Move over Hollywood and step aside London… because Manchester is fast becoming Britain’s film capital.
New figures show a huge boom in the number of films, TV shows, and adverts being shot in Greater Manchester.
UK Locations, which work with film, TV productions and photographers in the region, is being swamped with enquiries to shoot in the region. Sallie Heslop, Managing Director at UK Locations, said: “We’ve definitely seen an increase in enquiries, especially from the film industry. I believe this is partly due to the BBC moving to Manchester and the development of Media City”.
The boom has been credited to recent shoots CSL, Soreen, Perfect Homes, Aviva and Purina – all shot in or around the city at Manchester film locations.
As well as the number of film locations Manchester offers, it is also easier than London to get permissions from the City Council for such things as road closures. Joe Cairns, is a highly regarded Northern-based Location Manager (and member of the UK Locations team!) said: ” I’ve worked on films all over the country, so I know how hard it can be to get all the right permissions, especially in public places. I’ve always found Manchester a great area for finding hidden gem locations and also the Council are fair with areas and times you’re allowed to film”.
UK Locations has always known that the North and in particular Manchester is the place to be for filming – it’s brilliant that others think it too!