About US
Sparkly Light Productions was founded in 2013, with roots going back much further. Ian Russell spent more than two decades at the BBC producing some of the country's most watched live television before starting the company, and that foundation shapes how every project is approached today.
The team is small by design. Ian leads on production and direction, drawing on decades at the heart of UK broadcast. Glenn works alongside him as a senior director and producer, known for calm editorial judgement across live television and high-value brand work. In the edit suite, George brings fifteen years of cinematic experience, having cut across feature film, documentary, music video, and commercial work. Between the three of them, the full arc of a production is covered with senior expertise at every stage, and specialists come in from a trusted network of collaborators built up over their careers.
The work itself covers the full production process in-house. Scripting, direction, filming, live transmission, and post-production all sit under one roof. A project that begins as a first conversation can be delivered without ever being handed between separate suppliers, and without losing the thread of what the film is trying to say.
The range of clients is wide, from performance institutions like the Royal Opera House, Royal Opera and Ballet, Shakespeare's Globe, and The Proms, through to brand clients including Rolls Royce, McLaren, Imperial College London, and Cannes Lions. Live broadcast credits include long-standing work with the BBC, alongside productions delivered for ITV and Channel 4.
The approach is collaborative by default and calm when the pressure rises. The work is delivered to the standard that decades of senior experience demand. It is that combination of quality and composure that brings clients back for their next project, and the one after that.
Our Team
Ian
Producer/Director Editor
Glenn has produced and directed some of the country's most respected live programming, from the Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Victory Parade through to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Children in Need. He is equally at home at the gallery desk of a national broadcast and on the floor of a corporate shoot, bringing the same editorial judgement to both.
"I don't see any reason to treat a corporate production any differently to a BBC1 peak-time programme."
That belief runs through everything he works on. His broadcast career has taught him that every second on screen has to earn its place, and his approach is the same whether the audience is sitting in front of a television on Saturday evening or watching a brand film during a boardroom presentation. He is known among the team for remaining composed when a live show is under pressure, and for being honest with clients about what a film actually needs to do to reach its audience.
Producer/Director
Notable credits and clients RHS Chelsea Flower Show · Diamond Jubilee · HM Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral · Olympic Victory Parade · Children in Need · One Man & His Dog. Corporate work includes Rolls Royce, alongside projects for City-based financial institutions and high-security data-centres.
Glenn
George has been an editor for more than fifteen years and has led the edit suite at Sparkly Light since 2014. He came into the industry through documentary and feature work, spending time with Emmy-winning producer Nicholas Claxton at The Underwater Channel before joining Sparkly Light. His work since then covers projects for clients ranging from the BBC and Royal British Legion to Shakespeare's Globe.
"A good edit makes the audience feel something before they know why."
Outside of Sparkly Light, George has edited feature films including Delight, which opened the 2013 Moscow Film Festival, and continues to work with Radiance Films, one of the most respected boutique Blu-ray labels in the industry. He brings a cinematic sensibility to every edit, and is as at home with a brand film as he is cutting a documentary. What he looks for in every project is the moment the audience feels something they did not expect.
Notable credits BBC · Royal British Legion · Shakespeare's Globe · Delight (feature film, Moscow Film Festival 2013) · Radiance Films · The Daily Telegraph news desk.
Ian is the founder of Sparkly Light and the award-winning Executive Producer and Director behind some of the most watched live broadcasts of the last two decades. He spent much of his career inside the BBC's Events department, contributing to productions across State Ceremonial, Light Entertainment, Classical Music, Sports, and News, with credits stretching from Royal Weddings to the first series of Animal Hospital on BBC One.
"The most important thing about filmmaking is to remain clear about the story you're telling, while seeking out creative ways of telling it."
His editorial and technical experience has given him a reputation for detailed planning and composure under pressure, and that is how he approaches every project Sparkly Light takes on. Whether the brief is an international live event, a cinema release, a corporate film, or a short piece for the web, he starts with a blank sheet of paper and lets the project itself define what it needs.
Notable credits and collaborators Royal Weddings and Royal Funerals · Animal Hospital · The Proms · Diamond Jubilee · Olympic coverage. Presenters include Sir Terry Wogan, Graham Norton, Sue Barker, David Dimbleby, Clare Balding, and Stephen Fry. Artists include Andrea Bocelli, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
George
Editor
Working on Projects That Only Happen Once?
If your organisation has a milestone, a ceremony, or a production window that cannot be rescheduled, the brief and the crew need to be right before the day. There is no second opportunity.
Get in touch to talk through what you need captured and when it needs to happen. We'll come back with a clear view on how to cover it.