The Bristol-based film buff who founded a global business

A man who has forged a successful career out of his two main passions, film and technology, has every right to be happy with life.

And Col Needham, the founder and CEO of IMDb, the world’s number one movie website, is positively beaming as, surrounded by family and friends, he is granted an honorary degree from the University of Bristol.

The entrepreneur was running his own software company at the age of 14 and has remained consistently ahead of the curve in technological advancement, yet remains a film buff at heart, full of infectious enthusiasm for his career and the city he has called home for 30 years.

“It’s about being passionate about what you do – I’m very fortunate that my love of film was able to translate into a career,” Col tells Bristol24/7, adding that he is immensely honoured to receive the Doctorate of Letters degree.

Col received and built his first computer for Christmas in 1979, at the age of 12, and by 14, was running his own software company.

“The early 80s was the start of the computer revolution,” he says. “I taught myself to programme and found myself writing computer games, so I used to design, build and market those. It kept me in everything a teenager needs – clothes, records and driving lessons.

“But to formally study was really what I wanted to do, so I put that to the side and went off to do a degree in computer science at Leeds University, which gave me the qualifications I needed to work for Hewlett Packard (HP).”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0su7F3zHfBU

Col went to work for the computer giant in Stoke Gifford, just four years ago after it opened its first lab outside of Silicone Valley in Bristol.

He launched IMDb in 1990 as a home-based side project, bringing in other like-minded people to help develop it – all on a voluntary basis. Users had to dial-up and download the database software onto their computers.

It was one of the first 100 websites to launch in 1993 and became Amazon’s first acquisition in 1998, going on to be the globally renowned brand it is today, used by 250 million people every month.

“It is exactly 30 years since I first came to Bristol, 20 since IMDb became part of the Amazon and 20 minutes since I became a doctor of letters,” quips the Manchester-born entrepreneur, who still works in his Bristol office – one of several IMDb has around the world.

Con says it is exciting that Bristol is now being recognised as a global film hub (Photo: Sherlock Abominable Bride filming in Bristol)

“Bristol has grown and expanded so much over the last 30 years, but there is just a lovely feel about the city and the people. The university helps draw people here.

“Things like Bristol gaining UNESCO Creative City of Film status is very exciting and the beauty is that it all feeds into each other – there is a lovely network in the creative and tech industries.”

IMDb now contains more than four million movies, TV and entertainment programmes and more than eight million cast and crew members.

Speaking about Col, professor Angela Piccini, reader in Screen Media at the University of Bristol, says: “Col envisioned a future in which we could visualise the global filmmaking industry. He created the cinematic social network.

“He still wants to turn all of us into film fans. Col believes that IMDb democratises filmmaking, by bringing audience decision-making and knowledge together with that of the filmmakers. Col’s vision is that the wisdom of the crowd will drive future filmmaking.”

Col says his all-time favourite film quote is by Steve Martin in Grand Canyon “all of life’s riddles are answered in the movies”.

It is a fitting line for a man still brimming with enthusiasm for his great passions in life.

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