#cumbernauld studios

[p-redux]

Morning! Waking up on a VERY scary windy day in L.A. to lots of DMs from the Team. It's more Sam Heughan, Sarah Holden dot connecting time...here we go!

From my Inbox...

They sure did! And Sarah looks all dressed up like it's date night. 👇❤️ Both posted late, 14 hours ago.

Why, it sure is, Anon. 👇

And LOOK where Sarah is working out. 👇 At JD Gyms Cumbernauld. That's NOT her regular gym.

How close is JD Gym Cumbernauld from the studio where Outlander is filmed? 🤔 Why, only 7 minutes.

Sarah lives in Stirling, which is over 20 minutes away, 👇

There's NO reason for her to be working out at the gym RIGHT next to where Outlander is filmed, except to be near a certain Outlander actor she's dating aka one fine Mr. Sam Heughan. 🤷‍♀️

More dots connected, my darlings. 😊 And I'm here for it. 💗

PS. For the inevitable haters, I'm not divulging anything, she's posting where she is publicly to her Instagram. I'm simply connecting the dots. I wish #samarah all the best. ❤️

[brian-in-finance]

Video 📹 from Instagram

Remember BOMB’s wrap party?

[sgiandubh]

A word on Wardpark/Cumbernauld Studios

@docsama left a comment, on S's birthday, under one of my posts and I promised her an answer with more information, as soon as I got the time. Anyway, here goes - and @docsama, sorry for the delay:

Question is: who owns the Wardpark Film and Television Studios?

The answer was quick to find, in the not-so-old specialized media:

The story begins in 2013, with an ambitious Scottish entrepreneur, Terry Thomson - this guy (courtesy of The Herald, https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15984820.analysis-three-projects-pipeline-help-productions-make-big-picture/):

He is the owner of the Thomson Pettie Group, based in Carluke (https://www.thomsonpettie.com/about-us), which has nothing to do with cinema:

You've read that right: they are 'manufacturers of fabricated metal parts and assemblies', primarily for the national automotive industry. Yet, in 2013, Mr. Thomson agreed to rent what he described as 'a dormant industrial property' - a warehouse, to be exact - to Sony, in order to host the filming and production of OL. Thus, he became the CEO of a newly created entity, The Wardpark Film and Television Studios (https://www.hackmancapital.com/scotlands-largest-most-iconic-film-studio-acquired-by-hackman-capital-partners-and-square-mile-capital/).

By 2017, Wardpark was doing so well, that a big expansion plan was announced, with the direct support of the Scottish Government, which invested £4 million via Scottish Enterprise, its business support, advice and funding agency:

And then, in November 2021, the little engine that could was sold to those two big US investors, Hackman Capital Partners (HCP) and Square Mile Capital Management LLC (now globally rebranded as Affinius Capital). In this montage, Hackman Capital Partners brought its own confirmed film studios and media management expertise...

... while Square Mile most probably funded a sizeable portion of the acquisition, simply because this is what they do best:

Perhaps an interesting detail: HCP owns and manages both the Culver City based Sony Pictures Animation Studios' Campus and the legendary Culver Studios, now rebranded by Amazon:

Back to Scotland, Wardpark Studio's sale made just about everyone happy. Mr. Thomson kept his CEO job and look who was more than thrilled about the juicy transaction:

Currently, the studio is operated by HCP's subsidiary, The MBS Group:

That means that MBS probably manages just about everything, as far as daily management is concerned, from business operations, staffing and/or property management, to lighting and grip, trucks and generators' fleet, expendables and props. Unless I could see a contract and have a precise idea, I can just enumerate all the services they offer.

At no point in time did S and C own anything of those studios. As for the Executive Producer part, that is another discussion entirely. I could be coaxed to write something about it, if you really want to know why Those Two are EPs and what does that really, really mean - because once again, I have seen and read a LOT of bullshit in here, especially in the Desperate Housewives Disgruntled Tumblrettes' corner.

Thank you for asking. It was fun to research and write and I hope it brought more clarity to you.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Sam Roland Heughan, born 30th April 1980 in Balmaclellan, Dumfries and Galloway.

