Shinfield Studios’ joint Managing Directors Nick Smith and Ian Johnson are to retire from their positions at the end of the year.
The daily operations of Shinfield Studios will be led by Dean Horne, Vice President of Global Studio Operations, and Charlene St Aubyn, Financial Controller. Both have been part of the studios’ team since the early phases of construction.
Smith and Johnson have played a key role in creating the UK’s largest new film and television studio which has 18 sound stages and supporting facilities and is situated close to Reading in Berkshire.
They oversaw negotiations to acquire the 1,000,000ft2 site, the facilities masterplan design, securing planning permission and its construction.
Shinfield has so far hosted productions including Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte, Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, feature film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and an upcoming adaptation of Enid Blyton's The Magic Faraway Tree.
In a statement, Shinfield said that having built the management and operations team responsible for the day-to-day running of the site and attracting major productions from clients such as Disney, Sony and Netflix, Smith and Johnson have decided this is the right time to hand over to the established Shinfield Studios operations team.
Peter Rumbold, CEO of Shinfield-parent company Shadowbox Studios, said: “I would like to thank both Nick and Ian for all of their efforts in helping to create a world class film and television studio in Shinfield. They’ve paved the way for our best-in-class operations team, led by Dean Horne, and secured an exceptional pipeline of productions into 2025 and beyond.”
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Global content investment to hit $255bn in 2026
Global content investment will reach $255bn in 2026, rising a modest 2% year-on-year, according to new forecasts from Ampere Analysis.
Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Adolescence lead Golden Globe winners
One Battle After Another and Hamnet were the two big film winners at this year's Golden Globes.
One Battle After Another heads BAFTA longlist
Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy thriller One Battle After Another leads the 2026 BAFTA film awards longlists with a record 16 mentions.
SMPTE unveils 2026 leadership
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has announced the board officers and regional governors who will serve two-year terms beginning this month.
.jpg)
ITN Productions restructures top team to grow international and digital business
ITN Productions has made a series of senior promotions designed to boost international and digital growth, with a focus on the US and new markets.
