Last night on a warm summer evening in the heart of London, the Production Guild UK gathered at one of the city's most iconic addresses for our Summer Super Connector Event — and it delivered everything a night like this should: brilliant conversation, genuine connection, and a room full of the people who make this industry what it is.
Hosted at the magnificent Somerset House — itself a production location of note, having served as a principal filming location for Bait, the Riz Ahmed-led thriller that became one of the most talked-about productions of recent years — the evening felt like a fitting setting for a community that lives and breathes the art of bringing extraordinary places to life on screen.
The centrepiece of the evening was our panel discussion: Filming in Historic Locations vs Virtual Production, VFX and New Technology — a conversation that proved every bit as rich and provocative as the topic deserved.
With Somerset House as both backdrop and subject, our panellists — a Supervising Location Manager, Financial Controller, VFX Producer and representative from Somerset House itself — took the audience on a fascinating journey through the making of Bait: from the early conversations required to unlock one of London's most architecturally significant buildings for a major production, to the complex interplay between practical location work and VFX that defined the series' distinctive visual identity.
The conversation ranged across the streets of Soho — one of the most logistically demanding filming environments in the country — the financial realities of producing a location-led drama in protected historic spaces, and the fundamental creative question at the heart of so much modern filmmaking: when does virtual production serve the story, and when does nothing replace the texture, light and atmosphere of a real place?
The engagement from our audience was exceptional throughout — questions came thick and fast, and the conversations that spilled out of the panel session and into the evening reminded us, once again, of the depth of knowledge and passion that exists across our community.
None of this would have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, and we want to take a moment to thank them properly.
Our headline sponsor Amazon MGM Studios — whose recent productions including Masters of the Universe and The Agency have featured so many of our own members — brought the kind of support and commitment to the evening that makes these events truly special. We are enormously grateful for their continued partnership with the Production Guild UK.
Our event sponsor Foundry — one of the VFX and post-production industry's most trusted names, and a company whose own commitment to the future of filmmaking technology made them the perfect partner for an evening centred on the intersection of traditional and new production methods — were equally wonderful hosts. With the recent appointment of Kyle Roche as Chief AI Officer, Foundry is at the forefront of exactly the conversations our industry needs to be having, and their presence at Somerset House felt genuinely fitting.
To both teams — thank you. Your support makes evenings like this possible.
As the evening drew on, we turned our attention to something we have been looking forward to for some time: celebrating our Production Guild Awards 2026 Nominees ahead of the big night.
To be in a room with so many of our nominees — to see them connect with each other, with our partners and with the wider community — was a genuine privilege. These are the people who represent the very best of what our industry does, and being able to acknowledge them in person, surrounded by their peers, felt like exactly the right way to build anticipation for what is shaping up to be a very special evening.
The Production Guild Awards 2026, in association with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, take place on 12th September at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. We cannot wait to welcome our nominees, our members, our partners and the wider industry community for what promises to be a truly memorable night.
If last night reminded us of anything, it is this: connection matters. In an industry that can feel increasingly fragmented — where productions move fast, contracts are short and the pressure to keep working leaves little time to pause and look up — evenings like this are not a luxury. They are a necessity.
Seeing members who haven't crossed paths in months reconnect over a shared experience. Watching emerging talent speak to established professionals with the confidence that comes from being in a room that genuinely welcomes them. Feeling the energy of a community that, whatever the industry throws at it, refuses to stop showing up for each other.
That is what the Production Guild exists for. And last night, we felt it very clearly.
Thank you to every single person who joined us at Somerset House. We are already looking forward to the next one.
The Production Guild Awards 2026 take place on 12th September at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, in association with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
