National Film and Television School Hires for £75.6M CoSTAR Stage at Pinewood

The development of the CoSTAR Stage signifies a significant investment in advanced production R&D for the streaming and broadcast sectors. This dedicated facility aims to accelerate innovation in areas like IP media workflows and AI-driven content creation, critical for future content pipelines. As the industry increasingly relies on virtual production and real-time technologies, facilities like CoSTAR could influence best practices and technology adoption. Keep an eye on the types of projects emerging from CoSTAR for indicators of future production trends and technological requirements.

The CoSTAR National Lab, which includes the flagship CoSTAR Stage at Pinewood, is set to fully open in 2026, though a satellite facility, the Futures Studio, is already operational (CoSTAR Network, January 2025). Led by Royal Holloway, University of London, the National Lab partners with academic institutions like Abertay University and the University of Surrey, alongside industry giants like BT and Disguise. The initiative aims to provide advanced infrastructure, including a cloud-based Creative AI Compute facility with 20 NVIDIA H200 GPUs currently, expanding to 80 more by 2026, and a private BT 5G network (CoSTAR Network, January 2025). This focus on AI compute and private 5G networks highlights the strategic importance of real-time processing and secure, high-bandwidth connectivity for future creative workflows. The CoSTAR Stage intends to support smaller creative enterprises by offering accessible opportunities for experimentation in a de-risked environment, with £7 million in dedicated funding available (CoSTAR Network, January 2025). This suggests a broader effort to democratize access to advanced production technologies and foster innovation across the UK's creative industries.