On Friday 9 December, Supply 2 Location opened their newest Northern dept on Merseyside. Measuring in at over 4,000 sq ft, the branch was opened by local mp the Rt. Hon. Sir George Howarth with the support of the Liverpool Film Office. This site adds to the already existing North-Western facilities.
Film AlUla - the Royal Commission for AlUla’s film agency - has partnered with the UK’s Creative Media Skills Institute to deliver a 10-day film industry bootcamp in Saudi Arabia. Launching in March 2022, the scheme will prepare 25 local trainees from AlUla to follow careers in Production and Assistant Directing as well as the Art, Locations, Costume, Make-up and Hair departments. This training programme is led by award-winning film professionals and hosted in the stunning landscape of AlUla, home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Hegra.
Twelve of the UK’s largest broadcasters have promised to create content that will educate audiences about the ongoing climate crisis. Major figures from the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky were among those committed to telling stories about the climate thanks to a pledge convened by BAFTA organisation albert. The channels and platforms controlled by signees of the Climate Content Pledge represent 70% of British film and television.
The official figures from the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit reveal that 2019 saw the highest spend ever on film and high-end television production in the UK. The record-breaking year for the UK production industry saw spend for film and high-end TV production in the UK reach 3.6 billion, a 16% increase on 2018.
Principal production has begun on Normal People, a screen adaptation of the award-winning novel by Irish writer Sally Rooney for the BBC and Hulu. The series consists of twelve, half hour long episodes and production is taking place between Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland, Dublin and Italy.
Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner campaign (below) that speaks to British youth in their own language won over the jury in both the Commercial of the Year and Best Crafted Commercial categories. Starring sporting talent such as Mo Farrah, Harry Kane, Alex Iwobi and Eden Hazard as well as musicians Skepta and Kurupt FM, the spot highlights normal Londoners dedicated to sporting success. The spot shot all around London, capturing the pace and humour of the capital.
The UK were strongly represented at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, which are often taken as early indicators of the upcoming Academy Award winners. Not only were British stars Olivia Coleman and Richard Madden in receipt of globes, but UK based productions were placed firmly in the spotlight.
Netflix’s Outlaw King, received funding from Screen Scotland. Shot entirely in Scotland, the blockbuster with a reported USD90 million budget used upwards of forty-five locations around the nation.