How Media Borne’s Chris Thompson Is Building a Creative Powerhouse
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From modest beginnings to a region-defining creative studio, Chris Thompson, Founder and Managing Director of Media Borne, is charting a bold new course for the North East’s production and virtual-media sector.
Chris Thompson launched Media Borne with the vision of bringing high-end production capabilities to the North East. Drawing on his background in commercial video production and content strategy, Chris has grown the business into a full-service creative studio, now backed by a six-figure award from Innovate UK to build a Virtual Production Hub at its Borne Studios base in Gateshead.
“I’ve always believed that world-class creative work doesn’t need to happen only in London,” says Chris Thompson. “Our ambition is to build something right here in the North East that gives local brands, agencies and creators access to the same tools, the same innovation and the same global mindset.”
Under Chris’s leadership, Media Borne has made strategic investments in technology, talent and IP development. The upcoming Virtual Production Hub will combine real-time green screen, Unreal Engine environments and multi-camera workflows. This strategic pivot aims not just to serve client productions, but to incubate new creative IP and fuel commercial growth in branded entertainment and immersive media.
Chris attributes the studio’s success to one simple principle: purposeful production. He says: “Our Studio is founded on the vision that stories should engage audiences as a community, not simply consumers - and we’re building the infrastructure to do exactly that.”
His regional roots influence his leadership approach. Based in Gateshead and firmly committed to the North East’s creative landscape, Chris maintains that regional advantage is not a handicap - it’s an opportunity. His belief is embodied by the Innovate UK investment: one of the largest regional awards to support virtual production IP development in the area.
Media Borne’s growth under Chris’s direction has included:
- Expanding client base across the UK for brand content, animation and hybrid production.
- Realigning its business model toward IP and immersive media development.
- Attracting investment and partnerships to support its strategic roadmap.
- Establishing itself as a regional champion for creative and tech innovation.
“We’re not setting up a studio - we’re establishing a platform for the next generation of creative talent, brands and technology to thrive here, in the heart of the North East” Chris adds.
Issued by Marriott Communications. Distributed by WebPR UK.
About Marriott Communications
About the Create Growth Programme The Create Growth Programme is a Department for Culture, Media and Sport initiative delivered by Innovate UK, designed to boost investment and innovation in the UK’s creative industries. The scheme supports high-growth creative businesses through funding, R&D collaboration, and access to investor networks across six UK regions. About Media Borne Media Borne is a full-service production company based in Gateshead, specialising in film, animation, and virtual production. Founded by Chris Thompson, the studio has become a cornerstone of the region’s creative and digital ecosystem - producing work for national brands and pioneering new approaches to storytelling through emerging technology. Press Contact Marriott Communications press@marriottcommunications.com 0191 535 9978 Links: Media Borne Innovate UK Create Growth Programme