Laura Mansfield, and Helen Veale Continue Impressive Reputation as Tin Roof Media Takes Majority Stake in Outline Productions

With its focus on factual entertainment formats, Outline will sit alongside factual indie Blink Films which Tin Roof acquired last year.

Founded in 1999 by Managing Director Laura Mansfield, and Creative Director Helen Veale, Outline Productions has built an impressive reputation for creating factual entertainment series and formats for British and international markets.

Investment group Tin Roof Media has taken a majority stake in London-based Indie production company Outline Productions. With its focus on factual entertainment formats, Outline will sit alongside factual indie Blink Films which Tin Roof acquired last year.

Founded in 1999 by Managing Director Laura Mansfield, and Creative Director Helen Veale, Outline Productions has built an impressive reputation for creating factual entertainment series and formats for British and international markets. 2017 has seen the company launch a range of new shows, with Channel 4 showing UK’s Best Place to Live with Sarah Beeny, the Pixie McKenna fronted Staying Healthy: A Doctor’s Guide, and the Trevor Phillips fronted Has Political Correctness Gone Mad? and Geri's 1990s: My drive to freedom, presented by former Spice Girl Geri Horner airing in March on BBC 2.

Currently in production on a slate that includes the recently announced ambitious social experiment Gender Neutral School for BBC 2, the company has a strong slate of formats, with 2017 seeing alternative medicine show Health Freaks, originally produced for Channel 4, about to launch in the Netherlands for Warner Brothers International, and RTS-winning BBC 3 hit House of Tiny Tearaways being relaunched by DRG at MIPTV as a hub production, with business format Million Dollar Intern gaining traction in Asia via BBC Worldwide. Bridget Boseley, Outline’s Director of Programmes who joined as director in 2008, has taken the opportunity to exit the company. Outline will continue to be repped by CAA in USA, and for distribution of new formats by DRG, with whom the company is in a first look output deal. The company will retain its independent status.

London-based Tin Roof Media was founded by Neil Court (9 Story Media Group, Peacock Alley Entertainment, former Principal at DHX Media). He is joined by shareholders Charles Wace (Founder of Two Four Group), and Charles Ogilvie (former CFO at eOne UK and Contender Entertainment Group). Court is Executive Chairman of the company, Wace is non-executive director and Ogilvie is CFO. Tin Roof Media is backed by the UK private equity firm, Rockpool Investments.

Neil Court, founder and Executive Chairman of Tin Roof Media says “Outline Productions is an ambitious company and we are excited that our investment will enable the company to further expand its portfolio of quality programmes. Factual and factual entertainment continue to be sought after both in the UK and globally.

At Tin Roof, we seek to back strong management teams with both capital and our entrepreneurial experience so our companies can grow successfully. We are interested in UK factual indies which can benefit from our investment and know-how.”

Laura Mansfield, Managing Director, Outline Productions adds “This opportunity to work with the team at Rockpool and Neil, Charlie and Charles at Tin Roof was too good to miss. They will bring expertise and support to our board as we look to the next stage for Outline. Coupled to this, there are synergies with Blink and their talented team, as well as the chance to rapidly expand outside London. Over the years we’ve worked with incredibly talented people and want to thank everyone who has contributed to Outline, and particularly thank Bridget for her outstanding creative contribution. We wish her well as she takes a different path for the future.”

Helen Veale, Creative Director, Outline Productions comments “I’ve known Dan Chambers since my first days in TV and greatly admire what he Justine, Sarah and their team have done at Blink. We’ve long been wanting to work together and find a way for our companies to collaborate, and this deal gives us a great way to do that. What’s exciting is that both the positive culture and creative output of our indies really complements one another as we seek to grow further.”

Neil Court is a Canadian media entrepreneur and investor who has been based in the UK since 1991. He was a co-founder of children’s media conglomerate, DHX Media. In 2014, Neil and Zelnick Media Capital invested in 9 Story Media Group, and subsequently backed 9 Story’s acquisition of Brown Bag Films, where Neil was a board member. He is Executive Chairman of 9 Story and also co-owner and Chairman of Peacock Alley Entertainment, producer and co-owner of hit Netflix Original scifi series, TRAVELERS, now in production for a second season and distributed worldwide by Sky Vision. Neil and Carrie Mudd founded Peacock Alley in 2012.

Charles Wace founded global media company TwoFour Group which grew to become one of the leading independent production companies before being sold to ITV in 2015. Charles was previously the Chairman of PACT and is currently the Chairman of the Creative England Trading Company and a Director of Creative England. He is also a Non-Executive Director of The Moment, a creative content company for major brands and broadcasters, which was spun out of the Twofour Group.

Charlie Ogilvie has led finance and operations functions in the media, entertainment and technology sectors for over 20 years. He has led acquisitions and exits, notably of Contender Entertainment Group, the co-owner of Peppa Pig. It was bought by Entertainment One UK, for which he became COO and CFO. Charlie is a chartered accountant and trained at PwC.

About Rockpool
Rockpool is an independent firm dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals to invest in private companies. The deal forms part of Rockpool’s continuing strategy to support high quality SME management teams across the UK.

About Outline Productions
Outline is a UK-based award-winning independent TV production company dedicated to creating factual entertainment series and formats for the British and international markets. Managing Director Laura Mansfield, who recently served as Pact Chair, and Creative Director Helen Veale founded the company together in 1999. The company has created and produced distinctive formats ranging from large scale reality shows as well as entertainment and factual entertainment series for UK and international broadcasters including BBC, BSkyB, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, TLC and UKTV. Previous credits include Political Correctness Gone Mad?, Born On The Same Day, the Grierson Shortlisted Things We Won’t Say About Race That Are True, Health Freaks, Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance, Fat Families, Dumped and the RTS Award winning The House of Tiny Tearaways.