Vent Media
Vent Media is a UK-based boutique creative studio specialising in projection mapping, immersive installations, and real-time digital media for live performance, architecture, festivals, and cultural events. Founded by Barret Hodgson, it serves artists, theatres, galleries, and event organisers across the UK and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersNottingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vent Media does
Vent Media is a UK-based boutique creative digital media and projection mapping studio, founded by Barret Hodgson and headquartered in the Midlands (Nottingham). The studio produces bespoke visual content and immersive experiences for five primary service lines: projection mapping (architectural, video, and 3D mapping on buildings, landmarks, and stages), live arts and performance media (theatre, dance, opera visual design, cycloramas, Pepper's Ghost), immersive and interactive installations (gallery and public-space environments with motion and audio-reactive systems), clubs and live stages (VJing, real-time performance visuals, audio-reactive content), and events and ceremonies (corporate, product launches, weddings). Clients span arts organisations, theatres, dance companies, music festivals, galleries, and corporate event organisers in the UK and internationally, including Sadler's Wells, Tom Dale Company, 59 Productions, Glastonbury Festival, Lakeside Arts, and the Venice Dance Biennale.
The studio's technical stack is built around owned Disguise and Pixera media servers, with Notch as the real-time content creation engine. Vent Media delivers full end-to-end project execution spanning photogrammetry and 3D model generation, multi-projector alignment, pre-visualisation, interactive media systems, on-site installation, and live event programming. The founder's practice dates to the mid-1990s, evolving from underground club VJing into professional projection mapping and digital arts, and the company is recognised as a Notch Artist and Arts Council England-supported creative.
Commercially, Vent Media operates on a project-based professional services model with bespoke fees tailored to each client's scope and complexity. The go-to-market is sales-led through direct engagement, portfolio visibility, social media (Instagram, Facebook), and professional network referrals, particularly within the UK arts-and-culture sector. The studio is privately held, founder-owned, bootstrapped, with no external investment, subsidiaries, or parent entity. Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed.
Vent Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vent Media
- Legal name
- Vent Media
- Website
- https://ventmedia.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vent Media is a UK-based boutique creative studio specialising in projection mapping, immersive installations, and real-time digital media for live performance, architecture, festivals, and cultural events. Founded by Barret Hodgson, it serves artists, theatres, galleries, and event organisers across the UK and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vent Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Projection Mapping Services
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Vent Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nottingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Vent Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Creative Digital Media Services: Project-based creative services including concept development, content creation, technical delivery, and on-site support for projection mapping, live performance, and immersive installations. Revenue is generated through bespoke project fees tailored to each client's requirements and project scope.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Vent Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vent Media is a boutique creative digital media studio that designs and delivers projection mapping, immersive installations, and live performance visual content for theatres, festivals, venues, and cultural organisations. The studio operates end-to-end across concept development, 2D/3D content creation, media server programming (using owned Disguise and Pixera systems), and on-site technical delivery.
Product overview
Vent Media is a creative digital media and projection mapping studio offering a unified suite of services for live performance, events, installations, and architectural spaces. The core offerings include five interconnected service pillars: Projection Mapping (architectural and video mapping for buildings and surfaces), Live Arts and Performance Media (theatre and dance visual design), Immersive and Interactive Experiences (interactive environments responding to movement and sound), Clubs and Live Stages (VJing and live visual performance), and Events and Ceremonies (event visual design). These are supplemented by Content Creation Services (2D/3D animation, video editing, pre-visualisation) and Technical Delivery Services (media server programming using Disguise and Pixera, hardware installation). The company operates across concept development, content creation, and technical delivery, providing a complete service from initial concepts through to on-site implementation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Projection Mapping Services Projection mapping (video mapping or 3D projection) using projected light to create visual content that responds to the shape and character of surfaces including historic architecture, theatre sets, sculpture, fabric, and temporary installations. Targeted at organisations commissioning large-scale visual installations on buildings, landmarks, and public spaces.
- Live Arts and Performance Media Digital media design and creation for theatre, dance, and live performance, including immersive environments, interactive theatre, dynamic digital backdrops, cycloramas, Pepper's Ghost illusions, and bespoke visual effects. Targeted at theatre companies, dance companies, and live performance producers.
- Immersive and Interactive Experiences Immersive environments combining projection, real-time visuals, and interactive technologies that respond to movement, sound, and audience participation, allowing content to evolve in real time. Targeted at galleries, museums, public spaces, and venue operators.
- Clubs and Live Stages (VJing and Live Performance) VJing, live visual performance, content creation, enhanced IMAG (Image Magnification), and real-time visual systems for festivals, touring productions, club nights, and special events. Targeted at music festivals, club promoters, and touring music productions.
- Events and Ceremonies Tailored visual experiences for events including gallery openings, product launches, graduation ceremonies, evening dinners, wedding receptions, and keynote speeches, featuring bespoke motion graphics and digital design integration. Targeted at event organisers, corporate clients, and private occasion hosts.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 15,000 visitors attracted to a single installation (Enchanted Forest, Lakeside Arts 2023)
Companies that use Vent Media
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vent Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Vent Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 59 ProductionscoreCollaborated with 59 Productions on major architectural projection mapping projects including Tower of London 'About Us' projection and Guggenheim Bilbao 25th anniversary 'Immersions' show. Vent Media provided video design, consultation, and programming services for these large-scale touring public art events and museum installations.
