Insight 37 - Magazine - Page 28
HERTFORDSHIRE FILM OFFICE:
your Partner In Film
H
ertfordshire is now the No. 1
destination in the UK for film
and TV - home to a world class
cluster of renowned studios, on a par with
Hollywood. There are currently 13 major
film studios around the capital, with all
but two either in south west Herts or west
of London.
Recent investment in the sector has
cemented the county’s reputation, with
potentially thousands of new jobs in the
pipeline. This includes the UK’s newest
state-of-the-art film and TV studio being
built at Sky Studios Elstree with 12 sound
stages and £3bn of production investment
from Sky and sister company NBC
Universal, both part of Comcast Group.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt
welcomed the announcement by Warner
Bros. Discovery that it would be pumping
significantly more investment into Warner
Bros Studios Leavesden (WBSL). In a huge
boost for the film and TV production
sector, WBSL will become the production
hub for DC Studios, increasing the total
stage count from 19 to 29 and the overall
production space from 1.14m sq. ft. to
1.78m sq. ft.
Two of the top three performers at the
UK and Ireland box office were produced
at WBSL, which is situated just outside
Watford. According to the British Film
Institute (BFI), Barbie earned £95.6m in
box office revenue, while Wonka starring
Timothée Chalamet and Olivia Colman
came in third, grossing £58.4m.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer stated in
response: “Hertfordshire is the jewel in the
crown of the British film industry. Millions of
pounds are spent on film and high-end TV
production in Hertfordshire each year and
the county’s success lies in its attractiveness
to world-renowned studios and its highly
talented workforce.”
The county has long understood the scale
of the opportunity, with Hertfordshire
Film Office (HFO) providing a ‘Mission
Possible’ approach to increasing local film
and TV production and screen tourism.
Powered by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP) with funding from
28
"Hertfordshire is the
jewel in the crown of the
British film industry.
Millions of pounds are
spent on film and highend TV production in
Hertfordshire each year"
Hertfordshire Growth Board and district
councils, HFO is testament to how local
government is working with the creative
sector to make it easier to do business
here.
HFO provides a one-stop-shop service
to support all film and TV-related
activity across the county. It positions
Hertfordshire as the premiere filming
destination of choice in the UK, offering a
bespoke concierge service to help location
managers and production companies
to quickly and conveniently source film
locations, crew, industry suppliers,
highway filming permits and more.
HFO has assisted with nearly 250
bIZ4BIZ INSIGHT MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2024
production enquiries since April 2023
and generated over £5.2m of estimated
local spend for Hertfordshire. This is all
the more staggering given the impact of
Hollywood strikes which saw spend on
UK’s film and high-end TV (HETV) reaching
over £4.23bn in 2023, 32% down on 2022,
according to the BFI.
The HFO website was officially launched at
two Creative Roadshow events which took
place at Ashridge House, Berkhamsted,
on 27 February and Knebworth Barns,
Knebworth, on 6 March. These were
aimed at ensuring places, people and
businesses are aware of the scale of the
opportunity. Companies were also invited
to apply for the Government’s Create
Growth Programme, delivered locally by
Hertfordshire LEP. This provides SMEs
already operating in the county’s booming
film and TV sector or those looking to join
its supply chain with specialist business
support to secure new commercial
opportunities, launch high-value products
or services, and get investment-ready.
Cllr Sarah Nelmes, Leader, Three
Rivers District Council, and Chair,
Hertfordshire Growth Board’s Film
and TV Steering Group, said: “Two out
of three of the biggest UK and Ireland box