Adding Value Vol. 2 A report by Northern Ireland Screen boosting our celebrating our enhancing our children's economy culture education 08 Large-Scale Production 78 New Talent 122 Creative Learning Centres 38 Television Drama 82 CCG 126 Moving Image Arts 44 Independent Film 86 ILBF 128 Into Film 50 Factual / Entertainment 94 USBF Television 100 Film Culture 56 Animation 110 Film Heritage & 62 Gaming & Interactive Digital Film Archive 70 Skills Development 114 Award Wins & Training & Nominations Introduction Northern Ireland Screen is the screen agency for The strategy is designed to support about the performance indicators – Northern Ireland committed the delivery of 3 strategic aims: which are reported elsewhere to our to maximising the economic, government funders – and more about cultural and educational value ● To take the Northern Ireland screen seeking to illustrate the everyday value industry towards its target to be that the screen industries deliver. of the screen industries for the the strongest in the UK and Ireland benefit of Northern Ireland. outside of London within 10 years; The central theme of Opening Doors is to create opportunities across the ● To support vibrant and diverse full range of the screen industries, cultural voices that will be culture and education and by doing so This goal is pursued through our mission recognised and celebrated ensure that opportunities are open to to accelerate the development of a equally at home and abroad; the widest possible range of people. dynamic and sustainable screen industry and culture in Northern Ireland. ● To continue to grow the most This report – the 2nd of its type – seeks successful and universally accessed to celebrate the spectacular range of Launched by the then Enterprise, Trade screen and digital technologies opportunities, jobs and experiences & Investment Minister Arlene Foster and education provision in Europe. pursued within and supported by the Northern Ireland Screen’s Chairwoman screen industry in Northern Ireland, Rotha Johnston, Opening Doors is our Over half-way through this latest and offer an insight into what growing latest strategy for the 4 years 2014–18. strategy, we are in line with the the screen industry in Northern performance indicators set for it. Ireland really means for the broad However, this Value Report is less range of individuals involved. 04 _ ADDING VALUE ADDING VALUE _ 05 Northern Ireland Screen has a clearly defined economic strategy designed to make the screen industries here robust In recent years the local animation sector and is expected to show the following has benefitted from increased support final performance at the end of and sustainable. Our investment and local productions have garnered a March 2018: in production, skills and training string of awards. ensures our industry continues Total investment by The increasing importance of the games Northern Ireland Screen – to grow – delivering jobs and industry is beginning to see results locally guaranteeing value for money. and a cluster of companies is delivering exciting content. £42,800,000 Total expenditure on Northern Ireland Investment in major film and television The Northern Ireland Screen Fund is goods and services – productions not only raises the profile both a development investment fund of Northern Ireland on the international and a production investment fund and is stage but also leads to the creation Northern Ireland Screen’s primary tool £250,750,000 of hundreds of skilled jobs. In recent in accelerating the development of the 2,800 direct full-time equivalent job boosting our years the skills base of local crews and screen production sector. It is targeted years valued at technicians has rapidly expanded with at the following sectoral priorities: the location here of major international productions. 1 Large-Scale Production £107,822,500 2 Television Drama economy In the factual genre, our funding of documentaries has delivered 3 Independent Film international success for local 4 Factual/Entertainment Television companies and our investment in short 5 Animation film is helping the next generation of filmmakers to boost their credentials. 6 Gaming & Interactive 06 _ ADDING VALUE ADDING VALUE _ 07 Large-Scale Production Attracting international productions for the benefit of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland has been extremely successful Universal Pictures returned for the second time in attracting large-scale film and television to film Dracula Untold; Fox UK brought Morgan production in recent years. while Mica Entertainment and Brad Pitt’s Plan B filmed Lost City of Z. However, underpinning ● Large-scale consistently delivers the highest all of that production and a key reason for the monetary returns within the screen industry; continued growth of the screen industry is the return year on year of Game of Thrones. ● It provides job opportunities for crew and helps develop careers; ● Productions of size and scale take on trainees and run apprenticeship programmes which help with skills development. Large-scale consistently delivers the highest