Film production is booming in the UK with our most scenic places playing a starring role

National World - LocalTV

Despite the prevailing economic gloom that has descended upon the United Kingdom over the past year, there is one British industry that is in the best of health: movie-making.  The production of feature films and high-end television is booming there, largely as a result of massive and increasing inward investment from the U.S.   To accommodate them all, it’s been reported, there may soon be more studio space in the UK than in Los Angeles.

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00:00 There's so many to choose from, but one or two really stick in my mind, which is Glencoe,

00:08 very iconic in Scotland, used for many large feature films. Skyfall, for instance, jumps

00:15 out, but many, many other opportunities, including commercial and music video filming, but such

00:21 an iconic place. Not sure if you've been there, but the landscape is stunning and it's only

00:25 a short drive from Glasgow. So that's one of my really top favourite places, but there's

00:30 many as I say, Wales, Snowdonia, St. Abs is one for me, which is on the East coast of

00:36 Scotland, it's a fishing village and we used that in one of our Harry Styles music videos,

00:41 but there's just so many landscapes that maybe you wouldn't expect to find in the UK that

00:46 we're proud to be able to represent and showcase to the world.

00:50 Filming often brings attention to economic activity to regions. Can you discuss how the

00:54 presence of film crews impacts local economies and communities and share maybe some examples

00:59 of regions that are particularly benefited from filming?

01:03 It can really positively impact a local area. We need to use local services, potentially

01:09 highlights like local economies, local talents. We need local people and really simple, basic

01:15 things like catering, accommodation, transport are often really used from those local communities.

01:22 And it can be difficult on somewhere like Skye, you know, a beautiful remote location

01:27 often inundated with tourists. So we just need to tread carefully and as I say, build

01:31 those communications and plan well for us coming, working with the right authorities

01:35 and the correct people to get the right permissions. So we're not a surprise and it's well planned

01:40 and well thought out around what also goes on in those local areas.

01:44 Of course, the choice of a film location can greatly contribute to the atmosphere and authenticity

01:49 of a movie. What criteria do filmmakers typically consider when selecting a location and how

01:55 does this influence the overall cinematic experience?

01:58 Well, I think first and foremost, they're looking for something that fits the brief

02:01 and the style of whatever it is they're trying to make. And rightly so, they're looking for

02:05 something that looks right. Our job is to make sure it looks right and logistically

02:10 is right too. So there's no point saying we can film at the top of Ben Nevis if it creates

02:16 a lot of problems in terms of getting crew there or safety. So our job and the job of

02:22 our locations department, where we have a good team with experience knowing over 9,000

02:28 great film friendly locations, is to find someone that looks brilliant, will work brilliantly

02:33 for the brief and the director, but also logistically and health and safety wise and cost wise as

02:39 well. Sometimes filming very remotely adds extra cost because you have to take everything

02:43 with you and you bring everything back. Sometimes if you can create that kind of feeling more

02:48 near a sort of hub like Manchester or just outside, you might be able to do something

02:52 that the crew don't have to stay overnight. They can go home and that impacts the overall

02:57 budget of the filming as well. So we think things creatively, but then also sensibly

03:02 as well. And that's our kind of USP.

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