Filming in England
Creative England works in partnership with the British Film Commission to support film and television productions shooting outside London, and to promote England as a fantastic place to film. England offers some of the very best filming locations, crew, facilities and studios in the world – we can help your production to find and access them, and can liaise with local authorities on your behalf to ensure your shoot goes smoothly.
We’ve been working hard over the last few months to develop a new and exciting library of locations, crew, facilities and production companies in the English regions. This is a fully searchable, comprehensive listing of filming locations, crew, facilities and production companies working throughout all grades and departments within the industry outside London.
We have now launched the new service and are dealing with enquiries from production companies on a daily basis.
Use the tabs at the top of the page to find out more about filming and support in the English regions and to search for locations on our new database.
We are growing the databases all the time but there may be times where you can’t find what you are looking for. In these instances, please contact the production liaison team using the details below who can help you conduct a more extensive search.
Contact us at production@creativeengland.co.uk or on +44 (0)208 324 2311
Follow us on Twitter: @CEnglandProdn
Registering with Creative England
We still need more people to register on our database!
To register on our database you, your business or your property will need to be based in the English regions outside London.
To register yourself, or your company, on our new film crew and facilities database follow the links on the the Crew & Facilities tab above.
To register your property as a filming location follow the links on the Locations tab above.
Crew and Facilities
Searching for crew and facilities
We can assist all types of productions find crew and facilities in any area of England, outside London. Our extensive crew database is free to register on and free to use.
You can search for crew, facilities or productions companies on our comprehensive database by clicking the following link:
You will need to complete a short registration form before you can search. By supplying this information you helps us to track production across the English regions. This information is vital to help us continue to provide this free-of-charge service.
Registering with Creative England
Our register of crew, facility and production companies in the English regions is a fully searchable, comprehensive listing of crew and companies outside London. You can register online for free and can upload a cv, link to images and videos and edit your availability.
Before registering, please read our crew registration hints and tips page
We are only able to accept registrations from people or companies based in the English regions outside London who are either a professional working in the industry, a new entrant looking for their first job or own a facility or production company, and have at least one credit.
Once registered you can also amend your entry on the database. If you want to edit your existing entry please click on the link below:
Amend your crew & facilities database entry
We also run a series of networking events around the country to bring production, crew and facilities together to create more opportunities and help you to develop contacts. For more information about these events and other departmental activities sign up to our department Twitter account @CEnglandProdn
Visit our events calendar to find out about our upcoming crew and facilities events
You can also contact our Crew and Facilities Manager directly at nicky.ball@creativeengland.co.uk
To find out details of BAFTA Crew, a major new skills development and networking programme for experienced craft and technical crew working in film and television in England, visit http://tinyurl.com/bj2rhlq
Film Locations England
Searching for filming locations in England
Creative England provides a filming locations and production support service for all kinds of production looking to shoot in the English regions outside London.
Our new and exciting library of film locations in the English regions is a fully searchable, comprehensive listing of filming locations outside London. To begin searching for film locations across England, click on the link below:
If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the film locations database, the Creative England team can provide film locations support, as well as advice and expertise on filming in England, including links with regional film offices.
Contact the team directly to discuss your project and how we might be able to help using the details on the Our Team page.
Registering your English filming location with us
We want people to submit their properties as potential locations for filming. Your property could be just what filmmakers are looking for, be it a cottage or a castle, a suburban semi or stately home. We would love to hear from owners or representatives of properties that could be used as locations by filmmakers in England.
To register on our database, your property will need to be based in the English regions outside London.
Click here to read our locations hints and tips page where you will also find the link to our database to register your property.
Alternatively view the map below to sample some of the stunning filming locations found around the United Kingdom.
UK Filming locations map
Locations in England
Creative England is the dedicated support agency for the creative industries in England outside London and a British Film Institute-delegated body for the distribution of National Lottery funds for film in the English regions. The Locations and Production Services department is committed to providing a full England-wide locations and crew service.
e: production@creativeengland.co.uk
t: +44 (0) 844 824 6042
Locations in Scotland
Creative Scotland is the national agency for the arts, culture, screen and creative industries in Scotland.
e: locations@creativescotland.com
t: +44 (0)141 302 1723
Click here for website
Locations in Wales
The Wales Screen Commission is the location service for Wales offering comprehensive information and support on locations, facilities, crew and local services throughout Wales.
e: Penny@walesscreencommission.co.uk
t: +44 (0) 300 061 5634
Click here for website
Locations in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Screen is the government-backed lead agency in Northern Ireland for the film, television and digital content industry, driving global growth through boosting the economy, celebrating culture and enhancing children’s education.
e: marketing@northernirelandscreen.co.uk
t: +44 (28) 90 232444
Click here for website
Locations in London
Film London is the capital's film and media agency. They sustain, promote and develop London as a major international film-making and film cultural capital. This includes all the screen industries based in London – film, television, video, commercials and new interactive media.
e: locations@filmlondon.org.uk
t: +44 (0)20 7613 7683
Click here for website
Spotlight on filming in Brighton
Brighton & Hove City Council are in full swing with their Film City initiative to attract more filming to the area and raise awareness of their film friendly status. Click here to read more.
Studios
The UK has a highly developed studio infrastructure and a long tradition of studio production. It boasts some of the most famous sound stages in the world including Pinewood’s 007 Stage, the largest in Europe.
These studios enable England to host a large number of films at any one time. The various complexes offer a range of stage sizes and excellent support services to meet the needs of any production. The studios are conveniently located in and around major cities, with good transport links.