monetary returns within the screen industry 08 _ ADDING VALUE ADDING VALUE _ 09 Showcase Crew members have advanced up the career Game of Thrones ladder and trainees have been taken on as permanent crew with The local, national and international The series has catapulted Northern Ireland into the full-time contracts significance of this production cannot premier league of global production locations, such be underestimated in terms of sector has been its positive impact on our reputation. development in Northern Ireland and as a catalyst for ancillary businesses. The monetary value alone is significant: The production continues to employ large This type of project is also the most effective numbers of local crew and remains unsurpassed in the development of centres of expertise and Year Project Production funding from Expenditure on goods & services in terms of its impact on skills development. in this case study we are highlighting several Northern Ireland Screen into Northern Ireland economy departments which have grown in size and Crew members have advanced up the career strength over the years that Game of Thrones has 2010–11 GAME OF THRONES pilot & series 1 £3.2 million £21.2 million ladder and trainees have been taken on as been filming in Northern Ireland and, importantly, permanent crew with full-time contracts. has advanced the careers of NI resident crew. 2011–12 GAME OF THRONES series 2 £2.85 million £21.8 million 2012–13 GAME OF THRONES series 3 £3.2 million £22.5 million Returning TV series allow for this kind of In the previous Value Report we highlighted development which individual feature films or various crew from across many different 2013–14 GAME OF THRONES series 4 £1.6 million £23.2 million television productions do not; by sheer dint departments; this time around we have chosen 2014–15 GAME OF THRONES series 5 £1.6 million £26.3 million of it coming back on an annual basis, gradual a few different departments and examined them professionalization and sustainability in the in more detail. We would love to have included 2015–16 GAME OF THRONES series 6 £1.3 million £31 million Northern Ireland sector are brought about. every single department, but just don’t have the 2016–17 GAME OF THRONES series 7 £1.1 million £20 million (estimate) page space. Instead we take a more in-depth look It is now well known in Northern Ireland that at four departments: Construction, Production, TOTALS £14.85 million £166 million (estimate) several filming units run simultaneously across Locations and Armoury and at some of the the region and as other overseas locations come talented people working in Northern Ireland on, at least one unit remains as a constant here. who bring this show to life. The series has catapulted Northern Ireland into the premier £ M league of global production 166 locations Estimated amount spent on goods and services in Northern Ireland since the © HBO pilot to end of S7 10 _ ADDING VALUE © HBO ADDING VALUE _ 11 CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT The Construction Department of Game ● Plasterers who, by moulding, squeezing, casting of Thrones is a company of highly skilled and refining, can make a tree whose eyes weep workers and craftspeople, mainly self blood and create sculptures which would not employed, making the most remarkable sets look out of place in the Palace of Versailles. across many locations in several countries for the biggest show in the world. ● A core team of stagehands is often on set at 5 o’clock in the morning. They load and ● Joiners and carpenters study blueprints and unload, scurrying and ferrying, in forklifts designs; wood is measured and cut and sawed and lorries, to ensure all stages are ready for and chiselled and glued and nailed; there are shooting when cast and crew arrive. butt joints and halving, mortice and tenon, dovetail and box and huge wooden frames ● Riggers, their safety harnesses jangling as they for sets which will eventually become the walk, become serious in their hard and often Tom returned to Northern Ireland in 2009 to work be impossible without his right hand, Assistant Red Keep and Cersei’s bedchamber and complicated work needing to ensure their own © HBO initially on Your Highness, during which time he Construction Manager and close friend, Danny Dragonstone, and one of the most beautiful safety, as well as that of others, as they start Tom Martin formed his own company, Acapple, before being O’Regan. During pre-production Tom and Danny then ships to be built in Belfast for a very long time, Construction to install and assemble the scaffolding, cables asked by Mark Huffam with whom he had worked on begin to assemble their crew: carpenters, plasterers, all constructed here in a matter of weeks. and ropes needed for the set construction. © HBO Manager Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, to provide a budget for the painters, riggers, modellers, metalworkers, sculptors, The chief legacy for the pilot of Game of Thrones, due to shoot in Northern stonemasons, scenic artists and other specialised Northern Ireland screen Ireland that Autumn.