Film crews have been given the green light to carrying on shooting despite lockdown – amid record demand from production companies looking to film in Scotland.
The Scottish Government confirmed cameras can keep rolling during the current restrictions as long as strict social distancing and hygiene protocols are enforced.
It comes as Screen Scotland reported a boom in demand for studio space since filming was able to resume last year, following a five months shut down.
The move is a major boost for Scotland’s screen sector, which has been valued at more than £100 million for the economy in recent years.
Filming for the next series of hit TV show Outlander is expected to go ahead as well as new Netflix rom-com, A Castle for Christmas, which is to be filmed at Dalmeny Estate, near Queensferry.
A second series of BBC Scotland’s award-winning black comedy Guilt is also set to be filmed.
Isabel Davis, executive director of Screen Scotland, said: “Scotland’s film and TV industry is working stringently to the British Film Commission’s COVID-19 codes of practice, taking its responsibilities extremely seriously to provide high levels of protection to cast, crew and communities.
“Along with the need to provide audiences around the world with new content, the film and TV sector is a critical and growing part of Scotland’s economic recovery, thanks to the rise of the streaming platforms and the boom in content production.
“Large scale productions filming offer opportunities, not only for experienced crew, facilities companies and other suppliers but also new entrants to the sector.
“The film and TV sector is an ever increasing part of the Scottish economy, supporting jobs both directly and indirectly across the country and we have more productions than ever looking to shoot in studios and build spaces across Scotland in 2021.”
New Scottish Government guidance states: “Film and TV production can continue operating at all levels and under these further restrictions, but should be done with the minimum number of people needed to operate safely and effectively and in compliance with all relevant Scottish Government and industry safe working guidance.
“Film and TV productions are expected to take all reasonable measures to adhere to physical distancing requirements.
“In line with industry guidance, only a small number of people, primarily actors in front of the camera, should be required to work at less than two metres physical distancing without PPE.”
In just the past few years, Scotland has played host to a number of award-winning blockbuster hits including Mary Queen of Scots, The Batman, Avengers: Endgame, 1917, and Netflix’s Outlaw King, as well as smaller-scale productions such as Outlander and Deadwater Fell.
Scotland’s popularity as a filming location has grown rapidly over the past decade, with figures from Creative Scotland showing spending on film and TV productions rose to almost £100 million in 2017 – up from just £23m 10 years previously.
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