The UK Facilities Sector Report

A key contributor to the film & television industries and to the UK's creative economy
January 2010

The UK facilities sector is a key enabler for the creation and distribution of audiovisual content and as such is a crucial player in the UK's creative economy. Not only is it a substantial element of the UK's production sector, it is also the site of some of its most advanced technology and skills.

The UK facilities sector is world-class and award winning, and so enjoys a strong international reputation. As worldwide demand for content explodes, and the policy focus of the UK moves to territory the sector already occupies, the facilities sector has the potential to play a major role in Digital Britain.

The facilities sector covers a diverse set of businesses - including (but not limited to) Post-Production, Equipment Hire, Visual Effects & Graphics, Transmission Services, Studios, Outside Broadcast and Physical Effects - whose business prospects and growth potential are also quite diverse. It contains within it a mix of skills and understandings that are imperative to production and highly regarded around the world.

None-the-less, the sector faces challenges in keeping pace with the evolving landscape of digital creative services and in helping to shape that landscape. The facilities sector is commercially viable, and to date it has not needed government support to operate. As a result it is possibly less engaged in the policy debate in comparison to some of the key markets it serves such as film and television, which have more actively thrust themselves to the attention of government and policy makers.

This report is the first attempt to map out the size and impact of the entire facilities sector. It has been conducted for UK Screen Association, the trade association for companies operating in the facilities sector. It contains the results of a mapping exercise, along with some recommendations for the sector and for the trade associations in order to best capitalise on the opportunities presented by the future, and manage current challenges.

The full report can be viewed here.

UK Screen Facilities Sector Industry Report