Global TV shows ‘The Rig’ and ‘Good Omens’ are contributing to a triple-digit recovery in Scotland’s economy
WORLDWIDE TV shows such as Martin Compston’s ‘The Rig’ and David Tennant’s ‘Good Omens’ helped Scotland spend a record £617m on TV and film production.
The latest figures from industry body Screen Scotland, released today, show that money poured into films and high-end TV production has increased by 110 per cent since 2021.
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This also resulted in a 39 percent increase to 7,150 full-time jobs in the industry.
Neil Gray, Secretary of State for Welfare Economics for the Scottish Government, said: “The magnitude of the return on investment in linen production for the Scottish economy is remarkable.”
“Beyond film and television, this report also highlights how our tourism, hospitality and construction sectors have benefited from this investment through cinema tourism, catering deals and infrastructure build-outs and the supply chains that support these activities.”
The report, prepared by Saffery Champness and Nordicity on behalf of Scottish Screen, highlighted the new FirstStage Studios in Leith, which is showing Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Anansi Boys’, starring Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, and the supernatural North Sea thriller ‘The Rig’ became.
Meanwhile, the expansion of the Pyramids complex in West Lothian was home to another Prime Video series, Good Omens 2, starring Michael Sheen and Tennant as good and bad angels.
They say these studio facilities have made Scotland an even more attractive filming location and opened in time to handle the post-pandemic global production boom.
FirstStage Studios’ Bob Last said, “We are thrilled to have created a facility that helps our clients and their creatives realize ambitious visions for local and global audiences.”
“We are delighted with the relationships we have quickly established, particularly with Amazon Prime Video, which will allow us to help anchor more of this global industry and its diverse employment opportunities in Scotland and Leith.
“We would like to thank everyone who chose to make our facility their creative home and especially the crews whose hard work we see every day.”
In addition to film and television development and production, the comprehensive study analyzed the economic contribution of the film sector’s supply chain, including equipment, transportation, catering and accommodation, and the impact on film tourism.
Overall, they report that the screen sector was worth £627m to the Scottish economy in 2021, providing 10,930 full-time equivalents, up from £568m and 10,940 jobs in 2019.
Isabel Davis, Managing Director of Screen Scotland said: “The growth of all forms of production in Scotland between 2019 and 2021 is a phenomenal result.
“It shows us that public investment through Screen Scotland in infrastructure, development, production and skills development combined with attractive manufacturing incentives is the catalyst for a thriving industry.”
“Now is the time to build on these newly created jobs and growth, with a sustained funding commitment to skills development, attracting large-scale productions and a focus on developing locally produced film and television.”
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