Film crews, actors shooting from medieval cross-bows and a garden being dug up to re-enact a famous grave-digging scene from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are not everyday occurrences in rural Herefordshire. However these are now familiar sights to residents in South Herefordshire thanks to the arrival of an internationally renowned film production company who have moved their business to the county in search of a better quality of life.

Wild Dream Films moved to the Herefordshire countryside from Brighton earlier this year. The company, which is currently producing a ten-part ancient history series and a documentary on Frankenstein for the History Channel, is run by Stuart Clarke and his partner Ali McGrath. With the help of a Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) from Advantage West Midlands they have been able to invest in top-of-the-range High-Definition (HD) technology which gives incredible, cutting edge quality pictures and surround sound.

Utilising this technology means that the company, which has ten members of staff, can compete with film production outfits around the world to win contracts from international TV stations such as US giant The History Channel, Germany’s ZDF, Australia’s CBC and France 5.
The company’s future plans include producing feature-length documentaries including a hard-hitting film about four prisoners on death-row in the U.S.

Wild Dream Films is determined to ensure that their arrival in Herefordshire has a positive impact on the local economy. Already their film crews are spending around £1000 a week in local B&Bs and the company use a local craftsperson to design ancient replicas for their sets, and in the future it is envisaged that local colleges could be offered placements for students at Wild Dream Films.

For more information visit www.wild-dream.com.