and re-routing traffic. “We removed street
furnishings, transformed phone boxes, bus
stops and shop fronts to recreate the streets
of Philadelphia” Walker explains, “but the
results speak for themselves. In the region
of £4m was spent locally in the city on
World War Z alone, bar and hotel trade went
up, over 30 local film crew were employed
for the shoot and afterwards props were
donated to a local homeless charity.”
From Creative England to the film
commissions of London, Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland, these professional
bodies are an incredibly powerful tool not
only to attract production and boost tourism,
but as TayScreen’s Cralk says:“make
sure the area is on the radar for inward
investment and development.”
There were scenes of mayhem on the streets
of Vauxhall late April as Kiefer Sutherland
filmed the last scenes of his hit TV series,
24: Live Another Day. Photos of the star
surrounded by excited fans instantly
circulated the globe, somewhat glamorously
marking the end of yet another multi-million
dollar production to shoot in “film friendly”
London.
Like all foreign productions filming in the
capital, 24 called upon the support of Film
London and the British Film Commission:
from finding the right locations and arranging
filming permits, to clearing road traffic,
finding local crews, talent and a multitude of
vital services that make a trouble-free shoot
possible.
It is the concentrated effort of these hard-at-
work film commissions that not only attracts
foreign productions to the UK but secures a
positive and productive filming experience.
The benefits of this well-orchestrated effort
are immense as it not only raises the city’s
and even country’s profile, but also forms
fruitful collaborations between foreign
investors and domestic companies, as in the
case of VFX company Framestore, executing
the ground-breaking visuals on Alfonso
Cuaron’s Gravity.
A mixed bag of skills
The work of film commissioners, however,
also extends beyond facilitating productions,
to invest in local talent and intensively
promote London as the “competitive and
popular” production centre that is it.
Just recently Film London hosted an
industry panel, exploring the impact of the
new tax reliefs for high-end television and
animation. There, 24’s producer Iain Smith
aptly explained that although lower tax is
indeed an incentive, creatives repeatedly
choose London “because of what the city
has to offer”.
It was pointed out that the number of
productions hitting the capital is growing
and to accommodate the rising demand,
Film London has unlocked an additional
1.25m sq ft of alternative stage space.
Furthermore, in a bid to showcase the
city’s visual effects and post-production
talent, the British Film Commission recently
invited some senior US executives for
tours of Framestore, Double Negative
and Moving Picture Company among
others, while Film London presented the
capital’s TV production industry to top
Canadian producers and US executives,
including DreamWorks and The Jim Henson
Company.
Productions in the regions and nations
Film commissions prosper outside
of London too, attracting big budget
productions to Northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales. Penny Skuse of the Wales
Screen Commission proudly shares the
agency’s support for projects such as Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Snow White
and the Huntsman, Robin Hood, Clash of the
Titans, King Arthur, Captain America, Doctor
Who, Upstairs Downstairs and Casualty.
Just like its London counterpart, Wales
Screen effectively utilises its thorough
knowledge of the local landscape to
accommodate the most demanding
production requests. In the case of Snow
White and the Huntsman for example,
the location team contacted the Wales
Screen Commission in search of a cliff top
peninsular where elements of the Queen’s
castle could be built and a magnificent
coastline ticked all the boxes scenery-wise
for this film. When access to the beach
proved difficult for the unit with its horses
and riders, a large ramp was constructed
from the end of the narrow path that leads
down to the beach. Wales Screen also rose
to the challenge of Starz’ Da Vinci’s Demons
where the production was based at an old
car factory in Neath Port Talbot which stood
in for 15th century Florence.
This all translates into investment in the
UK economy; productions are being
shot all over the UK, employing local
marshals and runners as well as benefitting
from thousands of crew using local
accommodation nationwide during filming.
So besides introducing the landscapes
and seascapes of Wales to an international
audience, which has a positive knock-on
effect on tourism, there is a direct financial
boost to the creative industries with over
£170m spent by various productions since
Wales Screen’s inception in 2002.
Scotland has over the years helped bring
some milestone productions to life including
Chariots of Fire, Trainspotting and Under
the Skin. Here too, the local facilitator
TayScreen, collaborates with various
productions to deliver vital services and
locations. For The Railway Man for example,
upon TayScreen’s suggestions, Perth station
doubled as Edinburgh Waverley; North
Queensferry was used for the young hero’s
home, Bo’ness and Kinnel railway for interior
carriage scenes and Gilmerton House
doubled as the hotel where the onscreen
couple stayed on their wedding night.
“Like all screen commissions,” explains
TayScreen’s Julie Cralk, ”FifeScreen and
TayScreen Scotland offers a one stop
service for all kinds of production needs:
research, location photography, permits,
local crew and studio space.”
Much like Film London actively showcasing
London, the Scottish screen commissions
are quick off the mark to spot rising
opportunities. “When we learned that Silent
Witness was looking,” says Cralk, “we
pitched a huge range of suggestions for
locations. Location manager Ian Pollington
(The Iron Lady) looked at the area and before
long the crew and the Movie Maker trucks
had descended on Dundee”
Hamish Walker of the Glasgow Film Office
shares Cralk’s enthusiasm as he speaks of
the team’s experience of working on titles
such as World War Z, providing locations
and crews. It was admittedly a “significant
undertaking for the city” says Walker, with
Glasgow Film securing road clearance,
closing 14 city centre streets for two weeks
When we learned Silent Witness was looking
We pitched a huge range of suggestions
for locations
The Wales Screen
Commission rose to the
challenge of Starz’ Da
Vinci’s Demons
By Hannah Gal
An increasing amount of film
and TV productions are being
shot all over the UK, employing
local marshals and runners
as well as benefitting from
thousands of crew using local
accommodation nationwide
during filming. But who are
representing the various
locations used?
Why we need film
offices
Filming of World War Z
was made possible
with the help of the
Glasgow Film Office
Photo credit: Harley Evans/FOX
16
Filming on Location
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