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PROMOTING OUR REGION

From Annual Report 07/08

Focus on: Going Green on Location
After choosing Portland in Dorset as the perfect location for the latest film from Director Richard Curtis and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy, production company Working Title also chose to consider the environment and make the shoot as green as possible. South West Screen and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council worked in partnership with Working Title to ensure the environmental impact of the shoot for ‘The Boat That Rocked’ was kept to a minimum.

The production was based in Portland Port for four weeks, and the Council and South West Screen provided substantial recycling facilities for all the production’s needs. The cast and crew were able to recycle compostable waste, cardboard, paper, plastic and metal which substantially reduced the amount of waste going to landfill and even saved the production money.

‘Very little provision is currently made by the industry for environmental impact or damage caused by film-making and we are hoping to start the environmental ball rolling in our region by putting together a basic toolkit that productions will be asked to use when coming to film in the South West. By working together, we can make a real positive difference.’ Fiona Francombe, Filming and Location Coordinator, South West Screen.

‘The Boat that Rocked’ is due for release in 2009.


From Annual Report 06/07
       
FOCUS ON: SHOT IN THE SOUTH WEST
A number of major feature films shot in the region in summer 2006 with assistance from
South West Screen including ‘Hot Fuzz’ from the team behind ‘Shaun of the Dead’, Michael Apted’s ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’,

The impact of the South West on screen is huge: not only was £40 million in inward investment brought to the region through location filming in 2006, but ‘film tourism’ looks set to bring increasing numbers of visitors to the region. ‘Hot Fuzz’ from Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (‘Shaun of the Dead’) shot on location in Wells, Somerset in 2006. Released in February 2007, it has grossed over $70 million in cinemas worldwide and looks set to rake in much more through DVD sales and rentals.

And it’s not just on the silver screen that you can see the South West: new E4 comedy drama ‘Skins’, shot in Bristol, got the channel its highest ever ratings and aired on Channel 4 in summer 2007. The second series is now shooting.


FOCUS ON: SUCCESS FOR THE SOUTH WEST
According to Broadcast Magazine’s 2006 nations and regions survey, 11 out of the top 50 UK regional indies for 2006 are based in the region. Aardman has the coveted number one slot with turnover in 2006 of £43.7 million, whilst Tigress is at number four. Two Plymouth companies are also riding high: Twofour at number three with turnover of £16.1 million and Denham Productions at 26 with £2.4 million.

The region produces £153 million of television production business each year according to Ofcom, with big hits including ‘Deal or No Deal’ (Endemol), ‘Planet Earth’ (BBC NHU), ‘Skins’ (Company Pictures), and ‘Shaun the Sheep’ (Aardman).
According to Broadcast: ‘In broadcast terms Bristol punches far above its weight…the sheer quality and size of the industry in the South West, its vibrancy, fastchanging nature and many cutting edge talents, mean it should not be overlooked.’


From Annual Report 05/06

SELLING THE SOUTH WEST
Effectively marketing the South West region for inward investment is one of South West Screen’s key priorities: location filming makes an important contribution to inward investment in the region and we offer film makers every opportunity to find the right locations, crew and facilities.

Working in partnership with Bristol Film Office, Bath Film Office, Cornwall Film, local authorities and location managers, South West Screen’s ‘Film Friendly’ programme has transformed the quality, access, coordination and delivery of the region’s response to production enquiries, ensuring inward investment continues to grow.

As part of the programme, this year saw the publication of our Production Directory, a comprehensive guide to filming in the region. Profiling local crew, facilities and locations, the directory complements our searchable online production and locations guide, accessed via our website www.swscreen.co.uk.


CASE STUDY: FILM FRIENDLY
South West Screen’s unique Film Friendly programme for local authorities has been an outstanding success story this year, providing practical solutions to dealing with production enquiries and filming.

29 South West local authorities have now completed the training programme delivered by Bath Film Commissioner Maggie Ainley and are kite marked ‘Film Friendly’. The programme is already paying dividends, with production companies returning time and again to ‘Film Friendly’ areas, and recommending them to peers.

The BBC comedy series ‘Nighty Night’ filmed for 42 days on location in ‘Film Friendly’ North Cornwall, generating inward investment of at least £300,000, employing 9 local crew and more than 20 extras.

‘So many people from North Cornwall District Council have been so incredibly helpful to us. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to film here, a fact I shall be passing on to producers and other location managers in London and around the country.’ Jason Wheeler, Location Manager, ‘Nighty Night’



CASE STUDY: TROUBLESHOOTING ON AMAZING GRACE
Without South West Screen’s intervention ‘Amazing Grace’, directed by Michael Apted and starring Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney and Michael Gambon, would not have filmed in the region.

Following some complications, South West Screen's Film Liaison Manager Sue Craig set about establishing key contacts and lobbying support to dredge Bakers Quay at Gloucester Docks - the producers’ favoured location – in order to accommodate the shoot’s tall ships. She helped to smooth the way for the production and ultimately British Waterways and the City Council worked closely with the shoot and the filming went ahead.

‘With some major obstacles to overcome this shoot would not have happened here without the intervention and support of South West Screen. In the end, the location worked exceptionally well and we had tremendous co-operation from Gloucester City and the individual location owners.’ Charles Wood, Production Designer on ‘Amazing Grace’



SPREADING THE WORD
South West Screen’s team has handled more than 3,000 enquiries this year, providing a personal touch that our stakeholders value highly. We have campaigned proactively with print and broadcast media to increase the profile of the sector and used our website and e-bulletin to ensure a continual dialogue with practitioners in the region. Following consultation with the industry, our website was re-launched in February 2006, providing a much more user-friendly and up-to-date interface and ensuring that everyone can access the information they need from South West Screen. We disseminated over 700 useful articles to the industry through our fortnightly e-bulletin this year and our 3,000+ subscribers appreciate the service: ‘South West Screen’s e-bulletin is fantastic – really clear and concise. I always forward it to collegues.’ E-bulletin subscriber

Case Studies

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