Fifty jobs set to be created in Barnsley as game audio services company PitStop develops new centre

Barnsley is now set to play a leading role in providing sound effects and music for the global video games industry.

Game audio services company PitStop Productions has been granted planning permission to build a Sound Design Creation Centre outside Barnsley, which will create more than 50 full-time jobs.

The Sound Design Creation Centre will provide a facility where audio teams can collaborate in multiple studios and spaces. The centre will be used for sound design, sound effects, voice and music for video games, TV and films.

PitStop Productions was formed in 1997, and its name derives from a musical written by its founder, John Sanderson, which told the story of two rival Yorkshire mining families.

PitStop has been based in Barnsley since 2007 and today it provides audio and image services to the entertainment industry, with a large bulk of its work concentrated on the video games sector.

PitStop has worked on hundreds of famous games including Divinity: Original Sin II, The Persistence, Grid, Warhammer Champions and Pillars of Eternity II.

Bosses believe the creation of a new sound design creation centre will mark the start of a new chapter for the town’s economy.

“This process has taken a number of years to get to this stage.” said Mr Sanderson, the founder of PitStop.

Mr Sanderson said the proposal had received a large number of letters of support from the company’s clients and organisations such as Game Republic and Screen Yorkshire.

He added: “As well as this, we have had incredible support from the council, who have spent a considerable amount of time understanding the direction in which PitStop is trying to go.”

“There is a clear need for the games audio industry to make some changes in the way in which it onboards new talent,” said Mr Sanderson, “We have a lot of graduates coming through.

“Some are lucky enough to get a job with development teams, or they have to go freelance.

“While the universities are doing a great job in training sound designers, there is a genuine need for a process that bridges the gap between graduating, skill-enhancing and full-time employment.”

The new facility will allow PitStop to join forces with universities and colleges to develop new recruits, alongside its existing team.

Mr Sanderson said: “Worldwide, there is now a shortage of experienced sound designers, and the Sound Design Creation Centre will attempt to bridge that gap.

“For PitStop, it means we will have a constant flow of new and exciting talent, while at the same time working with universities and colleges to evolve and develop more industry-aware courses.”

“Barnsley has been a home for PitStop since 2007, and despite the economic issues the town has had, PitStop has managed to carve a niche in this part of South Yorkshire.

Mr Sanderson added: “The support of the council has been superb and I’m thankful to them for sharing in the vision of what we are trying to achieve.”

“The Sound Design Creation Centre will sit alongside our existing office buildings, giving us an audio service floor space of around 30,000 sq ft.”

A spokesman added “PitStop’s hope is that this new venture helps to restructure the way we train, employ, and develop new talent in the game audio sector.”