It has been announced that the writers of Game of thrones will end the programme after season 8. This has left many fans heartbroken knowing that there are just 2 seasons left and the 7th that is currently in production, is going to be shorter! It isn’t just the fans that are upset though, as HBO have expressed that they aren’t too happy about it and would love to have seen 10 seasons.
Northern Ireland’s TV industry definitely won’t be too happy about it either. Northern Ireland Screen invested £13.75m into the first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones to return a massive £146m in services and tourism for the local economy.
However, the legacy that Game of Thrones leaves (and any potential spin off series) will mean that Northern Ireland can continue to reap these benefits. The show is filmed at Belfast Titanic Studios whilst further studios are being built on the North Foreshore of Belfast harbour. Game of Thrones will also leave behind expertise with post-production companies, casting, extras, catering, lighting and construction companies.
Take the success of Harry Potter as a perfect example. It is said that over the years Harry Potter was being filmed and released, it generated £1.9bn investment into the UK economy. The films also created 3000 to 4000 jobs! This investment was helped by generous UK tax reliefs for the film industry that total around £100m a year.
What followed the movies was the Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire becoming open to the public after a £150m redevelopment for the making of Harry Potter tour. The tour has created 300 jobs and continues to bring investment into the local economy, particularly the hospitality sector.
The studios itself continues to attract world renown productions such as the Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes, Inception, Paddington, Pan and more recently The legend of Tarzan and Jason Bourne.
Pinewood, also based in the UK also attracts its fair share of the world’s most profitable productions, with added benefits of having the only studio in the world with a permanent underwater filming stage. When producing Star Wars, direct production staff alone reached 258 and this ready supply of skilled staff was one of the key reasons for shooting in the UK. According to company accounts, production of the next Star Wars film should bring an economic impact of £150 million to the UK.
Visitor numbers to Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean doubled with hotels and B&B’s unable to cope with the demand, as Star Wars fans flocked to the location for an authentic experience. Wye Valley and the Forest of dean have launched a guide to filming locations in the area for fans, which is said to bring £50m to an area that finds it hard to create jobs over the next 5 years.
Screen tourism alone is said to be worth £140 million to the UK economy. Creative England have funded the British Film Institute to help find locations for film companies and in 2015, supported more than 1,100 projects. As a result, production companies spent almost £100m in local economies outside of London.
Unfortunately, the Midlands hasn’t really attracted this sort of attention with the BBC relocating the majority of its services to Manchester and London over the years. However, the BBC Drama Village based in Selly Oak still remains and the Peaky Blinders have also contributed by attracting visitors to the Black Country Museum and other tours. With the Midlands ever growing Creative sector and the talent that comes with it, production companies should be considering the Midlands as a future hotspot.
As creative industry accountants, we can offer creative businesses a fixed fee and advice on tax reliefs, payroll, cash flow management, project management and much more to really add value to your business. Feel free to give us a call on 0121 559 1071 or drop us an email at partners@ergrove.co.uk and we can set you up with one of our directors for a chat.
