Lights, camera, action – cue Staffordshire the TV and movie set.
The county’s attractions have been used as a backdrop on film many times over the years – but there’s likely to be even further interest thanks to a We Are Staffordshire initiative.
The place marketing organisation is setting up the Staffordshire Film Office to showcase locations such as Cannock Chase, the Staffordshire Peak District, the canal network and distinctive town centres.
Under a three-year pilot programme funded by £300,000 from Staffordshire County Council, the office will provide a single point of contact for production company enquiries.
It will supply information on locations, local support businesses and facilities and general advice.
Film companies will have access to speeded-up application processes, avoiding the need to contact different organisations for licensing.
The aim is to raise Staffordshire’s profile on the national and international stage and enhance the county’s economy.
The Staffordshire Film Office project was officially launched at the We Are Staffordshire: A Place to Celebrate conference.
We Are Staffordshire is made up of the county and all eight district and borough councils, as well as representatives from more than 200 businesses including a private sector-led Place Board.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said: “The Staffordshire Film Office is a hugely exciting project for the county – enabling us to further showcase the fantastic places we have in the county, generate jobs and support our economic growth.”
- The film and TV production industry contributes approximately £6.3bn to the UK economy each year, and almost a third of visitors to the country are interested in going to a location seen on screen. Film tourism in England generates £140 million each year.
This is great news. Readers of the historical crime novels I have written, set in the Staffordshire Moorlands, have said they would love to see the stories filmed here in our beautiful corner of the county – and so would I! I’d therefore welcome anything that attracts film-makers here.
Using the Staffordshire edge of the Peak District as the background for a television/film drama would be an excellent showcase for the region. I’m very willing to work on a screen adaptation of my books.
I’d be glad to hear from anyone interested in my books or film proposal.
David we are a publishing company based in Stoke and interested in your books. Please make contact with me at North Staffordshire Press. Best Wishes Malcolm Henson.