The traditional boundaries of documentary filmmaking are rapidly dissolving as audiences increasingly seek experiences that move beyond the screen, a demand that has prompted a significant evolution in storytelling. Plimsoll Productions, the acclaimed natural history division of ITV Studios celebrated for its exceptional documentaries and ambitious live events, has decisively stepped into this new era with the official formation and launch of Plimsoll Immersive. This forward-thinking new unit is strategically positioned to create and develop sophisticated experiential content meticulously tailored for the burgeoning technological landscapes of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and advanced AI-powered wearable devices. The formation of this division represents a major strategic commitment, signaling the company’s ambition to be a leader in a new age of media consumption where the goal is to transform passive viewers into active participants, allowing them to engage directly with the compelling narratives of the natural world in ways previously unimaginable.
A New Frontier for Natural History Storytelling
The central mission of Plimsoll Immersive is to skillfully harness the company’s profound expertise and prestigious reputation in the realm of natural history filmmaking and apply these assets to the dynamic and interactive mediums of tomorrow. The division’s content strategy is strategically twofold: it will focus on generating entirely original concepts conceived from the ground up for immersive platforms, while simultaneously adapting and re-imagining the company’s vast and valuable catalog of existing intellectual property into fresh, deeply engaging experiences. Critically, the narrative and conceptual core of this new content will remain steadfastly aligned with Plimsoll’s signature focus on the natural world. The ultimate objective is to utilize cutting-edge technology not merely as a novelty but as a powerful tool to submerge audiences within breathtaking 2D and 3D digital environments, thereby forging a more personal, impactful, and memorable connection between the individual and the planet’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems.
Visionary Leadership and Strategic Direction
At the helm of this innovative new division is Alex Ranken, who currently serves as Plimsoll’s creative director of natural history, a move designed to ensure seamless synergy between the company’s established and future-facing endeavors. Ranken will lead Plimsoll Immersive while concurrently maintaining his responsibilities in creating content for conventional broadcast television, bridging the gap between traditional and emerging media. His extensive and impressive track record over a five-year tenure at Plimsoll makes him uniquely qualified for this pioneering role. Ranken has been an instrumental force in directing and producing a slate of critically acclaimed and visually stunning series and specials that have captivated global audiences. These celebrated projects include Apple’s “Tiny World” and “The Wild Ones,” Disney+’s “A Real Bug’s Life,” and ITV’s “A Year on Planet Earth.” His proven ability to masterfully blend compelling, emotionally resonant storytelling with sophisticated technological innovation is viewed as a cornerstone asset for the new division’s anticipated success.
In a formal statement articulating the vision for this ambitious venture, Alex Ranken emphasized an unwavering commitment to the company’s core values, which have defined its success to date. “Plimsoll has a reputation for visually rich, bold storytelling and editorial integrity,” Ranken said, underlining the foundational principles that will guide the new unit. “We are now applying those elements in this exciting new world, allowing audiences to be immersed in the story, which ultimately fosters deeper connections and engagement with the natural world.” This declaration encapsulates the division’s primary goal: to employ technology not as a superficial gimmick, but as a profound instrument to enhance the emotional and educational resonance of their narratives. The aim is to create experiences that are not only visually spectacular but also intellectually stimulating and emotionally moving, thereby strengthening the audience’s appreciation and understanding of nature in a deeply personal way.
Building on a Foundation of Excellence
Mark Brownlow, the head of natural history at Plimsoll, further elaborated on the strategic importance of this launch and the appointment of Ranken to lead it, contextualizing the move as a logical and forward-thinking evolution of the company’s established capabilities. He lauded Ranken as “a next-generation creator whose innovative storytelling and command of technology make him the perfect fit to grow this division and propel the company into an exciting new space.” Brownlow was keen to frame the launch not as an abrupt pivot into an unfamiliar territory, but rather as a natural progression of the company’s creative and technical prowess. He highlighted that this new direction will “build on Plimsoll’s experience in 3D storytelling which has already seen the recent release of ‘Horse Power,’ a 3D IMAX film.” This specific reference to “Horse Power,” a documentary narrated by Josh Brolin that explores the global relationships between people and horses, effectively positions Plimsoll Immersive as a direct extension of the company’s existing expertise in creating spatially dynamic and visually immersive content for large-format screens.
The establishment of Plimsoll Immersive coincided with the parent company’s continued production of a robust and diverse lineup of high-profile projects for traditional media platforms, underscoring its sustained strength in the established market. In addition to the groundbreaking IMAX film “Horse Power,” other major titles on Plimsoll Productions’ upcoming slate included “Surviving Pompeii with Tom Hiddleston,” the compelling documentary “Force of Nature,” and the highly anticipated “Skyscraper Live,” a Netflix special that promised to livestream the perilous ascent of free soloist Alex Honnold up the iconic Taipei 101 tower. This ambitious and varied slate demonstrated the company’s ongoing vitality in traditional media, which provided a powerful and stable foundation for its new immersive ventures. By the time of the announcement, Plimsoll Immersive had already become actively engaged in developing its first slate of content, with multiple projects reportedly in production, including a sophisticated adaptation of a yet-to-be-announced title from the company’s extensive library.
