00:06Film and television production in the UK continues to grow, with major investment supporting
00:12new studios, location filming and high-end productions across the country. Activity has
00:18recovered strongly after disruption in global production schedules, and spending has reached
00:23new highs in recent years. While much attention is often on London, a growing share of filming
00:29is now taking place in regional centres, bringing jobs, training opportunities and wider economic
00:35activity into local communities across the UK. Figures from the British Film Institute show
00:41UK film and high-end television spending fell in 2023, during international industrial action,
00:48before rebounding sharply in 2024 and continuing to grow in 2025. This recovery has been driven
00:55largely by inward investment from global studios and streaming platforms, supported by long-standing
01:01tax relief schemes. Alongside major infrastructure projects, such as new sound stages and studio
01:07developments in different parts of the country, production companies are also increasingly
01:11filming on location in regional cities, which are now central to many international shoots.
01:17A recent example of this wider production landscape includes the adaptation of Virginia Woolf's
01:23Night and Day, a period film based on the 1919 novel. The production, adapted by Justine Waddell
01:30and directed by Tina Garavi, features an ensemble cast including Hayley Bennett, Jack Whitehall,
01:37Jennifer Saunders and Timothy Spall. It is part of a growing number of UK-based productions that
01:42combine established literary adaptations with large-scale international financing, using both studio facilities
01:49and regional filming locations across the country.
01:53I think I discovered a theory of variable stars.
01:56You could both be amateurs, me a poet and you an astrologer.
01:59Astronomer?
01:59Yes, astronomer, sorry.
02:01I want to apply to Cambridge.
02:05Here's the cast with more on film production in the UK, and more specifically, the filming locations
02:11they're used in the north of England.
02:16Every location is incredible. It's like, you know, Newcastle just is so rich in its beauty
02:26and its incredible architecture that feels very untouched. And it's so atmospheric and beautiful.
02:35So it's just been fantastic to play in these worlds. We start at Beamish, which is extraordinary.
02:41And it's literally like going back in time.
02:45Everything should be made up here. I think they're opening some studios in Sunderland now.
02:49Honestly, the countryside is perfect, everything. There's so much that's unique about here and spectacular.
02:56The coastline is spectacular. You've got all this wild Northumberland countryside, castles galore, country houses galore.
03:07And Newcastle, which has got the most extraordinary architecture.
03:10And also using locations that, again, you feel like you haven't seen over and over again on screen.
03:15And it hasn't just been in Newcastle. We've been all over Northumberland and we've shot in some fantastic locations.
03:21And so I'm really looking forward to seeing, you know, how it looks on the big screen when the movie
03:27comes out.
03:28Alongside that growth, the industry continues to face structural pressures.
03:33Skill shortages, workforce retention and employment conditions remain key concerns for production crews and freelancers.
03:41Industry voices also highlight uncertainty over how artificial intelligence will be used in script writing, visual effects and post-production,
03:49with debate continuing over copyright and creative rights.
03:53Access to finance remains a particular challenge for independent producers, even as larger studios expand.
04:00At the same time, major new developments are progressing, including large scale studio schemes and mixed-use production sites
04:09that combine filming facilities with housing and education space.
04:13Supporters argue these projects will strengthen the UK's position as a global production hub,
04:19while others raise concerns about environmental impact, scale and disruption during construction.
04:24Policymakers say maintaining investment while addressing workforce pressures will be critical to sustaining long-term growth.
04:31I do specifically love this about filming, where the sort of sets that I've got to be on feel incredible.
04:39I think it really puts you into the world.
04:42My favourite location to film for night and day has got to be Beamish.
04:46We went to the living museum and saw all of the incredible people who work there, all in costumes too,
04:55working as SA's incredibly.
04:57And yeah, seeing all the little details that they have in the town that's all reconstructed was amazing.
05:04I find the little history nerd in me was grinning from ear to ear.
05:09Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:10Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:11Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:12Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:12Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:12Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:12Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:13Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:13Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
05:14Everyone's truth is the house they live in.
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