Lights, camera, London – How the UK capital became a leading film city
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London’s global reputation for film and TV?
London is a city of vastly different scenic backgrounds. Throughout the capital you’ll find remnants of its historic past, including centuries-old churches, cobbled streets and the occasional Tudor style buildings. Travel inward toward the City of London and you’ll instead be greeted by vast skyscrapers and other testaments of modern ingenuity. And of course, sprinkled in between all of it are parks and luscious green space that rival anywhere in the world.??
Perhaps then it is no surprise that London remains one of the most popular cities in the world to shoot film and TV and continues to attract international companies across its supply chain that set up offices in the city, such as Industrial Light & Magic , PIXOMONDO , RISE | Visual Effects Studios , IGene Media Solution Private Limited, Chennai , Basilic Fly Studio and Reel Security Corp. ?
“Wherever you live in the world, your first encounter with London is often on screen. Whether a director needs historical elegance, corporate glass and steel, a 40s period street, a chase through the Tube, a lush forest or dystopian urban landscape — London can provide it.”?
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries
In 2022, 106 feature productions and 90 TV dramas were filmed on location in London (1), a feat that has contributed to a wave of new visitors to the city. Notable productions include Apple TV ’s Ted Lasso, the final season of Netflix hit, The Crown and two seasons of Bridgerton. In 2019, tourists in the UK spent an estimated ￡892.6m in film-related screen tourism, much of which was focused in London (2).?
The capital offers more to the industry than its iconic locations. Now ranked the third biggest city for filmmaking in the world, the city’s film sector generated ￡10bn for the UK economy in the last five years alone (3). A hotspot for innovation and growth, London is a proponent of all businesses within its film, TV, animation, VFX and digital streaming ecosystem which is supported by organisations such as Film London , Pact and UK Screen Alliance , which contribute to building strong peer networks.?
What makes London’s film sector so successful??
London has undergone a film renaissance in the last few years, with a series of studio upgrades and new developments, such as Eastbrook Studios London in Dagenham, which is set to create an estimated 1,200 jobs and contribute ￡35m per year to the local economy (4). In 2023 the planned development of a Creative Quarter in Kentish Town was announced which will transform the area into a hub for film, creative and cultural industries (5).?
On the talent side, London is home to a wide range of universities offering a strong academic curriculum across AI, virtual production, international co-production, animation, and visual effects, including the National Film & Television School as well as StoryFutures , based at 英国伦敦大学 - 皇家霍洛威学院 .?
In addition to that, a portion of the city’s ￡19m investment into the sector went towards the support of young people to work on TV and film production (6) and the funding of projects dedicated to producing creative jobs for Londoners from underrepresented communities.?
Between 2022 and 2023, the BBC contributed ￡1.6bn to the creation of original content (7) and major global streaming platform Netflix invested almost ￡6bn in UK content over the last four years (8). Much of this investment went into supporting London’s film sector.??
In March 2024, the Chancellor also announced an additional Visual Effects Tax Relief that will make London and the UK an even more competitive location, as the changes will encourage additional ￡175m VFX work to be performed in the UK. As well, a 32% increase on the annual pre-pandemic VFX spend on film and high-end TV is expected to contribute towards 2,000 new high-tech and high productivity jobs in VFX and a further 800 indirect jobs (9).
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“Culture is the beating heart of the capital and helps make London the best city in the world. Film and TV are a huge part of London’s creative industries and we're proud to be a hotspot for the very best talent in front of and behind the camera. Our world class diverse talent is what makes London so unique and attractive to anyone wanting to bring a story to life through film.”?
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London?
Grow your film business in London?
London stands as a premier choice for companies across the film sector and its supply chain.?
On top of this, London's access to skills, tax incentives and creative space makes it a key destination for film and TV production and solidifies the city as a growth hub for international businesses in the sector. Discover all the reasons why London is the best city to grow your international business ?? https://bit.ly/4acv8nm
If you are currently exploring international expansion, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our sector advisors to receive long-term support and advice on setting up your UK entity in London ?? https://bit.ly/4a8G0m9
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