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
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
COW Jobs: Visual Storyteller - Emeryville, CA
Brie Clayton October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Visual Storyteller
October 7, 2026 COW Jobs: Cinematographer...
09/10/2026
Master 3-Point Lighting in After Effects With an Orbiting Light Rig
Graham Quince October 9, 2026
0 Comments
Ever wondered why your 3D renders in Afte...
09/10/2026
nxtedition will exhibit for the first time at Asias Broadcasting & Infotainment Show (A.B.I.S) in Mumbai, bringing its integrated production platform and latest...
09/10/2026
Today's AI Isn't the Answer
Andy Marken October 8, 2026
0 Comments
Let's say you're telling the truth, and this is all a dream. - Do...
09/10/2026
Ikegami to Introduce New UHK-X700VN Camera at NAB New York, Offering Advanced Cr...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Witness world firsts, new arrivals and the work that goes on behind the scenes a...
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...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
By TVBEurope Staff 
