Spotlight on... production in Wales
With the recent news that studio giant Pinewood is to establish a brand new facility in Wales, we thought it a good time to take a look at the country's burgeoning production activity, from fantasy epics to bleak detective dramas.
Wales has long been known as a busy hub for film and TV projects, with shows such as the BBC's flagship Doctor Who and Sky 1's Stella making their home there. Recently however, it has attracted a plethora of new titles, and the future Pinewood presence can only enhance the situation.
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Snow White and the Huntsman on Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire
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We asked a Welsh government spokesperson how she saw the future of the industry in Wales and the difference that the new Pinewood outpost will make. The repsonse was emphatically positive:
"The partnership between the Welsh Government and Pinewood offers a unique opportunity to promote Wales as a truly world class location for film and television production.
"As well as contributing to Wales' growing reputation for film and TV production, it is of significant economic value to the country. It is set to generate an estimated £90 million Welsh expenditure over a five year period, positioning us as a hub for film and TV production, and attracting significant levels of inward film and TV investment."
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Snow White and the Huntsman on Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire
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In addition to its reputation as an established production hub, Wales is also due to benefit from a major new fund aimed at incentivising projects to shoot in Wales, as our source then explained:
"We have also set up a new Media Investment Budget which will be available, through Pinewood Pictures, for commercial investment by Welsh Government in film and television productions which shoot 50% of principal photography in Wales. With this new fund, which aims to support 6-8 productions a year, we will invest up to £30m into projects brought forward by Pinewood."
Maybe one of the most high profile films to shoot in Wales is the forthcoming Under Milk Wood, Kevin Allen's new interpretation of Dylan Thomas' classic 'play for voices', to star Rhys Ifans and set to film in Solva, Pembrokeshire this summer. We spoke to Allen himself about the project; you can read more about it here.
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Solva, Pembrokeshire
This year being the centenary of Dylan Thomas' birth has certainly added to the tally of productions filming in Wales: Elijah Wood was there at the start of the year filming
