Screen Scotland has outlined its six-year strategy, setting out plans for economic and creative growth within the Scottish film and TV sector through to 2030/31.
The strategy aims to increase the screen sector gross value added (GVA) impact to £1bn within the Scottish economy by 2030/31.
In 2021, the year most recently surveyed, the broad screen sector in Scotland employed 10,940 full-time equivalent workers, with an overall economic contribution to Scotland’s economy of £627.1m. As well as seeing a minimum 55% further growth in GVA in the next six years, Screen Scotland wants a parallel 55% increase in full time equivalent workers to 17,000.
Key ambitions include increasing the scale and ambition of film and TV content from Scotland; engaging with audiences in all corners of Scotland; and making sure every child in the nation has the opportunity to learn about the film and TV sectors.
Screen Scotland was established in 2018, with £20m funding per year from the Scottish government, with this figure remaining stable under the new strategy. It has directly funded 155 productions since its creation.
“We’re starting this new strategic period from a position of strength,” said Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland. “Many of our films are now enjoying international recognition through A-list festival debuts and commercial distribution. The number and scale of films and TV series shooting year-round in Scotland has rapidly increased, employing Scottish crews, locations and facilities. These tremendous results have come about through a focussed work programme, close collaboration with industry and dedicated funding.”
Scale and ambition
Screen Scotland already invests 90% of its annual budget in film and TV projects where there is a Scottish writer, director, producer or production company attached or on skills programmes for Scotland-based talent including crew. Screen Scotland-backed features include Sundance premiere The Outrun, co-written by Orkney-based writer Amy Liptrot, Scottish writer/director John Maclean’s Tornado and Aftersun from Scottish director Charlotte Wells and Edinburgh-based producer Amy Jackson.
The new strategy will continue to prioritise locally originated projects through targeted development funding, editorial support and production funding, and in training and development of Scotland-based talent.
Film production and development funding under the new strategy remains consistent at £4m. A Scotland-based producer will be required on every feature that is supported on a production award, with the strategy committing to “appropriate contributions” towards producer and writer fees within development awards. Previously, a production would be required to have a Scotland-based writer, director or producer to access production funding.
The £2m Production Growth Fund is also remaining consistent. This fund supports production companies registered in the UK and aims to draw in large scale film and TV productions to Scotland.
TV has £5m of supported through the Broadcast Content Fund and Production Growth Fund.
A new scripted short film initiative will enable the production of two or three higher-budget short films (animated or live action) of ambition from Scotland each year. Screen Scotland’s film school bursaries scheme will also be expanded to enable Scotland-based talent to attend leading international film schools, with the bursaries previously only available for the NFTS Scotland.
While Screen Scotland funding applications have functioned on a rolling basis since its inception, budgetary pressures, and broadcasters’ desire for fewer but bigger projects, may make fixed period, likely quarterly, funding rounds deemed to be more effective in some circumstances.
In the documentary space, Screen Scotland is open to investing higher sums where a documentary feature from Scotland can demonstrate exceptional need or opportunity, which may mean it supports fewer documentary films at a higher level of investment over a given period.
VFX, post-production and virtual production is another area Screen Scotland wants to see progress in the nation. Whether interactive/gaming should be considered part of the screen industries and under the remit of Screen Scotland, in line with the BFI, is under consideration.
Ongoing talent development programmes include entertainment formats initiative, FormatLab, scripted producer development programme Film FastTrack and the BBC Scotland/Screen Scotland Emerging Directors Initiative.
Supporting sustainable industries
The six-year plan wants to support crew and talent to live in Scotland in the confidence that they can have a sustainable career locally, with a year-round pipeline of both locally generated and inbound productions. Inward investment in film and TV production in Scotland increasing by 110% between 2019 and 2021, from £165.3m to £347.4m.
Screen Scotland will enhance investment in skills, including through Screen Scotland’s role as a BFI Skills Cluster, with £3m invested across three years.
Looking at the wellbeing of the freelancer workforce in Scotland is also a priority, as with its commission of Timewise and Bectu Vision to undertake a research report on flexible working in film and TV industry.
Work is also underway with trainee opportunities like on-the-job training Screen NETS and the Outlander: Blood Of My Blood trainee programme supporting new trainees right across the Cumbernauld-based production.
Audiences
A 2021 survey from the Scottish government revealed cinema is the cultural activity people in Scotland are most likely to attend.
Screen Scotland has outlined its commitment to ensure every corner of Scotland has access to cinema and a diverse range of screen content by supporting commercial operators, community owned-cinemas, touring operators, such as Regional Screen Scotland’s Screen Machine, and film clubs. The target for the end of the strategy is for at least 90% of the Scottish population to have access to a regular cinema provision within a 40 minute travel time. Screen Scotland will also continue to support Scotland’s film festivals, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Sea Change Film Festival in Tiree.
Distribution and exhibition funding equates to £3.1m. The figure includes regular funding for the likes of Glasgow Film Festival, as well as exhibition funding, film festivals funding and targeted audience development funding.
Distribution will also be a priority in audience development. Recent productions to be supported through Screen Scotland’s distribution and exhibition fund include Hopscotch Films’ Janey, Adura Onashile’s debut Girl and Bafta-nominated Is There Anybody Out There? co-produced by Glasgow-based Tigerlily Two. Under the latest strategy, the fund will refocus on support for Scottish films (films owned by and made by Scotland-based talent and companies). Scottish distributors will also be able to access support to develop their business.
Schools
The plan aims for every child and young person in Scotland to have the opportunity to make a film or programme during their school years, to encourage interest in filmmaking as a viable career.
“An area where Scotland is genuinely breaking new ground is our work developing ’film and screen’ as an arts subject in Scottish schools,” said Screen Scotland director, David Smith. “That is a long-term investment that will have benefits well beyond the screen sector and kindle creative expression in the next generation.”
To achieve this, Screen Scotland has been working with the Scottish government and its executive agency Education Scotland, plus the Scottish Qualifications Authority and screen education specialists across the nation to develop a draft curriculum, currently being tested in primary and secondary schools across Scotland.
“As we look ahead, Screen Scotland’s forward-thinking strategy charts a course for inclusive and sustainable growth, prioritising talent development and industry expansion,” said Scotland’s culture secretary Angus Robertson. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to sustaining that phenomenal growth and our aim is clear: to position Scotland as a premier production base and a thriving hub for creative talent, making it an ideal place for world-class creatives to call home.
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