About us
A Taunton production company that has designed studios and supported live events since 2011, run by a small team with backgrounds in cameras, lighting and sound.
A Taunton company built around studios and live stages
entertavi was founded in 2011 by Helen Marsh, who had been running studio fit-outs and event productions and wanted a company where planning and craft were given proper time. The business has stayed small and hands-on, based at Wood Street Mews in Taunton.
The early years were spent on studio fit-outs and event crewing, learning how much of a good show is decided before the audience arrives. Cable routes, power, rehearsal time and clear communication turned out to matter as much as the equipment itself, and that lesson shaped how we work today.
Over time the company grew into six areas: studio design, camera control systems, stage and studio lighting, live sound, event crews and workflow consulting. They sit together because a studio or a stage is one system. A lighting change affects the camera picture, and a room's acoustics affect the mix.
We work with broadcast studio managers, event organisers and production teams across the UK. Some clients want a full studio designed and equipped; others need a crew for a weekend festival or a review of how files and signals move through their gallery.
We also publish practical guides on audiovisual workflows, written for studio teams and festival organisers. They come from questions we hear on site, and they aim to be useful on a busy day rather than impressive on paper.
Helen oversees client planning and budgets, Andrew Collins leads camera systems, Priya Nair designs lighting and Daniel Thomas handles sound. Clients speak to the people who will actually do the work, which keeps promises realistic and handovers clear.
What guides the way we plan and run a job
Studios and stages leave little room for improvisation once the audience or the broadcast clock is running. Our principles are practical habits rather than slogans, and they decide how we plan, how we speak to clients and how we leave a site at the end of a day.
Reliability
Reliability means arriving with a schedule, testing equipment before it is needed and keeping spare cables and connectors close to hand. We agree timings in writing, tell you early if something changes, and treat a call time as a commitment. On show day, the aim is that nobody in your team has to wonder whether the sound, lights or cameras will be ready.
Craft
Craft shows in the details most viewers never notice: tidy cable runs, clearly labelled patch points, sensible lighting plots and carefully tuned speakers. Our specialists, from camera systems to lighting design and live mixing, each work in their own field and check each other's results. We would rather take another hour on a rig than leave a fault for later.
Clarity
Clarity applies to equipment and to conversation. Quotations say what is included and what could change the cost, drawings show where everything goes, and handover notes explain settings in plain language. We avoid jargon where a simple word will do, so studio managers and organisers can follow decisions, ask questions and keep full control of their own productions.
How our way of working took shape
entertavi
- Founded
- 2011
- Today
- 2026
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Start with the room
Every project begins with a visit or a floor plan, because space, power and access limit what is possible. Seeing the room first keeps later recommendations grounded in fact.
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Design with your team
Studio layouts and cabling plans are drawn up with your producers and engineers, who know how programmes are made. Their experience shapes the plan from the first draft.
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Treat sound and light together
Lighting and audio affect the camera picture and the room's acoustics, so we plan them alongside each other. This avoids clashes in rigging and fewer surprises during the rehearsal.
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Rehearse before going live
We build time for technical rehearsal into every plan, so cues, camera moves and microphone checks are tried by the people who will use them, not the first time on air.
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Crew with named people
Event crews are experienced technicians who know the kit and the schedule. Clients know who is arriving and what each person is responsible for before the day starts.
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Leave records behind
Written settings, patch lists and workflow notes are handed over after each job. Your team can then run the system independently, and our guides draw on what we learn.
What clients say
The plain figures behind our work
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2011
Founded
entertavi
-
6
Service areas
Broadcast studio design, Camera control systems, Stage and studio lighting, Live sound engineering, Event production crews, Workflow consulting
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4
Team profiles
Helen Marsh, Andrew Collins, Priya Nair, Daniel Thomas