- Sadler's WellscoreCo-produced and commissioned TOM installation with Wilkie Branson. Sadler's Wells is a leading dance venue and production house. Vent Media provided video design, consultation, and programming.
- Pavilion Dance South WestminorCo-commissioned the TOM installation alongside Sadler's Wells, supporting the dance-for-camera installation project.
- Arts Council EnglandcorePublic funding from National Lottery through Arts Council England supported the TOM installation. Vent Media benefits from Arts Council recognition and funding support for projects.
- Lakeside ArtscoreOngoing partnership with Lakeside Arts for gallery installations including 'Highfields Lido' and 'Enchanted Forest' interactive experiences. Vent Media created immersive installations for the Djanogly Gallery.
- Wilkie BransoncoreCreative collaboration with award-winning choreographer and filmmaker Wilkie Branson on dance-for-camera installation 'TOM'. Vent Media provided video design, consultation, and programming.
- Tom Dale CompanycoreLong-term creative partnership with Tom Dale Company for contemporary dance productions featuring projection mapping and immersive experiences since 2013.
- Disguise (D3)coreVent Media owns and operates Disguise media servers for projection mapping and reliable playback solutions. Disguise is a leading media server platform for live events and installations.
- PixeracoreVent Media owns and operates Pixera media servers providing flexible playback solutions as part of complete creative and technical packages.
- NotchcoreVent Media is a Notch Artist and uses Notch for real-time content creation and visual systems. Notch is a real-time graphics and video engine platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Vent Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 59 Productions: London-based creative studio specialising in projection mapping, video design, and immersive installations for opera, theatre, museums, and public spaces. Closely comparable to Vent Media in service mix, technical stack, and project scale (e.g. Tower of London, Guggenheim Bilbao) — and notably a current collaboration partner.
- Projection Artworks: UK-based creative studio focused on projection mapping, immersive experiences, and live event visuals. Highly comparable in service offering (architectural mapping, brand activations, live performance) and in operating as a UK boutique studio serving similar client types.
- Idle Motion: Brighton-based immersive digital media studio creating projection-mapped performance and installation work. Directly comparable in the intersection of digital media, dance/performance, and immersive experience design — the same core use cases Vent Media serves.
- Seeper: London-based immersive experience and interactive technology studio working across live events, public installations, and cultural venues. Comparable in combining real-time interactive technology with creative direction for live and installed experiences.
- Universal Everything: UK-based digital art and design studio producing screen-based and immersive visual experiences for cultural institutions, brands, and public spaces. Comparable in its blend of creative direction and real-time visual technology, though typically operating at larger commercial scale.
- Moment Factory: Montreal-based multidisciplinary creative studio producing immersive multimedia environments for public spaces, cultural institutions, and live events globally. Comparable in service offering (immersive installations, projection mapping, live performance visuals) and in serving similar cultural and public-realm clients.
Broad incumbents
- teamLab: Tokyo-headquartered interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale immersive digital art installations. Comparable in immersive experience category and in serving major cultural venues worldwide; operates at materially larger scale with proprietary IP and permanent venues.
- Artechouse: US-based operator of permanent digital art exhibition spaces showcasing immersive and technology-driven installations. Comparable in the immersive-installation category, though operates a venue/exhibition model rather than a creative-services model.
Emerging players
- Refik Anadol Studio: Los Angeles-based media artist studio producing large-scale data-driven immersive installations for museums and cultural institutions. Comparable in serving the same cultural-venue client base with projection and immersive technology, though typically operating at higher art-market budgets.
- Tunnelviz (Tunnel Event Visuals): Boutique event-visuals and projection mapping studio serving festivals, brand activations, and live events in the UK and Europe. Comparable as a similarly sized specialist competing in the same live-event and projection mapping space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vent Media social profiles
Digital presenceVent Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vent Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Vent Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vent Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vent Media
What does Vent Media do?
Vent Media is a boutique creative digital media studio that designs and delivers projection mapping, immersive installations, and live performance visual content for theatres, festivals, venues, and cultural organisations. The studio operates end-to-end across concept development, 2D/3D content creation, media server programming (using owned Disguise and Pixera systems), and on-site technical delivery.
Is Vent Media a public or private company?
Vent Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vent Media founded?
Vent Media was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vent Media based?
Vent Media is headquartered in Nottingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Vent Media make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Digital Media Services.
Who are Vent Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 59 Productions, Projection Artworks, Idle Motion, Seeper, Universal Everything and Moment Factory. Broad incumbents are teamLab and Artechouse. Emerging players are Refik Anadol Studio and Tunnelviz (Tunnel Event Visuals).
Does Vent Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vent Media.
What industry is Vent Media in?
Vent Media's product category is Creative Projection Mapping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAIAJ, Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams). Its SIC code is 7812.