Edinburgh is already renowned for its castle and enchanting architecture, so it comes as no surprise that the capital has started to flourish in the lucrative arena of filmmaking.
Edinburgh has featured in the Avengers, Fast and Furious, Eurovision, two Princess Switch films and will be the filming spot for new Amazon show The Rig.
Euan Jennings, the owner of an up-and-coming film production company, Z9 Films, believes Edinburgh is “on the map for being the next big filming location”.
“With one new state of the art studio in Leith and a second earmarked for being build outside the city, we are now well and truly on the map for being the next big filming location and that has shown itself with the huge overseas productions that have come to the city.”
He added: “We narrowly missed out on the new Lord of The Rings TV show being made here and Netflix’s Canada Studio that has made multiple originals was almost built here too.
“We have been on the map for a while but are finally gaining momentum.”
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Z9 Films Edinburgh
Euan’s company Z9 Films was set up in Edinburgh in 2020 with a goal of providing businesses with affordable bespoke video production while also giving back to the creative industries.
Euan discussed their future filming plans in Edinburgh: “We want to provide work for aspiring editors, costume designers, writers, directors, camera operators, everyone that is involved in film work so they can have valid experience and credits to show to potential employers.
“We work mostly on promotional, corporate and aerial videography, but dedicate time every week to short films so that we will be able to provide this experience when smaller scale filming is back up and running.
“We currently work with a range of clients from lawyers through to food and beverage companies and we want to provide affordable, high quality work to as many small businesses as we can.
He added: “We hope that our future is very bright, we are currently working on four short films that are in the pre-production stage that once lockdown lifts, we will be creating a crew for each and casting the talent, with filming to take place in and around Edinburgh.
“We are also celebrating the launch of our website and running promotions for reduced production fees across the board to help small businesses promote their brand and gain the traction that video content can.”
Why is Edinburgh a popular filming spot?
Euan believes the main reason for Edinburgh’s popularity is its location: “We are a stone’s throw from almost any type of environment you can think of.
“We have almost tropical beaches on the west coast, rugged mountains in the highlands, rolling hills in the borders, beautiful cities in all directions, stunning forests all of varieties all around and a plethora of islands each with a distinct look.”
Euan added that in the time it would take filming crew to get out of the city in London and LA, you can travel to a completely different environment outside of Edinburgh that could “truly be anywhere in the world”.
Edinburgh has other advantages for big filming companies for example its cost: “As the cost for filming in locations such as LA, New York and London only seem to increase and increase, Edinburgh and Glasgow are quickly becoming the go to choice.”
Where are the best locations in the city to film?
Edinburgh has many areas that can be easily tweaked to pass as Victorian era streets and even some spots that could be transformed to look like medieval towns.
“The beautiful symmetry and stonework in the older streets provide incredible backdrops for any type of scene.
“The countless parks around the city are ideal for a range of productions and the stunning high points such as Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat, Salsbury Crags all can be filmed from multiple angles to give different viewpoints,” Euan said.
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