Derry film company takes on world via Youtube

A Londonderry production company is to launch its own Youtube channel at the start of next year in association with BBC Worldwide.

360Production will present one of Europe’s first channels to operate through Youtube, following a similar successful initiative in America.

Backed by Northern Ireland Screen, the new channel will operate from Derry and be called Head Squeeze. It will be presented by Top Gear’s James May. It is one of 21 new You Tube channels announced in the UK, covering everything from cars and health to food and comedy.

The 360 channel will feature content based around science and current affairs and will include a portal for budding talent to show off their own creativity.

A team of scientists will take part in Head Squeeze, commenting on the latest news and trends.

The 360 team shot to international acclaim after landing a major contract with the National Geographic channel.

Using computer generated imagery (CGI) special effects and everyday items, they created the content for the Making History series on a small budget.

These included re-staging the moon landing in a studio off Sandy Row, Hitler’s last moments in the bunker in a Derry warehouse and the building of Stonehenge in a field in Draperstown.

The company now has a second base in London.

John Farren, creative director of 360Production, said the new channel would be a brilliant addition during Derry’s year as UK City of Culture.

“The reason we can base this channel in Derry is because there is an emerging pool of talent across Northern Ireland.”

He said 360Production worked closely with Magee and the Letterkenny Institute of Technology on the advancement of graphic and digital output and was working on a number of television projects.

Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk
With the new media centre at South West College in Omagh and the Innovation Growth Centre with superfast broadband being built in Omagh, in a few short years, we could be training and keeping innocative businesses such as 360Production in Omagh.