Bristol’s film and TV industry generated £140.3m for the city’s economy last year and employed around 3,700 people, new research underlining its importance has revealed.
The sector – the third largest in Britain – was also responsible for a further £17.7m of inward investment to the city, according to the in-depth analysis by UWE Bristol. 
Called Go West! Bristol’s Film and Television Industries, the research was conducted by Prof Andrew Spicer and Dr Steve Presence, pictured, and was launched at the West of England Royal Television Society awards ceremony at the Bristol Old Vic last Sunday.
The report also highlights challenges for Bristol’s film and TV sector, including the need for greater diversity.
Research lead Prof Spicer said: “Bristol is the third largest film and television cluster in Britain and this report, the first analysis of its kind, shows that it consists of far more than the BBC and Aardman Animations, important though they are.
“We found that a further 131 film and television companies – mostly micro enterprises and small SMEs – exist in the region, and together comprise six core specialist sub-clusters: natural history, animation, post-production, factual, corporate and facilities.”
The BBC does not provide figures for its spending so its contribution is unknown. The sector employs around 3,700 people; around 1,000 at BBC Bristol; 1,200 at independent companies and a further 1,500 freelancers.
Dr Presence said: “We describe the evolution of the film and television industries in Bristol, why they are located there and the various ways in which they compete but also cooperate in order to ensure that talent is attracted into the region rather than always gravitating to London.
“Natural history and animation remain Bristol’s principal strengths in terms of turnover and jobs, though a significant proportion of revenue is now generated by companies producing factual programmes.”
The report also identified a number of challenges that Bristol will face if it is to continue as an important film and television centre.
Because UK film and television industries remain centred in London and the South East it is difficult for Bristol-based firms, particularly smaller companies with fewer staff and resources, to develop relationships with programme commissioners who are located in the capital. There was also a need for greater diversity and to attract more drama productions to the region and grow regional drama companies.
Dr Presence said: “Although Bristol is an attractive city we found that there are problems created through the increasing cost of living – especially house prices and rents – transport and congestion, and with the digital infrastructure. There is increasing competition in some sectors and the need for a unifying voice to represent Bristol’s film and television companies and freelancers.”
The report is part of a major strand of research within UWE’s Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education.
Professor Spicer and Dr Presence are developing a broader project to establish the bigger picture across other nations and regions in the UK as well as a number of more detailed studies of the film and television industries in the South West.
Bristol Business News’ sister title Creative Business News will feature a report on the West of England’s film and TV sector in its e-bulletin next week.
