
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 ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...