Suffolk company to continue work promoting county as global filming location
Lots of productions have already filmed in Suffolk, including 'The Dig'
Last updated 23rd Feb 2023
A company which has helped to bring several high profile film and TV productions to Suffolk is to keep working in the county for at least the next five years.
Screen Suffolk has signed a new deal with local councils - it was set up in 2016 to help production companies find locations in our county.
The Dig, a film about Sutton Hoo, and TV series Magpie Murders are among success stories from the past few years.
Councillor Susie Morley, Chair of Suffolk Public Sector Leaders group and Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council said: ‘The screen industries are growing across the UK. Screen Suffolk ensures we are part of that growth, and that film productions shoot in the county, buy our film services and create opportunities for local employment and work experience.
"The more filming that we attract to Suffolk, the more the county will become a place for screen professionals to live and work. We are working hard to make Suffolk a place where the screen sector can thrive. We know Screen Suffolk is a critical part of this, along with skills development, work spaces, rail and road connections and studios.’
Prior to Screen Suffolk there were 30 filming days recorded across the county by separate local authorities.
In their first year Screen Suffolk recorded 212 days and the tally now stands at over 1000 days of filming.
Economic benefits
Jim Horsfield, Film Officer said: ‘We looked at levels of spend for productions that have visited the county, ranging from a Hollywood blockbuster to a daytime TV show, and estimated that this economic impact for Suffolk was £13,500 per day.
"This may seem like a lot, but when you take into account hotels, local equipment suppliers, crew visiting restaurants locally it quickly stacks up.
"Suffolk has benefited by £14.5m since we started."
Cllr Susan Glossop, Cabinet Member for Growth, West Suffolk Council said: “We are pleased to be working with other local authorities to continue to support Screen Suffolk. The figures show that the service Screen Suffolk provides is invaluable to the economy - offering employment, work experience and investment into filming locations across the county.
"We hope that West Suffolk continues to be seen as a desirable filming location and as a council we are happy to assist productions who wish to film in the area.”
The Power
The largest scale shoot since Screen Suffolk launched is an Amazon production The Power, which is an adaptation of the 2016 science fiction novel by Naomi Alderman. The production featured a set which was built in a field on the coast in Bawdsey, as part of a shoot that lasted 6 months, with 300 crew working at the height of the project.
As well as over 12,000 hotel nights booked by the production, countless local facilities were used, and local tradesmen and crew worked on both the build and shoot.