December 14, 2023
Filming in England – 2023, a year in review
We’re nearing the end of yet another year in the film and TV industry and are reflecting on what we’ve been up to over the past twelve months – from our inaugural Industry Mixers to launching three brand-new National Directories!
Join us as we reflect on 2023 and hope for a fantastic 2024.
Stonehouse: ITV shooting across the East and West Midlands
We kicked off our 2023 blogs with an insight into ITV’s political drama Stonehouse. The series filmed in the Midlands and Jonny, our Production Liaison Manager for the North West and Midlands, took us on a behind-the-scenes look at the production’s shoot.
Read Stonehouse – ITV Shooting Across the East and West Midlands.
Comedy Collective Crew Night with North East Screen
In March, we were delighted to partner with North East Screen for a Comedy Collective Crew Night, providing the unique opportunity for North East crew to both network and enjoy live comedy sets (curtsey of Felt Nowt). What’s more, the event was live streamed as part of Creative Coalition Festival 2023!
Filming in England Summit
We ran our 4th annual Summit on March 9th and were pleased to have a record number of Local Authorities across the English Regions in attendance to enjoy a day of insightful and informative virtual sessions.
Highlights included a keynote from Caroline Norbury, CEO of Creative UK, a closer look at our Local Economic Impact Toolkit by Olsberg•SPI, a conversation with Location Manager Amie Tridgell, Discover Creative Careers with Gareth Ellis-Unwin – and more!
Rain Dogs: On Location in the West of England
BBC’s off-beat comedy Rain Dogs was release this year. With almost 80 Bristol locations and 70% South West based crew, it made full use of the ever popular South West region. To celebrate, our Production Liaison Manager for the South West, Charlotte, spoke to Bristol Film Office and North Somerset Film Office about this high-end TV drama.
Read Rain Dogs: On Location in the West of England.
Rain Dogs © BBC/Sid Gentle Films/HBO/Photographer
Filming in England Connect: Industry Mixers
We have enjoyed running our inaugural Filming in England Connect: Industry Mixers this year! These events have proved to be valuable opportunities for film and TV professionals of all experience levels to unite and network. So far, we have held Industry Mixers at the S.S. Great Britain, The Bond in Birmingham and Shinfield Studios – not to mention collaborated with brilliant partners Bristol Film Office, Screen Berkshire, Create Central, Film Birmingham.
We’re already looking forward to sharing news of next years events!
Local Economic Impact Toolkit
May 11th marked the release of our Local Economic Impact of Filming Toolkit. Produced in collaboration with leading consultants for the creative industries Olsberg•SPI, this unique toolkit aims to better facilitate local authorities to measure and illustrate the positive impact of the screen sector in their local areas.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – The Iconic Locations in England
Did you know that some of the film’s biggest stunts and action sequences in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One took place right here in England? This mammoth production filmed in Derbyshire, Cumbria, Birmingham, Wiltshire and Yorkshire.
To learn more, read our production spotlight blog, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – The Iconic Locations in England.
Filming in England Online Directories
We are thrilled to have developed brand-new National Online Directories this year. These essential online resources consist of four unique directories to ensure businesses, locations, freelancers, crew, suppliers and studios can connect to industry and promote the full breadth of services available to productions filming in England.
We welcome you to explore our Directories here:
Studio & Build Spaces Directory
New Crew & Suppliers Webpages
In line with our new Crew & Suppliers Directory, we developed brand-new Crew and Supplier webpages this year, emphasising our full offer to crew, productions and suppliers across the English Regions. Alongside this, we’ve introduced two new pages: our Diversity & Inclusion Page, listing D&I information and organisations across England, and our Education Outreach Page, outlining our commitment to supporting educational facilities to empower future industry.
Explore our Crew, Supplier, Diversity & Inclusion and Education Outreach pages.
Supporting Representation through Film Education
Our National Crew and Facilities Manager, Sam, collaborated with Filming in England Partnership members Into Film and Carousel in a blog exploring the importance of Film Education in our ever-changing industry.
Read Supporting Representation through Film Education.
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon – Inside the Filming Locations
Did you know that Ridley Scott’s Napoleon filmed largely in England? We took a closer look at the locations behind this rare, 100% on location shoot in an exclusive production spotlight to celebrate the film’s cinematic release.
Read Ridley Scott’s Napoleon – Inside the Filming Locations.
Napoleon filming at Blenheim Palace © Sony Pictures
FOCUS 2023
We were back at The Location Guide’s FOCUS this December, where we exhibited with some of our fantastic Film Office partners! The event gave us the opportunity to promote all that England has to offer for production, as well as reconnect with some of our partners across England.
What’s more, our Head of Production Services Hayley Armstrong joined Screen Scotland, Creative Wales, Screen Manchester and Olsberg SPI for a panel discussion about the UK’s studio space landscape – and our film and HETV Partnerships Manager Hannah Macleod joined Sustainable Film for a session to talk about sustainability in the film industry.
