio setup, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* Fir...
23/09/2026
Nielsen CMI data reveals a changing fast-food landscape, with value, convenience...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
COW Jobs: Blender on Windows - Generalist - Remote
Brie Clayton September 23, 2026
0 Comments
Application Users - Blender on Windows - Generalist
Se...
23/09/2026
Version 1.8 recognised for new workflow tools, boosted control panel flexibility and ease of integration into IP networks...
23/09/2026
Hiltron Communications reports a successful 2026 International Broadcasting Convention, held at the RAI Amsterdam. Exhibiting on stand A37 in Hall 1, Hiltron ex...
23/09/2026
Reinforcing its long-term commitment to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) broadcast market, LiveU is presenting the Q Era at CABSAT 2026, on Stand H1-D35 ...
23/09/2026
Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency, and Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a partnersh...
23/09/2026
Berklee Connect Unlocks the Power of a Global Network Katie Vitolins BM '04 knows firsthand what Berklee's alumni community can make possible. Now she...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
23/09/2026
Westminster Schools, a K through 12 school in Atlanta, Georgia with approximately 2,000 students, has transformed its student broadcast and digital storytelling...
23/09/2026
The 2026 edition of CABSAT and SATExpo may have a new home and dates in the diary, but it still retains a strong presence from UK companies in the GREAT Britain...
23/09/2026
Glensound will return to CABSAT with new developments in professional monitoring and Dante interfacing, alongside its established commentary, esports and parlia...
23/09/2026
September 23 2026, 17:00 (PDT) Dolby and Meta Expand Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision Across Metas Ecosystem
Across Meta AI glasses, Instagram, and VR devices, ...