Changing the landscape for Solent’s Film Industry has been a topic of discussion for some time now and it is clear from the research undertaken by an academic at Solent University there is a need for change. Compared to other regions the Solent has been underserved by those who you might expect to be investing in film & HETV, especially at a time when there is unprecedented and growing investment in the sector.
Over the next few years, the UK is likely to become one of the biggest film & HETV production bases in Europe if not the world and will likely rival Hollywood for dollars spent on production. So why is Solent’s Film Industry so unprepared for this investment opportunity and what do we need to do to address the demand for crew, services and supply side businesses over the coming years?
To try and answer some of these questions Dr Roy Hanney persuaded Solent University to invest in a series of networking events across the region. At each of these meetings, he asked the participants questions about how they could effect change and seize the opportunities coming our way. Hosted by Making Waves Film Festival in partnership with a number of local film industry organisations such as City Eye, Film New Forest, BFI NETWORK and Fareham Collage he staged six Get Networked film industry events through April and May 2022.
A wide range of representatives from Solent’s Film Industry attended the events with one hundred and seventy-four attendees participating, their occupations ranging from students, early career, mid and late career filmmakers, as well as representatives from sector organisations, alongside owners of production companies.
The report provides an outline summary of the views of those participating and sets out some key themes for further research. It also sets out a set of actions that could be taken to address the needs of the sector. Dr Hanney told us that he hopes the report will be the starting point for further discussion and with any luck, some action on the part of local government and regional business development agencies.
The report of the findings from these meetings has been published as a draft and you can read a copy HERE (download PDF).
The research was funded by Solent University through an internal Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (RIKE) award supported by Creative Network South and delivered in association with key partners including City Eye in Southampton, Film New Forest, Making Waves Film Festival in Portsmouth, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, and BFI NETWORK Southwest.