Sam got his name from the Lord of the Rings character Samwise Gamgee. his parents were big fans of the Tolkien books. He attended Kells Primary School in New Galloway before the family moved to Edinburgh when he was 12, he went to James Gillespie’s on the edge of the meadows before finishing his school education at the prestigious Rudolph Steiner School.

After leaving School at 18 Sam worked and travelled before returning to Scotland and enrolling in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 2003.

Sam built a solid career in theatre in both Scotland and England starring in productions of Plague Over England, Macbeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Amphibians, and King John. He has also been featured in notable indie films, Emulsion, and Heart Of Lightness but of course it is one particular role that has catapulted him into worldwide stardom, that of Jamie Fraser in Outlander.

For those who don’t know Outlander it follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who finds herself hurled back in time to the 1740’s in and around the time when The Jacobites and Bonnie Prince Charlie made the final ill fated attempt to put the Stuarts back on the throne. Sam plays Claire’s “love interest” she is forced to marry. Further series are set in the US in the 1770’s, their remains a strong Scottish presence in the cast, and the show is filmed in studios in Cumbernauld. Sam has won a number of awards for the series.

In the movie To Olivia he played Hollywood star Paul Newman and in the adaptation of the Andy McNab book, SAS: Red Notice, he played SAS soldier Tom Buckingham. Oor birthdat boy also teamed up with fellow Outlander star Graham McTavish Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham. The series follows the pair as they explore their homeland delving into the culture and history of Scotland, in a light-hearted way. The second series of the show aired last year, the reviews were mainly positive. The duo are already looking at a third journey, this time to North America but that will likely involve indulging Heughan's thrill-seeking side - much to his friend's dismay

Sam also appeared in the psychological series The Couple Next Door last year, I am yet to catch this, it has average reviews on IMDB of 5.6 out of ten. Born to be Great the story of Alexander The Great's early life has been completed but is yet to recieve a release date.

According to reports Sam celebrated his birthday in Edinburgh at the weekend while also running his My Peak Challenge which included workouts, outdoor activities and a gala night with dinner and dancing. He posted on Instagram describing the event as a 'unique blend of wellness, camaraderie, celebration and more'. The peakers, as they are known has raised millions for charities including Marie Curie.

[mothyandthesquid]

Thank you @yorkshireyarnfest it really was a wonderful show in an idyllic rural location that had every modern amenity. The organisation was superb and the atmosphere wonderful. Everyone was so friendly and there was lots of space in my stall for folk to browse in a relaxed environment. Thank you to the organisers and my fellow vendors, who were very kind and helpful. I am finally home at about 4pm on Monday after driving from Gretna Green to the studio, unloading, returning the van to Arnold Clark in Cumbernauld, and finally going back to the studio again to inventory all stock. What a weekend! It was wonderful to see everyone and I had so much fun. I think the highlight for me was the number of folk who honoured me by sharing their own stories of autism and other neurodivergencies. Some were personal, some familial, but all were enriching. Thank you. #mothyandthesquid #yarn #knitting #crochet #yorkshireyarnfest (at Sandburn Hall and Tykes Restaurant) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpddBl1qhx3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[metaborderlines]

OL studio and Brit brutalism

from The Guardian 10.28.24...Change was clearly at hand. When, in 1965, a housing minister, Richard Crossman, had visited brutalist Cumbernauld in central Scotland, he delighted in its “austere, exhilarating, uncomfortable style”, and dismissed the fact that “the vast majority of people” who might have to live there did not like it. What did they know of architecture? Well, now the people could fight back – and they did. In particular, they demanded the protection of buildings and streets they had grown to love in conservation areas.

[celestialmazer]

Have had such a wee flurry of notes on this in the past few days! Just thought to add a link to this resource - http://www.outlanderlocations.com/

It's unofficial, but it's a fan generated labour of love and as such also features filming locations you'd recognise from the screen but are just streets and the like (aka free!) and as the studio they film in is in Cumbernauld way more locations are listed for nearby Glasgow that don't feature in the official Visit Scotland guide. There's a map, list of locations, and some info on experience/accessibility with pictures to show exactly which shots the locations were used for.

