Fylde digital studio which worked on the BBC's War of the Worlds is set for expansion

Fylde-based Realtime UK has worked with the BBC on its new three part adaptation of HG Wells' classic War of the Worlds

Realtime UK is to create 25 new jobs at its Westby site near Lytham, with a further 25 positions in its second office in Manchester.

The recruitment campaign will see the studio become one of the largest in the North West, employing a mix of up to 100 full-time staff and freelance digital artists by the end of 2021.

The studio’s growth has coincided with their work on a major new three-part BBC adaptation of the classic sci-fi The War of the Worlds. Realtime was a key partner for the production, creating visual effects for the first-ever British television adaptation of HG Wells’ iconic novel.

Realtime chief executive, Tony Prosser, said: “The work we created for War of the Worlds is a direct result of the Government’s recent focus on regional creative talent. The project represents the very best of Realtime’s technical knowledge, artistic flair and proven expertise; the on-screen results speak for themselves.

“The new roles we’re creating here at Realtime represent a significant growth phase for the studio. The talent recruitment will align Realtime even more closely with the specialised demands of increased TV work.

“The North West is home to some of the most skilled and imaginative digital storytellers in the world. At Realtime, we can help them share their skills with as wide an audience as possible. We craft belief. And that goes for everyone who works with us too!”

Since 1996, Realtime has created digital experiences across media from online to TV and cinema for clients such as the world’s largest automotive brands and the top video games developers. The latest growth surge builds on previous client wins and the recruitment of more than 10 permanent creative and production staff over the past two months.

Jane Forsyth, head of production at Realtime, said: “It was an honour to be involved in such a prestigious BBC drama adaptation. As well as being part of British literary history, War of the Worlds includes all the fun sci-fi elements our team of artists love to create. We produced key digital sequences in the production which completely aligned with our skillset.

“The broadcast coincides with a time of significant growth for our cinematic arm and our latest recruitment drive reflects that growth. This is an inspiring time to be part of the North West creative sector so we are looking forward to welcoming more talented and creative artists into the Realtime family in the coming months.”

Realtime was founded by Tony Prosser in 1996. As well as work with car companies such as VW, Bentley and Aston Martin, it works with video game makers to produce graphics and film sequences. It has worked on such titles as World of Tanks, War Thunder, the Total War franchise and SMITE.