Inside the legendary Malcolm Ryan Studios
Updated: 3 days ago
From high-end TV commercials and fashion campaigns to music videos, rehearsals and live events, Malcolm Ryan Studios is a versatile creative space built to bring ambitious ideas to life.
Their five studios feature infinity coves, green-screen facilities and an extensive range of world-class lighting and equipment. Whether the brief is intimate or epic, Malcolm Ryan Studios has the space, facilities and flexibility to accommodate almost any set, prop or production.
And over the years, some pretty extraordinary subjects have passed through our doors at Garratt Business Park…
Pop royalty, from Kylie Minogue to Coldplay
Apple TV commercials
Leading brands, including Charlotte Tilbury, H&M and John Lewis
Wimbledon stars, with tennis players joining us for shoots throughout the Championships
Chelsea FC footballers — who, we’re told, choose to shoot at Malcolm Ryan because we’re conveniently close to their training ground. We like to think it might have something to do with the studios themselves!
But the story behind the studios is every bit as fascinating as the people in front of the cameras.
Interview: Amanda Ryan - Director
Malcolm Ryan Studios has quite a history. How did it all begin?
The business was established by my dad, the late Malcolm Ryan, back in 1988. He bought a some warehouse spaces in Covent Garden, which, as I understand it, were pretty much overrun with pigeons — and spent several years converting them with his own hands.
Dad was a set builder by trade, and his ambition was to create his own studios. His first was a small space on Macklin Street in Holborn. It’s now been converted into enormous luxury apartments, which, in hindsight, we really should have held on to!
When did the studios move to their current home?
We moved to Garratt Business Park in 1997, and it’s turned out to be a brilliant place to be. There’s a real creative community here, almost by accident. We have a prop house across the road, a recording studio behind us, Hamilton Ice Sculptors nearby, and photographers and other creative businesses around the corner. We often work with clients who are shooting alongside one of Hamilton’s ice sculptures, for example.
We’re all connected in some way, and that makes it a really interesting place to work.
How did you come to take over the business?
I never actually worked with my dad, although my brother, Luke, did. After Dad passed away, I came in to help out for a few months between jobs. I certainly hadn’t planned on working on an industrial estate, hiring out warehouse space alongside my brother!
That was around 17 years ago, and here I am still.
One of the things I love is that our team tends to stay with us for years, despite the work being very hands-on and physically demanding. I think that says a lot about the place and the people.
How have the studios evolved over the years?
Luke has been instrumental in keeping the business moving forward. He’s very good at anticipating what clients need, whether that’s installing air conditioning, adding lifts or expanding our restaurant facilities.
The nature of the work has changed considerably, too. In the early days, we were accommodating relatively small car shoots with compact crews. That grew into larger TV commercial productions, and more recently we’ve seen a real increase in fashion photography and campaigns.
You have to keep evolving with the industry, and I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been here for so long.
What makes Malcolm Ryan Studios different?
I know how stressful a filming or photography shoot can be. There are so many moving parts, tight deadlines and people to coordinate, so I’ve always felt that the environment itself matters enormously.
The vision has been to create a space that people walk into and immediately feel good about — somewhere that looks impressive, works brilliantly and makes the whole production experience that little bit easier.
Ultimately, we want people to arrive, feel inspired and know they’re in safe hands.