It's great for people to visit and enjoy the Highlands, but if you haven't the time, money or the ability to access you can still enjoy what Scotland has to offer in lots of other places with an Outlander slant ✨

Outlander - map of filming locations

Found this looking through some stuff, picked up ages ago when the tourist board was trying to get organised - if it can be of use to any Outlander fans who may find themselves washed up on the shores of bonny Scotland then fàilte and enjoy! 👍

[dawncrutchfield]

Caitriona Balfe retweets Nick Heckstall-Smith with a story about Avengers filming coming to the Wardpark Studio in Cumbernauld where Outlander cast & crew have just wrapped filming on S3.

[clairebeauchampfan]

More ‘for the record’ notes from the darker corners of Outlander spite-shipperdom

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON YOUR THEORY. THEY SHOULD CANCEL THE SHOW. I’M NOT COMING BACK FOR SEASON 5. 🤷‍♀️

— asked by

anonymous

I’m not either. The conspiracy theory that they’re faking shooting S5 is more entertaining than much of S4, so, yeah…

‘SuperFluffyCool, 11th April 2019

NYC actress and former author of lurid SamCait RPF, SuperFluffyCool describes herself in her strapline  as a ‘lover of good hearts’.......as reflected in this quotation from her earlier post replying to someone naughtily accusing her and her pals of being toxic fans

It is my great hope that the only people watching OL and interacting with production are positive so that you and they can enjoy one another and be so encircled with love that you will not feel compelled to come to toxic Tumblr blogs like my own and send this type of message.

Good day to you.

PS If only the positive people were left, there’d be like, 10 fans so they should be praying to the monster of Loch Ness that that never happens.

I wonder if SFC is another  of the ‘fans’ who, misled by ‘Soka’ s wholly negative reviews of Season 4, proudly declared that she wasn’t going to watch it from oh, about Episode 2, or 3, or  was it 10.....Not enough ‘intimacy’ (trans: hot sex) for Soka and other former shippers.

So sad these people won’t be watching or commenting authoritatively on Season 5. Not. 

By the way the Season 5 conspiracy theory mentioned above, which recently attracted a number of bovine and gullible spite-shippers, is that Season 5 is not really happening, proven by  Sam’s photographs of empty chairs in deserted fields, another Sam  ‘breadcrumb’ of some sort to exclusively reveal to shippers that it is all a fake, they haven’t built The Big House on Fraser’s Ridge, they haven’t brought back cast and crew to Cumbernauld studios at vast expense, they aren’t hiring extras.....you know the rest, all 10 of you remaining positive Outlander fans on tumblr.....and the millions who are not on Tumblr. 

#for the record #and another one bites the dust

[its-moopoint]

Sam was eerily quiet on SM yesterday and so far today as well, except for the few times he was on IG yesterday. And supposedly there was a party for him at the studio, but of course the cast went silent. I’m starting to wonder if there even was a party, but why else would Sam being at the Tesco in Cumbernauld if he wasn’t at the studio for some reason?

I have no idea. My only take on all this is once again that they manage to be very private and quiet when they want to and for some reason other times they like making a show of it, like the Easter weekend. 

[p-redux]

SARAH debunked you JD Cumbernauld gym story. As she posted ten days ago, he brother lives in the Nauld and today again she said she works out at JD because of him. But sadly you won't retract your post as you need San to be with a woman, any woman. Try to deny it but your blog speaks for itself.

She did no such thing. Her brother does NOT live in the Nauld aka Cumbernauld. He USED to work at JD Gym in Cumbernauld, but as Sarah herself posted earlier, he "worked there" aka PAST tense. And he "moved away" aka he no longer lives in Scotland 👇 Are you not reading the same words the rest of us are? 🙄

Her brother now lives in Australia. He moved there a couple of years ago. 👇

And his most recent IG story, as of a few hours ago, shows him working out at Club Lime, a gym in Australia. 👇

Sarah may also work out at JD Gym in Cumbernauld because she was introduced to it by her brother, BUT, bro has been gone a few years. It seems more reasonable that Sarah was working out last week at JD Gym in Cumbernauld 7 minutes from Outlander studios, due to dating a certain Scotsman who plays Jamie Fraser aka Mr. Sam Heughan.

As for me, I don't need anything from Sam, let alone to have him with any woman. I don't care what he does, as long as he's happy. I post info I get. And the info I got, backed up by Sam and Sarah being together places more than once, is that Sam and Sarah are dating. That's all.

