Screen Suffolk launches new locations

Ipswich town centreScreen Suffolk, the new dedicated film office for the region run by FilmFixer, is set to open up new locations for filmmakers in Ipswich. 

According to local news outlet the Ipswich Star, several significant local buildings and streets will be on offer as film locations, including Christchurch Mansion, Buttermarket, the Town Hall and Ipswich High School for Girls, pictured below. 

Also due to join the many locations already available to filmmakers are streets and parks including Dial Lane, Holywells and the council-owned stretch along the county town’s waterfront, with more to be added in the future. 
 

Ipswich High School for Girls


In a bid to encourage productions to base themselves in Ipswich for the entirety of their shoot, rather than just for location work, empty office space within the town will be also be be available as production offices. 

Karen Everett, director, Screen Suffolk, said: "Making Ipswich's empty office space available as production office space to filmmakers, is a good way of encouraging more production spend in the county. 

"We will be promoting Ipswich buildings as locations, yes. But we will also suggest office space allowing productions to base themselves here for the duration of a shoot - for perhaps as long as six weeks or more. From a production base, nearby locations would be used. Being so close to London, we think filmmakers will believe this makes perfect sense.

"With the production based here - it would spend more budget here, be it on catering, accommodation, transport, art department and design services, costume and make-up, and all the other needs a production has."

The plans are part of Screen Suffolk’s drive to encourage filmmakers and location managers to consider the East Anglian town as a user-friendly filming option while still being relatively close to the capital, with the aim of bringing at least 100 days of location shooting within the first year – a figure the organisation hopes will quadruple by 2020. 

FilmFixer won the bid to run the local film office earlier this year when it was put out to tender by Suffolk County Council. The location service company manages London filming for 13 of the capital’s boroughs including Camden, Southwark and Islington. 

 

 



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