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Northern star
FUNDING FUTURES: For those who think that life really is grim up North, funding agency Screen Yorkshire begs to differ and is on a mission to inspire, promote and support the development of the region's production industry. Martin Buxton reports. One of nine regional screen agencies in England, Screen Yorkshire has the seemingly complicated task of spanning cultural, economic and social objectives, all under the banner of filmed entertainment. Covering the Yorkshire and Humber regions, it has managed to fulfil its mission by forming partnerships with other regional organisations, such as development agency Yorkshire Forward, and working alongside local film and television producers, broadcasters, games developers, museums and other cultural organisations.  Screen Yorkshire was set up as a four-year, £10.2m (US$16.5m) project in 2006, following a review of the infrastructure of the UK's film and TV production industry. This led to the UK Film Council creating one regional screen agency for each of the nine English regions, each with a remit to deliver support for filmmaking, exhibition and related media activities.The agencies are: Screen East (East of England), EM Media (East Midlands), Film London (Greater London), Northern Film and Media (North-East England), North-West Vision, Screen South (South-East England), South-West Screen, Screen West Midlands and, of course, Screen Yorkshire. While each agency has interpreted the brief from the UK Film Council in its own way, Screen Yorkshire works to grow the economic, social and cultural wealth of its region, by being a one-stop shop for supporting the development of the film and television industry. Screen Yorkshire has a number of funds that individuals or businesses can access, with each having specific target areas set by its major funders, Yorkshire Forward and the UK Film Council. Most of the money comes from either National Lottery money or the UK taxpayer, meaning there are criteria that have to be met when considering projects. "We invest in content, we invest in training, we run networking events and we do standard film commissioning services. We source location, and we source crew," explains Screen Yorkshire's head of communications, Andrew Craske (above). "We also liaise with the local authorities, so any body that wants to film in Yorkshire or Humber, we can support in that way too. "Whether we fund a production or not, we'll always support anyone who wants to film in Yorkshire in anyway possible, to make sure they have the best experience of working in the region." Craske believes that if a producer has a smooth filming experience, they are likely to come back and film again – meaning growth for the region as a whole. "We get different strands of money for different things," he says. "We cover the cultural side, which is done through Film Council money – things like festivals, independent cinemas and education – whereas the money we get from the development agency is more for the economic side of our remit. So that's about creating jobs, inward investment and the economy of the region." In television, there are two major areas of finance. The first is development funding for companies based in the region that need help getting a commission. Each year, Screen Yorkshire invests a total of around £500,000 in 20 to 30 development projects, which tend to involve relatively small pots of money, up to about £50,000. "Here we support them in getting a commission across different genres. We look at what the projects are and ask if they are going to be successful," says Craske. "We also ask are they going to create jobs? Are they going to bring good investment? Are they going to raise the profile of the region? "We can take more of a risk with that because it's not much money, and in terms of development we're not expecting them to create hundreds of jobs."  However, the higher-profile strand of TV financial support is the production fund, which is across film, television and games, but mainly television and film. "This fund is around £1.2m a year," says Craske, "although this year it is about £750,000 because we're in the last year of the contract, but we are applying for another one. The fund is usually spread between five and 10 major projects."While it is preferable that companies applying for funding are based within the region, Screen Yorkshire is willing to consider any project that is filmed locally, even international producers that are willing to set up a production base in the region. "Here we're looking for jobs, investment and profile," says Craske. "The companies applying don't have to be based in Yorkshire. What we're bothered about is where they are spending the money and how many jobs they are creating in the region." One of the main criteria any company applying for a slice of the production fund needs to be aware of is that their project must already be commissioned and they will need to spend a set amount within the Yorkshire and Humber region – at least five times what Screen Yorkshire has invested. As an example, the maximum Screen Yorkshire will put into a project is £250,000, meaning a regional spend of £1.25m would be expected. The agency also works to ensure that as many people as possible working on the project are from Yorkshire. "We usually look for 50% to 60%," says Craske. "The good thing is that Yorkshire does have a solid history of drama production, through ITV Yorkshire, which means we have a strong crew base. So it's normally not a problem for producers, as they know they can get quality here." The main focus of the production fund over the past few years has been TV drama, with recent noteworthy titles such as the Red Riding trilogy (above) and Wuthering Heights. "It does also fund films and games," says Craske, "but the main focus has been drama production, because it employs more people and shoots for longer, meaning more money is spent. This leads to a more sustainable production base in the region, which is what we're ultimately aiming for." Martin Buxton 10 Nov 2009 © C21 Media 2009 
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