A North East audio visual company has marked its own Tour De France success with a £10,000 contract to produce a video promoting the event.
Fridge Productions, which is based in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, was commissioned by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority for the Yorkshire leg of Le Tour.
It had an experienced crew of 14 which included Phil Liggett, ITV’s renowned cycle racing commentator, and specialists who have worked on high profile projects like Quantum of Solace and 24.
Liggett said: “Being a part of this film has reminded me of the wonderful cycling terrain in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It shows wonderful cycling in a fantastic part of the country. It couldn’t get any better.”
David Jinks, producer and director for Fridge Productions said: “As an avid cyclist, having cycled from Billingham to High Force on a ‘postman’s’ bike when I was 16, it was a dream job to be involved in this prestigious sporting event.
“It’s wonderful that Le Tour is going through Yorkshire, and it will give a welcome emotional and economic lift to the region in a way that the 2012 Olympics did for London.
“Showcasing the beautiful countryside on a world stage and bringing tourism to a great part of the UK, not normally seen on European TV, will be fantastic to see.”
Having just returned from filming in Syria, China and Austria, Fridge is currently producing a TV commercial with the same camera used to shoot the last James Bond film, Skyfall.
Communications director at Yorkshire Dales Richard Payne, said: “Our video, produced by Fridge Productions, has been a great success. It is close to surpassing 10,000 hits from people around the world. It has been an excellent experience.”
Fridge Productions won the contact following a tender process and says it has had a successful couple of years, increasing turnover 20% year on year, with plans to attract more advertising work and to extend its collaboration with emerging talent.
