The Pros and Cons of TV and Film Production in Glasgow

Film ProductionGlasgow has recently been the location for movies such as Cloud Atlas, Fast and Furious 6, and World War Z. It is also the production base for the major new American sci-fi TV series Outlander. The city has long been a favorite for British TV and film companies. So what is it about Glasgow that makes it such an attractive location, not just for producers and directors in Britain but around the world? What are the pros and cons of filming in Glasgow? If you’re involved in making a TV series or film, then perhaps Glasgow could have something to offer your own production.

Glasgow is a city with great character. On one hand, it’s a very charismatic city, exciting, artistic, confident. It’s noted for its welcoming nature, its friendly citizens and seen as a city of culture, a city of sport. It hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2014. At the same time, Glasgow still has problems associated with its past. Poverty, alcohol and violence to name but three. However, it’s this mix of ‘grit and glamour’ which, for many, just adds to Glasgow’s overall sense of attraction.

What makes Glasgow a rarity within the UK is that its city centre streets are laid out in a grid system much like many cities in the US such as New York and Chicago. When Cloud Atlas was being filmed in the city, Glasgow did an admirable impersonation of San Francisco whilst for World War Z, it became a very convincing Philadelphia. It became Gotham City for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. It’s not just Glasgow’s streets which can be dressed up as other places, but its ornate, art deco buildings. The City’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery has stood in for New York’s Grand Central Station. Its City Chambers, or town hall, has been both the Vatican and the Kremlin.

One of the main reasons film companies come to Glasgow to shoot scenes set in other major cities is that it’s cost-effective. The UK government has recently introduced tax relief for ‘creative industries’, including the video gaming industry, in the hope that this may help boost the British economy. This means you can generally claim up to 25% back of your costs for films which have a budget of under £20 million (around $30 million dollars). Similarly, you can get a cash rebate of up to 20% for films costing over this amount. Over 1000 films in the UK have already taken advantage of existing ‘tax credits’ in the last five years.

One other reason many TV and film producers find Glasgow appealing is because the city authorities appear to be very willing to co-operate with the logistics of any production. TV and film are seen as a potentially lucrative income for the city and the local authorities are therefore willing to be sympathetic to most TV or film studio’s demands. This includes shutting off major city streets, which as many directors and producers will know, is an increasingly difficult thing to go elsewhere. TV and film funding is also possible through different organisations in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland.

As well as being able to impersonate other cities, Glasgow has been the location, as itself, for every kind of TV show you can imagine. From dramas to sit-coms, sci-fi to cop shows. Many producers and directors feel Glasgow’s own history, character and reputation, good and bad, can add something to a production. Glasgow has another great bonus when it comes to locations. From the heart of the busy city centre streets, you can be in the beautiful Scottish countryside within half an hour. The Highlands and islands of Scotland are also only a short distance away.

The downside to Glasgow is that it hasn’t any major film studio facilities. This was cited as one of the main reasons Games of Thrones chose Belfast over Glasgow as their main location base, with the Irish city having the impressive Titanic Film Studios. Likewise, although Glasgow was a cost-effective stand-in for San Francisco, production for Cloud Atlas was still based at Studio Baselburg in Germany.

Plans for a major studio to be built in Glasgow are being discussed, though these ‘plans’ seem to have been ongoing for a number of years. With the latest tax breaks for film companies being introduced, however, it’s possible plans for a major film studio could finally become a reality. Glasgow does have some smaller studio space and film production facilities such as Film City Glasgow in the Govan area of the city.

Although shooting in Glasgow can be cost-effective, it still has tough competition, purely in terms of overall costs, from many places in Eastern Europe such as Hungary and Romania. It’s worth noting as well, that the producers of the TV series Outlander are building a brand new studio and production base near Glasgow. It’s significant that, even when doing this, Glasgow still remains an economically viable location for them.

One other potentially negative factor to take into account is the Scottish weather. It invariably rains in Glasgow and the weather in this part of the UK is notoriously unpredictable at the best of times.

Although there’s a lack of major studio space, Glasgow has no such problems with TV production facilities. It has everything in place for TV production and post-production. Glasgow is the media capital of Scotland and has a number of excellent media/TV production companies. It also has specialised media centres such as the digital media quarter at Pacific Quay. There are numerous casting agencies within the city. This means it’s easier to access the depth of acting talent which resides within Glasgow. In addition, there is a good supply of quality supporting artists as well as experienced technicians and film crew personnel being available.

In terms of travel, Glasgow is very well connected. It has direct flights to New York, Orlando and Philadephia in the US as well as Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. It also has flights to mainland Europe and frequent flights to all the major airports in London which includes a shuttle service.

Overall, regardless of how big or small your budget may be, Glasgow certainly is worth considering as a location or base for your TV or film production. Whether you’re in the UK, Europe, the US or elsewhere in the world, Glasgow can be a city which has everything you need as well as potentially giving something a little bit extra for your next TV or film project.

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