If my blog bothers you so much, here's an idea...QUIT READING IT. It really is that simple.

[brian-in-finance]

Is that Caitriona in the video you posted talking to the actors who play Claire’s parents?

Thanks for the message, Anon. 😃

Screenshot from Tony Curran’s 📹 video, Brian 27 July 2024

Remember the Beauchamps?

[sgiandubh]

Lionsgate/*** quarter call - not so good as it seems

While I am still fumbling around with the strike's aftermath, let me just quickly say a word or two about ***'s last quarter call, yesterday. Nobody does it as @cb4tb, but FWIW, here goes:

I should immediately say I could not watch the replay on the link provided by the initial press release (here: https://investors.lionsgate.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2023/10-19-2023-140125017), despite my total good will to take one for the team, go to bed early and wake-up at ungodly hours. I have no idea why - maybe access is somehow limited? I would never know, I had no 403 error in my browser, so... 🤷‍♀️. Instead, I could peruse the paper version of the standard Company Quarterly Report (US SEC Form 10-Q), along with some scarce press comments, for a bit of context.

The document is damn long (94 pages) and it reads exactly like I presumed: a kidney stone would be easier to pass (https://investors.lionsgate.com/financial-reports/sec-filings). It's perhaps worth for this phrase alone (on page 43), which really made me stop in my tracks:

At the time of the document's public release, it is technically true and accurate that the tentative deal between AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA still has to be approved by the union's members. However, given the horrendous impact of the strike on almost all things Hollywood and California, for that matter (more on this in a separate post), it's more than likely the deal will hold. The rest is dire: more slashing of content to come, 'if the Company is unable to efficiently complete the production of the film, TV show or program or decides to abandon the production'.

While this does not seem to affect Season 8, this could (I repeat: could) mean that: a) BOMB is gone and b) MIK3 is no longer a priority (the fact that MIK 2, as OL, was listed among the last quarter premieres is not a guarantee it will be continued - not the same amplitude as OL). If so, Season 8 might start shooting as soon as January 2024, since it already has all the needed infrastructure and staff readily available at Cumbernauld (yes, Mordor, the peasant you all love to hate managed perhaps to save the day again!). So OL is doing ok on that side, unlike other productions of other studios, who reportedly started a mad scramble for location scouting and staff recruiting, just before the festive season - that is a big competitive advantage and one of the main reasons I believe it's still entirely possible to pull it off.

The 'thriving' future (according to Feltheimer, that genius 🙄) of *** as a standalone company is still something we severely lack data on, as Lionsgate kept its commitment to go on with the acquisition of Entertainment One (you know, the Peppa Pig people), for a mere 375 million USD, to be completed by January 31, 2024. At the same time, *** is not the only actor on the US media & tech market to proceed to lay-offs and it seems to fare better than many, as I already supposed and told you:

(Sourced at: https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/starz-layoffs-exit-uk-australia-lionsgate-1235779627/).

Something to be closely monitored in the upcoming weeks. I think it's going to be worth it. Sorry for not bringing any sensational content today and I know it's dull and probably uninteresting AF, but it's there and it has to be taken into account, for sure. So yes, 'not as good as it seems' (profit is now mainly driven by motion picture, not television production), but not as bad as expected by the prophets of doom across the street, who - as usually - have no damn idea of what they are talking about.

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday Scottish TV host and entertainer Craig Ferguson born in Glasgow, on May 17th, 1962.

Ferguson was born in Stobhill Hospital and brought up not far from where I now live in nearby Cumbernauld. He admits to growing up "chubby and bullied" At age sixteen hen left Cumbernauld High School and began an apprenticeship to be an electronics technician at a local factory of American company Burroughs Corporation.

In the early 1980s, Ferguson drummed in punk bands for a few years before a bartending job led him to Michael Boyd, the artistic director of the Tron Theatre. Boyd talked Ferguson into giving acting a shot, which Ferguson soon did, finding the comedy prong of the art too compelling to ignore.

Ferguson soon created an outrageous—and successful—stage character called Bing Hitler. On top of the local success he was experiencing, Ferguson used the experience as a backdrop from which to move into mainstream acting roles.

