Film and TV industries outperform economy
New figures published show that the UK's film, TV and video industries have outperformed the wider economy between July and September.
The latest GDP data from the Office for National Statistics consolidate the fact that the creative industries are flourishing at the moment - and outperforming the rest of the economy with a hike of 5.9% since the last quarter, compared to a 0.5% growth overall.
The industry is boosted hugely with the attractive tax incentives, great locations and world class crew attracting Hollywood producers and huge inward investment from around the world.
Locations for film and TV have become almost as big news as the projects themselves, with massive incoming productions such as Star Wars, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Doctor Strange all raising the profile of the UK as a filming destination. Long term benefits often follow in the shape of screen tourism, as fans continue to seek out key location sites years after the films' release.
The release of the figures illustrating the boom is timely, as Spectre had its world premiere in London earlier this week. The Bond franchise is one of the most famous in the world and - although it takes in worldwide locations - famously makes its home at Pinewood Studios with a huge crew base drawn from the UK.
With the latest 007 film taking £4.1m on its opening night across the UK, it bodes well for a positive international reaction to the UK as a shooting location. City Hall was used as the Centre for National Security, and there was an intensive six-day shoot on the Thames, both of which involved complex negotiations with various authorities and organisations, orchestrated largely by Film London.
Let's just hope we can keep up with demand in terms of studio space, so the UK continues to provide a great international production base...Â
For more details on all the productions listed above, head over to Production Intelligence, our online database of feature films and TV shows at all stages of development.Â
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