Nordicity and Saffery Champness were commissioned by Screen Scotland to prepare an economic impact study to assess the value of the screen sector in Scotland. The report shows substantial growth across all production domains, especially in inward investment for film and High-End TV (HETV) production.
Key Findings:
- Inward Investment in film and HETV production surged by 110%, from £165.3 million in 2019 to £347.4 million in 2021.
- Overall production spending in Scotland grew by 55%. In 2021, an estimated £617.4 million was spent in Scotland on the production of films, TV shows, and other audiovisual content, as compared to £398.6 million in 2019. This included content generated by Scotland-based producers, as well as producers based outside of Scotland.
- The employment impact of Scotland's production sub-sector increased by 39% (including direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts). Full-time equivalent jobs (FTEs) increased from 5,120 FTEs in 2019 to 7,150 FTEs in 2021.
- The employment impact spanning Scotland's entire screen sector rose by 5.6%, from 10,280 FTEs in 2019 to 10,940 FTEs in 2021. Notably, the observed declines in employment in the cinema exhibition and film festival, and screen tourism sub-sectors in 2021 were largely attributed to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Collectively, Scotland's screen sector generated a Gross Value Added (GVA) of £627 million to Scotland’s economy in 2021 up 9.7% from £568 million in 2019.
Dustin Chodorowicz, Partner at Nordicity, noted that: “Scotland’s screen sector, and its film and TV production sub-sector in particular, was a key driver of Scotland’s economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. On a like-for-like basis (excluding screen sub-sectors not measured in 2019), Scotland’s screen sector GVA rose by 9.7% between 2019 and 2021. That was well ahead of the 1.2% increase in nominal GVA (i.e. not adjusted for the effects of price inflation) posted by Scotland’s overall economy during that period.”
In addition to film and TV development and production, the study explores the economic contributions of the entire screen sector value chain. This encompasses animation, VFX, post-production, film and TV distribution, TV broadcasting, and film exhibition and festivals. The study also delves into the services provided at each stage of content creation. This includes facilities, equipment, transport, catering, and accommodation. Lastly, it examines the broader economic impacts generated by the screen sector within the Scottish economy, including the impacts on tourism, educational and training, and infrastructure-development sectors.
For more detailed insights, the full report is available for reference.
About Nordicity:
Nordicity, an international consulting firm with offices in London, Toronto, and Vancouver, specialises in economic analysis, strategy, business, policy, and regulation across diverse domains, including arts, culture, heritage, and digital and creative media industries.
For more information, please visit www.nordicity.com.