PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Adrian Wootton, it is business as usual. “We haven’t had any disruption in service. We
The bridge to Britain F
ilm London may have been charged with leading on the UK inward investment remit through the British Film Commis- sion but according to Film London CEO
have transferred the skills and expertise across from the UK Film Council (UKFC) and we are making sure the boutique, hands-on service we have always offered to the international commu- nity is very much still there,” he says. Helping to ease the transition is the British
Film Commission Advisory Board, which is made up of representatives from more than 20 key UK organisations including the BFI, Warner Bros UK and PACT, all of whom have the same goal — to ensure the UK continues to attract the world’s biggest productions. Sitting at the head of the board is veteran UK
producer Iain Smith, whose fi lm work ranges from Chariots Of Fire to The A-Team and who was an obvious choice for the job, says Wootton. “Iain is a commercial, big-scale producer who also has a distinguished record of public service in the UK, providing a great balance between the public and private sector and commanding respect right across the industry.” The BFC might have its new home at Film
London, but with a remit to promote inward investment right across the UK, its reach extends far beyond the capital.
Integrated services “I want to use this opportunity to make sure the nations and regions are doing what they can to encourage productions coming in,” adds Smith, pointing to one initiative already in the pipeline to build a studio facility in Scotland, using a similar model to The Paint Hall studio in North- ern Ireland, which is currently playing host to HBO series Game Of Thrones. “It’s about providing a single, easily accessi-
ble and integrated service that connects inter- national fi lm productions with industry support around the country,” says John Newbigin, who will sit on the BFC board as the chair of new regional body Creative England. One priority for the BFC will be to keep win-
ning productions which might otherwise go to rival fi lm hubs in Eastern Europe or Canada. “It’s about fi ne-tuning our fi scal incentives,
streamlining our relationship with Hollywood and maintaining our competitive edge. But there’s no doubt that the level of excellence in the UK applies across the board, and when heads of departments fi nd out they are shooting in the UK, they breathe a sigh of relief,” says Smith. With inward investment reaching a record
high in 2010, William Sargent, CEO of London based visual-effects company Framestore, points to the quality of the UK’s post-production sector as a key factor. “It’s one of the reasons the US studios come to the UK. The tax credit is
■ 24 Screen International at the Cannes Film Festival May 16, 2011 Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides fi lmed in the UK
important but without the talent and skills base they wouldn’t bother.” British VFX facilities serviced all the
major US features which shot in the UK in 2010 including Disney’s fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean instalment, X-Men: First Class, War Horse, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shad- ows and Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (see case study, below). And of the nine major US tentpole movies shot in the UK
last year, seven were in production concurrently. With business booming thanks to a favoura-
ble exchange rate, world-class facilities and diverse locations, Wootton admits it is a great time to be taking over inward investment duties. “The UK infrastructure has reached a strength and maturity that is the rival of any country in the world and everybody recognises it, which is why so many fi lms want to come here.”
www.fi lmlondon.org.uk/fi lming_in_london
s BRITISH FILM COMMISSION CASE STUDY – CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
Marvel’s latest big-budget blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger shot in the UK from July 2010, taking in a range of locations as well as making the most of Shepperton’s fi rst-class studio facilities. Having never based a shoot in the UK before, Marvel needed to be sure they could
fi nd the right locations. The British Film Commission (BFC) was able to cover the cost of a UK location manager to carry out a preliminary scout, as well as working with Marvel to provide British qualifi cation and tax-relief guidance, on-the-ground troubleshooting and research into alternative stage space during a particularly busy period for fi lming in the UK last summer. With the shoot taking in locations from Wales to Manchester to Surrey, the BFC was also on hand to liaise with key contacts in the UK regions. Some of the fi lm’s VFX is currently being completed in the UK. Co-producer Stephen Broussard says: “We had an exceptional experience fi lming in
the UK. The talented team on the ground helped us craft a truly epic movie and should the opportunity arise, we would welcome the chance to make another fi lm in the UK.”
»
‘When heads of departments find out they are shooting in the UK, they breathe
a sigh of relief’ Iain Smith, producer and chair of the British Film Commission Advisory Board
The British Film Commission, which assists international productions coming to shoot in the UK, is now managed by Film London. And the organisation is relishing its wider national remit
Courtesy of Disney
Courtesy of Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios
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