Craig Ferguson’s first TV appearance came on an episode of the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf in 1988, and it was enough to get Ferguson to head overseas to the United States for his first role on American TV. The part was playing a teacher in the pilot episode of High (1989), which starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Zach Braff. The pilot wasn’t picked up, though, and Ferguson headed back to Scotland.

Once back in the UK, Ferguson found that roles came sporadically before he landed his own BBC show The Ferguson Theory in 1994 While the sketch comedy show put the funnyman front and centre, it only lasted five episodes.

When Theory was no more, Ferguson packed his bags once again for America. But this time he’d find a lot more success waiting for him than he did years before. When Ferguson joined The Drew Carey Show as Nigel Wick in 1996, his run lasted several seasons and led to the actor becoming a known quantity in the world of U.S. television.

Ferguson’s busy life on TV and the big screen got a lot busier in January 2005, when he took over the late-night comedy series The Late Late Show. Once it found its footing, Ferguson’s show was another hit, earning its first Emmy nomination a year into its run. Mixed in with his work on the show were several high-profile big-screen roles, often voice-over work, in movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Winnie the Pooh and Brave.

Ferguson, who became an American citizen in 2008, is also an author, publishing Between the Bridge and the River and American on Purpose.

On 28 April 2014, Ferguson announced he would be leaving The Late Late Show at the end of 2014, with the final episode airing on 19th December that year.

Ferguson is a recovering alcoholic, sober since 18th February 1992, another Scot who has dealt with his depression, he admits to having considered suicide before giving up the bottle.

In 2017 he released a six-episode web show with his wife, Megan Wallace Cunningham, titled Couple Thinkers. For two seasons from 2021, Ferguson hosted the American game show The Hustler, which airs on ABC.

In 2022, an adaptation of Ferguson's film Saving Grace (2000) was announced as a stage musical in which Ferguson will portray a "villainous banker". It was adapted by April De Angelis from Ferguson's and Mark Crowdy's screenplay, with music by fellow Scot KT Tunstall. In October 2022, the musical was confirmed to run for a limited twelve performances at Riverside Studios from 22 November until 4 December 2022 as an "intimate first run.

The rumor mill has been buzzing that Craig is thinking about returning to the talk show ranks In a recent interview he said;

“I have meetings next week in Los Angeles for a show,” Ferguson said, calling from New England while on vacation with his family. “I’m considering doing a show but I just don’t want to do one every day. I like doing a talk show, but not enough to do it every single day.”

[jovifan64]

#Repost @scotdrone @download.ins --- Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire - home of the hit series Outlander 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⚔️🗡️😎 Approval was granted by air traffic control at Cumbernauld to operate here. 😉 #outlander #outlanderlocation #cumbernauld #northlanarkshire #scotland #visitscotland #caapfco #drone #djimavic2pro #visualsofscotland #thisisscotland #outstandingscotland #unlimitedscotland #bbcscotlandpics #insta_scotland #ig_scotland #ig_scot #seeingscotland #scotspirit #beautifulscotland #hiddenscotland #scotlandshots #scotland_greatshots #scottish #scotlandmagazine #scotshots #scottishcollective https://www.instagram.com/p/B68QvI8BOP2/?igshid=9gznyaxr0zo1

[minny5ca2018]

Anon: You said, "helipad windsock flag near the shed"

In case you missed it, there's a small airport next to the Cumbernauld Studios, servicing small planes and helicopters. Google it! These photos are from their filming days and have nothing to do with Sam's so called house outside Glasgow. I doubt he has one when he's mostly in Glasgow or away. The guy lies like there's no tomorrow and you ingest everything he feeds you.

Response:

They feed the public what they want them to believe, period. Doesn't make it the truth.

Most of you minions are so gullible you'd believe the world was flat if Sam and Caitriona said it was so. Oh, it has to be true, because it was on their SM or in a web article or in a magazine. You accept the status quo so easily and foolishly.

Besides if you all know so much there anon, why aren't you owning your own stuff and blog it for yourself?

Why do you care what I think, or others for that matter, hmmm?

Maybe because we are too close to the truth, huh?

I have my opinion. You have yours.

As KDS said, "Believe what you want, "

You can take that to the bank. Truth is coming.