Film & TV production contributes £30 million to Bristol's economy in 2023-24

Film and TV productions shot on location in Bristol or at The Bottle Yard Studios generated an estimated £30 million towards the local economy in the 2023-24 financial year, according to the latest annual figures from the city’s Film Office.

A total of 32 major productions were assisted by Bristol Film Office and/or The Bottle Yard Studios throughout the reporting period, of which nine were feature films and 23 were high-end TV productions. Altogether 730 filming days were supported in the studio and on location. The economic impact of this production activity was worth £30,038,739 to the Bristol economy. 582 licenses were issued by Bristol Film Office, permitting filming to take place on council-owned streets, properties and green spaces.

Image: Stephen Merchant during production of The Outlaws season 3 at St Werburghs City Farm

Why the rise?

The 2023-24 economic impact figure of £30 million is almost 50% higher than the £20.1 million recorded in 2022-23. The reason behind this increase is that this is the first time Bristol’s figures have been calculated using the new Average Local Production Spend Rate Card recently launched by Creative England’s Filming in England team. 

Previously, local authorities calculated the economic impact of their film production sectors using national average ‘spend-per-day’ figures compiled by Creative England with contribution from all national Film Offices' data. However in 2023, Creative England launched a new Local Economic Impact Toolkit devised by global film industry consultants Olsberg•SPI, “to help local authorities in England more accurately calculate and report on the average local economic impact of location filming activity in their region.” 

The Toolkit’s Average Local Production Spend Rate Card offers an improved level of precision as to how productions of certain sizes spend their budget in a location. Previous average spend figures focused primarily on location budgets. This new approach analyses total production expenditure based on where it was spent and the classification of a local authority’s location. This can be whether the production is London-adjacent, shooting in a ‘production hub’ or a ‘developing production location’. Combined with the updated methodology, this accounts for the significant increase in spend per-day figures compared to those which were used prior to 2023. 

Image: Emma Myers and Zain Iqbal as Pip and Ravi in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, credit Moonage Pictures

Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, says: “These latest figures demonstrate the vital role that Bristol Film Office, The Bottle Yard Studios and our flourishing film and TV sector continues to play in supporting our city’s local economy. We know that since the pandemic some areas of the film industry have struggled, however it’s fantastic to see that the latest television and film hits are attracted to and supported in Bristol. A huge congratulations to all those who contribute to making our local sector such a huge global hit. These figures truly demonstrate the value of their continued dedication and hard work.”

Head of Film Laura Aviles (Bristol City Council) says: “We are pleased to announce these impressive figures, our first to be calculated using Creative England’s improved methodology. Having access to the most up-to-date estimation of the annual economic impact of the productions we support is central to our ability to leverage investment and stimulate further growth for Bristol’s film industry. These new figures show that not only is the city’s film sector continuing to perform well, it is also worth more to Bristol’s economy than previously thought. 

“The fact that filming supported by the Studio and Film Office generated an estimated £30 million for Bristol’s economy in 2023-24, a strike year, is an incredible achievement. We know it has been tough for many freelancers working in different parts of the film and TV industry, particularly unscripted. But these figures underline how Bristol has continued to push forward its reputation as a trusted home for high calibre scripted productions, such as Rivals, The Outlaws and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. By supporting filming, we are creating direct benefits for the local economy and with our studio hub, supportive Film Office and skilled crew and companies, we hope to continue that momentum in the year ahead.”  

Hayley Armstrong, Head of Production Services at Creative England, says: “We’re thrilled to see Bristol making the most of the Local Economic Impact Toolkit – a first of its kind resource supporting the accurate measuring and reporting of local economic impacts to demonstrate the true value of the Film and TV sector in local communities across England. The work that Bristol Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios do is essential in ensuring Bristol continues to attract high-profile productions again and again, and we are proud that the updated Average Local Production Spend Rate Card has evidenced just how successful they have been this past year. We encourage all local authorities to embrace the Toolkit, enabling them to effectively measure and communicate the sector’s benefits, and unlock the full potential of what Film and TV can bring to their communities.

Image: Boarders filming in Bristol, credit BBC Studios 

How are the figures calculated?

A significant number of resources are required to create a film or TV production. Every film crew that works in Bristol needs accommodation, food, transportation, security and other services. A single feature or high-end TV series can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds locally, boosting the revenue of local businesses including hotels, guesthouses, cafes and restaurants, taxi and car rental services and retail stores. Securing part, or all of a shoot in Bristol results in varied levels of expenditure flowing into the local economy, with the range of spend depending on the type of project, what services and resources the project needs to access, and the budget range. 

The Average Local Production Spend Rate Card takes all these different types of spend into consideration, including Screen-Production Specific (e.g. crew’s wages and specialist suppliers of local film and TV equipment and services) as well as other categories of Business Support, Construction, Digital Services, Fashion & Beauty, Hospitality & Catering and Local Labour. It provides a frame of reference to gauge the average amount of daily expenditure that can be expected from a specific type of production, depending on the designated classification of the location and the budget range into which the project falls. This is then applied to the data of all productions supported by the Film Office and Studios teams, to calculate an overall estimated economic impact.

Titles that were active in pre-production or filming during the reporting period at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location with Film Office assistance included: upcoming romantic comedy The Road Trip (streaming from 26 December on Paramount+); upcoming feature film Bad Apples starring Saoirse Ronan; upcoming period drama adaptation The Forsyte Saga (Masterpiece PBS); upcoming Agatha Christie adaptation The Seven Dials Mystery (Netflix); Jilly Cooper’s Rivals (Disney+); series three of teen spy thriller Alex Rider (Amazon FreeVee); series four of detective drama McDonald & Dodds (ITVX); series three of Stephen Merchant’s comedy-thriller The Outlaws (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video); twisty thriller TrueLove (Channel 4); teen comedy-drama Boarders (BBC Three); and hit young adult mystery thriller A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (BBC Three). 

Image: David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham, Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, and Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara in Rivals, credit Disney+

Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli’s BBC One comedy thriller Am I Being Unreasonable and series 5 of CBBC's Enid Blyton drama Malory Towers were also filmed at the Studios (and locations outside Bristol). Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One/Masterpiece PBS) based production at the Studios whilst filming on location in England and Wales.

Additional titles filmed during the reporting period on location in Bristol with Film Office assistance included: upcoming contemporary psychological thriller The Crow Girl (Paramount+); upcoming feature film The Salt Path starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs and directed by Marianne Elliot; upcoming feature film Surviving Earth directed by Thea Gajić; Pollywood blockbuster Jatt & Juliet 3; series three of finance drama Industry (BBC One/HBO Max); and action thriller Paris Has Fallen (Amazon Prime Video).

Boosting screen tourism

As well as creating short term opportunities for local crew and specialist companies, plus knock on spending in wider business sectors, film and TV shows made in a city have been proven to have a positive longer-term impact on tourism and the visitor economy. Iconic locations featured in popular productions become film tourism attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. Rising numbers of Bristol venues, charities and businesses are working with Bristol Film Office to be introduced to productions as potential filming locations. Being hired for filming helps venues, businesses and community spaces create valuable new revenue streams, whilst in the longer term it leads to an increase in footfall after a TV show or film’s release. Recent examples include Aerospace Bristol, which featured in Rivals (Disney+), St Werburgh’s Farm, which featured in series three of The Outlaws (BBC One/Amazon Prime Video), and The Georgian House, featured in Sanditon (ITVX). 

Image: Aerospace Bristol