Staffordshire could soon be seen more frequently on screen thanks to the appointment of the county’s first film office manager.
Jonny Shelton has joined the We Are Staffordshire team to lead the Staffordshire Film Office after working in film and television for six years. He has previously worked for the Production Guild of Great Britain and Creative England’s Filming in England team, where he worked closely with Staffordshire County Council and other local authorities.
Daily Focus previously reported that the film office will provide a single point of contact for production company enquiries in a three-year pilot programme funded by £300,000 from Staffordshire County Council.
It will supply information on locations, local support businesses and facilities and general advice. Film companies will also have access to speeded-up application processes, avoiding the need to contact different organisations for licensing.
Jonny said: “As with all of the other work undertaken by We Are Staffordshire to date, they have put their money where their mouth is with this project, for the good of the local populous and the county as a whole – which mirrors my own ambitions.
“I am motivated by a desire to serve the public, and I love storytelling. This role is the perfect combination of both of these elements; the work of a film office helps create worlds that members of the public can suspend their disbelief within – but there are so many more benefits the sector can bring to society, and I can’t wait to begin bringing these to life.
“Staffordshire is uniquely positioned around ongoing developments in the sector too, which will further enable success, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of it.”
