AN audio and video production studio set up by a former BBC radio producer is celebrating one of the biggest contract wins in its short history – just weeks after being named as a finalist in an international competition.

Middlesbrough-based Kirkwood Media has been selected by Teesside University to produce the live action scenes of a short film promoting the university’s animation courses and resources to prospective students.

The five-minute film will be used to showcase the courses at film and animation festivals throughout the world.

The firm’s appointment comes after Kirkwood Media was named one of the three best entrants into Content 360 – a competition to unearth the best cross-media content ideas in the world, which is judged by the BBC, Microsoft and Ogilvy Interactive.

Having been selected as one of the finalists, Kirkwood Media travelled to the MipTV festival in Cannes, France, to pitch their idea to the judging panel.

Former BBC Radio Tees producer Frances Calvey, who launched the studio in July 2008, said: “It has been a fantastic couple of months for us.

“To beat hundreds of competitors from around the world to the final of Content 360 was a dream – especially coming less than a year after I set up the company.

“The deal with Teesside University is further validation that we’re producing work and ideas of the highest quality.

“The university’s animation courses are known as among the best in Europe, so to be selected to help showcase them is a real honour.”