Film & TV Studios - Spotlight on London & the South East
Supply and demand imbalance for high-quality facilities creates opportunity for developers and investors as the industry continues to expand.
5 minutes to read
Greater London and the South East region has proven itself to be the key centre point for UK produced film & high-end TV content. With the UK’s film and high-end TV production landscape reaching record levels, growth in both domestic and international streaming markets over the past five years has led to greater than ever demand for studio space in and around the capital.
London is well-positioned, both from a cultural and geographical standpoint, to capitalise on the growing international demand for new UK produced content. Along with being one of the most multi-cultural, English-speaking cities in the world, the city is home to world-class film studios which present a significant draw for production companies looking for an English-speaking base for filming. This also creates a large appeal to the international talent base.
Of the 6 million sq ft of filming stage space that the UK benefits from (units >5,000 sq ft), 60% is situated inside the M25 and the wider South East region, specifically 39% in the South East region and 21% in London.
In terms of the number of studios across the UK, London accounts for 37%, with 26% in the South East, pointing to a greater share of the newer, large-scale, production facilities situated outside the M25 and which benefit from additional land for unit vehicles, staff parking facilities and space for exterior sets in the backlot.
There are relatively few studios in the UK that are of this scale, the most notable being Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, where Star Wars and Marvel films are based, and Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden. These are the only two studios in the region that are greater than 500,000 sq ft in size. Facilities at Warner Brothers Studios include 350,000 sq ft of sound stages, a 100-acre backlot, workshops and offices, while Pinewood Studios, home to the legendary 007 Stage, has a further 23 stages, three TV studios, a unique permanently-filled Underwater Stage, backlot, and production office and workshop space.
TV studio supply/demand imbalance
Strong demand coupled with the shortage of existing space has triggered a wave of plans and proposals for new purpose-built and temporary studio space, particularly in London and the South East, though some developments are yet to secure funding and may not materialise due to high development costs and planning obstacles.
Some of the largest new developments under way in the region include 18 stages at Shinfield Studios, Reading, with additional workshop and office space. Phase 1, incorporating four stages, is now open and the development is due for completion in 2023. At the new Sky Studios Elstree, 13 stages are under construction and the studio is set to open later this year.
At Pinewood Shepperton, 14 new sound stages totalling 465,000 sq ft are under construction. Netflix plans to double the size of its production base at Shepperton Studios, while Amazon Prime recently agreed a long lease (over 10-years) on 450,000 sq ft across nine sound stages, workshops and offices at Shepperton Studios.
Warner Brothers are also planning their expansion at Leavesden, Hertfordshire, home to the filming of Harry Potter, Fast & Furious, Spider-Man and Fantastic Beasts. Currently a 200-acre studio, Warner Brothers have been filming on the site since 2012 and their plans for the site include the construction of 11 additional sound stages, four production buildings, three workshops, a backlot used for outdoor filming and a multi-storey car park.
Argent Related and Barnet council signed Troubadour Theatres Group on a three-year lease for a studio in the former Toys ‘R’ Us at Brent Cross Town in London, which will be refurbished and fitted with a temporary state-of-the-art film and TV studio to be called “Brent Cross Studios”. The studio will also feature a skills academy; this is a much-needed development given the existing pressure point in the industry that is the rising shortage of skilled crew available to meet growing industry demand.
Stage Fifty signed a long-term lease with Frasers Property UK at Winnersh Triangle Business Park, Thames Valley in Reading. The studio site includes over 120,000 sq ft across six sound stages, 25,000 sq ft of offices, and 50,000 sq ft of workshops. It will also include the world’s largest fully encapsulated virtual production (VP) stage later this year. Stage Fifty estimated that this scheme will create about 500 new jobs in the UK film and production sector and support a further 500 indirect jobs. This represents Stage Fifty’s second production studio, with its first in Farnborough, Hampshire, which opened in 2021. Stage Fifty recently announced a third studio site - Wycombe Film Studios – a phased build comprising eight sound stages planned over 18 months. Temporary planning has been approved for one stage and workshops, with planning permission to create a long-term permanent studio expected in the coming months.
Demountable/temporary space can be built in as little as four months and is a more economical and sustainable way to build than converting or repurposing an existing building, as much of the construction materials are reusable. Stage Fifty estimates that the studio will create about 750 full-time direct jobs and support 450 indirect jobs.
At Bray Studios, Berkshire, where recent films such as Dracula, Rocketman and Mamma Mia 2 were filmed, expansion planning for new sound stages has been approved. The studio has already seen recent refurbishment of existing sound stages and the provision of new stages, associated workshops, and production support buildings.
Repurposing space
While some of these developments are underway, the current demand/supply imbalance in London and the South East, means that companies are looking at warehouses that could offer the potential for conversion. Garden Studios, Park Royal, opened in 2021 as a 27,000 sq ft studio built out of existing warehouses. It is now expanding further with the opening of “The Lily Campus” from October 2022, providing serviced production offices on 1.3 acres of land, including 180 new parking spaces. Its existing campus, “The Townsend Campus” will also be expanding to include a dedicated costume and hair and makeup unit.
Growth in international streaming markets coupled with the clustering effect in London and the South East means that the region is likely to persist as the dominant location for production in the UK. This will result in continued pressure for facilities in the region and offers significant opportunity for investors and developers who can bring high-quality, well-located developments of temporary stage space, purpose-built production facilities and warehouse conversions to the region.
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