It has just been announced that leading Cardiff-based Wildflame Productions has topped the TV industry’s leading ‘best places to work’ poll.
Each year, the Best Places To Work in TV survey, run by trade publication Broadcast, recognises the very best employers in the TV industry. Wildflame Productions beat off competition from every corner of the UK to be awarded a gold medal, placing it at No 1 in the list of the UK’s best independent TV production companies to work for.
Founded in 2015, Wildflame Productions creates content for audiences throughout the world from its base in Cardiff, working closely with the best creative talent. The company has built a strong reputation for producing factual and specialist factual programming for a wide range of UK and international broadcasters and its programmes also sell around the world. Wildflame prides itself on its excellence in storytelling, bringing great ideas and ambitious concepts and formats to audiences globally. Their portfolio of shows includes Yellowstone Supervolcano: American Doomsday (Discovery+ Original); Secrets of the Celtic Grave(Smithsonian Channel and S4C / Discovery); new BBC factual entertainment format with Strictly Come Dancing start Amy Dowden, Dare to Dance; the BAFTA CYMRU Single Documentary winner Amy Dowden : Crohn's and Me for BBC One and BBC Wales; 14-part series Evacuees / Efaciwis (w/t) for S4C; Michael Ball’s Wonderful Wales (Channel 5); The Story of Welsh Art (BBC Two Wales and BBC Four); and the Grierson Award-shortlisted The 1900 Island (BBC One Wales/BBC Two).
Paul Islwyn Thomas, CEO, Wildflame Productions, says:
“We are proactively building a very special culture at Wildflame – ethical, inclusive, based on mutual respect and trust. One of our key objectives when setting up was to make Wildflame a great place to work and this accolade proves we have achieved that. Our culture is fundamental to our success and it’s based on the moral platform that we have created which everyone has to buy into, with well-being, work-life balance and zero tolerance of harassment/bullying central to our approach.
“Working under lockdown was especially challenging for us all and, as a senior management team we felt we had an even greater responsibility to look after our people, better understand their concerns and ensure we moderated the pressures that our staff are under. As well as looking after the wellbeing and growth of our staff, we are constantly on the lookout for new and emerging talent from all backgrounds and socio-economic groups. We are also committed to supporting the freelance sector working in Wales as part of our strategy to support skills development in the Welsh TV industry. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved since we launched and are beyond excited to be recognised in this way.”
Wildflame recently launched a groundbreaking training partnership with the National Film & Television School Cymru Wales, the first of its kind in the TV industry. It means that production talent working at Wildflame are eligible for Wildflame’s Creative Training Scheme – a bespoke package of ongoing training to develop the team’s expertise, with the aim of raising the bar across production. The company also recently launched a strategic partnership with US media group Celebro, to help fuel the Wildflame’s push into the States.
Best Places to Work in TV 2022 is run on behalf of Broadcast by Best Companies Group (BCG). As part of the assessment, they asked staff and employers in the TV industry to complete a detailed questionnaire about their organisation and its corporate culture. (More information here.)
Andy Fry, Editor Best Places to Work in TV 2022, says:
“A robust training programme to boost skills and a raft of employee benefits, combined with an engaging corporate culture, are among the key factors that define the Best Places to Work in TV 2022. There is no hard and fast rule as to what a BPTW firm looks like. Staffing levels range from less than 20 to 280, with around 40% coming from outside London. There’s no question that Covid-19 has made TV production an even tougher working environment than it already was. But, despite all the stresses and strains relating to safety, cost and delivery, BPTW companies still command high levels of support and engagement from their workforces. We want to congratulate all our winners for working out how to keep raising the creative bar in TV production without sacrificing the sense of personal satisfaction.”
