Zinc Media Group Launches Postproduction Outfit Bumblebee

Zinc Media Group has launched Bumblebee, a new postproduction offering featuring dedicated upload hubs at the company’s U.K. facilities, flexible remote and physical edits and production collaboration tools.

Bumblebee offers a remote upload service from all Zinc Media offices (in London, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Belfast, Manchester and Macclesfield). It has already begun working with several clients, including completing full post for The Decade the Rich Won (BBC Current Affairs) and Michael Moseley: Who Made Britain Fat? (Avalon Television).

Bumblebee aims to become a net-zero facility, using 100 percent U.K.-sourced renewable energy providers, being single-use plastic free and having a zero to landfill waste target. It has also enrolled in the DPP Committed to Sustainability program.

To support the launch, Rowan Jennings has been appointed as head of audio London. Previously, he worked as a freelance dubbing mixer and sound designer, for which he recently received an Emmy nomination for his work on 9/11: I Was There (History Channel).

Olly Strous, chief technology officer at Zinc Media Group, said, “Bumblebee is a response to the changing production landscape that has emerged since the start of the pandemic. How we make content has changed significantly since March 2020. It has created demand for the flexibility to work anywhere, maintaining the highest levels of collaboration and in the face of significantly increasing costs, to produce the best content possible without destroying our climate or our budgets. Our ambition is to meet that demand—and more.

“Rowan joining the team is a key part of our launch, meaning that we are able to offer a truly world-class roster of staff to oversee projects and enter the market as a truly outstanding solution for all postproduction needs,” Strous added.

Jennings commented, “Zinc has an incredible track record of making high-profile programming, working with the biggest international clients and some of the most talented people in the U.K. production community. With that in mind, I am excited to be part of the launch of Bumblebee as we strive to become a major player in the postproduction landscape.”

Regarding the company’s sustainability goals, Abdul Hakim from DPP, said, “As the challenges of the climate crisis come into sharp focus, our aim is to help guide the media industry in the right direction, so it too can play its part in making the appropriate changes that will lead to a more sustainable future. It is really encouraging to see businesses, like Bumblebee, set out sustainability as one of its key goals, from inception. We are looking forward to helping the team achieve their targets.”

“We are mapping out the future of postproduction, from uploading rushes on location to editing using more energy efficient codecs,” Strous added. “As well as committing to helping shape the long-term sustainable future of the industry, Bumblebee also pledges to fund initiatives to offset its carbon footprint in its journey to becoming net zero.

“Having spent my career looking at how technology can drive efficiency in content creation, you quickly realize the positive impact you can make on your carbon footprint by just working smarter. Transiting data through the cloud, digitizing release forms and reducing travel through remote collaboration are all great starts. The greater environmental impact typically comes from production and therefore anything we can do to empower production teams through technical innovation will help.”