North East Screen operations director Gayle Woodruffe talks about the proposed new film studios and bringing movies and TV shows to Sunderland and the North East.
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00:00 Okay then Gail, let's just start asking about what is the role of North East Screen?
00:04 So North East Screen was established to try and build and improve on the screen sector opportunities in the North East of England.
00:11 What we want is that people in the North East can live here and work on world class content and sleep in their own beds at night.
00:19 And obviously we've got the film studio development coming up hopefully, I mean just what bigger difference will that make for North East Screen?
00:25 It'll make a massive difference, not just for North East Screen but for the industry in the region and the whole of the region.
00:31 The number of projects that we could have through there, the size of the projects that could be working in there.
00:36 Not only will it affect people who work in film and TV but accommodation providers, drivers, all of those kinds of services that people there will be needing.
00:45 And hopefully it'll also mean that these projects don't just film in the studio, they also get onto some of our amazing locations around the North East and they use those as well.
00:53 And so you know big movie blockbusters, is that realistic for the North East in the future if this comes along?
00:58 It's absolutely realistic, we've already had some really big ones in the past year.
01:02 We had Indiana Jones and Dungeons and Dragons shoot with us at the same time.
01:06 They love the locations here, all they need is a studio base which would mean that they can stay with us for longer, employ more people and make a bigger impact.
01:14 So it's absolutely a possibility.
01:17 North East Screens now based here in the centre of Sunderland, just how good does it be part of this regeneration of the city?
01:23 Moving to Sunderland was a bit of a no brainer for us.
01:26 It is pretty central to the region, the transport links are fab.
01:30 But also where we are, with the Culture House being built across the way and all of the regeneration that's going on, the city's just been transformed.
01:38 So it's a brilliant place for us to be and to work and it's great to be part of it.