Specialist water tanks and underwater stages are also available.
Download a PDF of England’s major studios here:
Studios and build space in the English regions – June 2013
Contact us at production@creativeengland.co.uk or on +44 (0) 208 324 2311Follow us on Twitter: @CEnglandProdn
Film Friendly Partnerships
Creative England works with local authorities and council funded Film Offices, as well as public and private sector partners, to ensure and encourage a ‘film friendly’ welcome to every production shooting across England which allows the best possible conditions for filming in England. This means:
- A clear policy and swift practice in securing filming permissions and co-operating with production requests
- All productions receive the cooperation of the local authority and ancillary organisations whilst filming
- A commitment to sharing best practice across the region to improve the filming climate
We are embedding Film Friendly Partnerships across England, outside London with local authorities and ancillary organisations to encourage and develop a film friendly ethos across the whole country.
We are also rolling our our Film Friendly Charter, cementing our relationships with local authorities and reinforcing the signal to industry that a region understands the economic and cultural benefits filming brings and has taken steps to support filming activity.
To date the following counties and cities have signed up to the Film Friendly Charter:
- Cheshire
- Gloucestershire
- Greater Manchester
- Yorkshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Nottingham City
- Derbyshire
- Lincolnshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
More regions will be signing up in the next few months so please revisit this page to keep fully up to date
We are proud to be supported by and work with a number of national and international organisations
Key funders and supporters:
British Film Commission
British Film Institute
Dacorum Borough Council
Elstree Studios
Exemplas
Halton Borough Council
St Albans City & District Council
We are members of the following organisations:
Association of Film Commissions International
Guild of Location Managers
Production Guild
National publicly-funded filming locations and film production support organisations:
Creative Scotland
Film London - Dedicated team at Film London who can offer locations advice and support for shooting in the capital
Northern Ireland Screen
Wales Screen Commission
Key guilds and associations:
The Association of Motion Picture Sound
Directors UK
The Guild of British Camera Technicians
National Association of Screen Make-up Artists and Hairdressers
Production Managers Association
UK Screen Association
Women in Film & TV
The Writers Guild
Unions:
National organisations:
Other:
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Skillset Craft and Technical Skills Academy and Creative England have confirmed that over 200 applicants have been selected by a jury of industry professionals to join BAFTA Crew – a major new skills development and networking programme for experienced craft and technical crew working in film and television in England.
BAFTA Crew is designed to develop the film production skills and contacts of crew across England with the ultimate aim of supporting the production infrastructure and developing ‘below the line’ talent outside of the capital.
The successful BAFTA Crew participants hail from over 30 English counties, including Northumberland in the north, Cornwall in the south and Norfolk in the east, and represent craft areas including production design, camera, costume, editing, hair and make-up, production management, sound and visual effects.
The initiative includes live and online masterclasses, delivered by film industry professionals drawn from BAFTA’s highly successful pool of winners, nominees and members, at BAFTA Crew partner venues across England. BAFTA-winning and Oscar®-nominated production designer Eve Stewart (Les Misérables, The King’s Speech, Topsy-Turvy) will deliver the first live masterclass on Saturday 6 April at Cornerhouse in Manchester. BAFTA-winning producer Anita Overland (In This World, Red Riding) will give the second live masterclass on Wednesday 22 May at FACT in Liverpool. A limited number of public tickets for the live events will be available from the venues.
Anita Overland’s masterclass will also be streamed live exclusively for BAFTA Crew members. Other exclusive content for the BAFTA Crew cohort will include an online masterclass and interactive Q&A delivered by BAFTA and Oscar®-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes (Les Misérables, Prometheus), and an online CV workshop with Laurily Adams of talent agent Sara Putt Associates.
BAFTA Crew members will also be part of a network of professional peers with access to Creative England’s Production & Location Services team who crew feature, television drama and documentary productions.
Tim Hunter, Head of Learning & Events at BAFTA, said: “On behalf of BAFTA I want to thank our expert jury for identifying the inaugural ‘BAFTA Crew’. Drawn from a range of disciplines, each of the participants has proved their mettle through an incredible range of accomplishments, the diversity of which will only strengthen the network. BAFTA Crew will help participants to hone their craft, giving them access to leading talent through exclusive content as well as live masterclasses which we are delighted to be able to open to the wider public.”
Nicky Ball, National Crew & Facilities Manager at Creative England, said: “We really welcome working with BAFTA and Creative Skillset’s Craft and Technical Skills Academy to develop and upskill crew based in and working in the English regions. This initiative will provide great opportunities for them to learn from and network with fellow industry professionals.”
Sarah Trigg, Film Partnership Manager at Creative Skillset, said: “BAFTA Crew will enable us to strengthen the skills of professionals working behind the scenes in the UK film industry. The regional reach of this project will strengthen opportunities for local crew and help regions to attract productions into their areas.”
Further information on the programme, including a full list of BAFTA crew members, is available at http://bit.ly/BAFTACrew.
Tickets for the Anita Overland masterclass on 22 May will be available from FACT, Liverpool from Friday 5 April: www.fact.co.uk.
Apply for the BAFTA Crew programme
Whether you’re wondering how to take the best photos to show off your house for a filming location or want to know how to get permission to film with a replica firearm on the streets of Wakefield, our guides and FAQs below should help. We’ll be adding more in the future so keep checking back.
FAQs for productions looking to film in England
Helpful hints for photographing your property to be a filming location in England
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