Screen Staffordshire: April 2025

With one eye firmly on our official launch in June, the new film office had several aims across April.  

A strong digital offering is bread and butter to any film office. Our website and profiles are specifically designed to benefit Location Managers and their production teams, and we understand the needs they have when assessing our offer. To that end, we have had several meetings with external parties who are supporting us in creating this as seamlessly as possible, which has been very exciting to see. Our vision is coming to life more and more each day, and we are so excited to share it with you in due course!  

As ever, we’ve been growing our Locations Database – a huge part of the above. This part of the film office’s offer provides us with an opportunity to profile the most unique locations we have, that any production might struggle to find elsewhere. There are certainly much worse ways to spend time than going to see such places, and meeting those on-site who will be involved in any future moves the sector may look to make.  

As a result of this, we are now able to thoroughly outline the potential of locations such as The Roaches, the National Football Centre and Hilton Hotel at Saint George’s Park, various disused and locally-owned property in Burton upon Trent which is earmarked for development in the future, the National Memorial Arboretum and The Tawny. Even in these few weeks alone, we again realise the width and breadth of our offer. Now, we can share these with the sector – in the way they find most useful. 

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to chat more about the future with key local stakeholders such as National Highways too. Filming on highways is present virtually in every production, and whilst much of their network may struggle to facilitate full closures, there are other ways that aims can be achieved on major roads across the county and on their network.  

Our Film Office Manager – Jonny – got to know a couple of people over at BBC Training whilst in post with The Production Guild of Great Britain, and he welcomed the chance to catch up with them on their work in the West Midlands, with a view to being more involved as we move forward. Creating work and jobs for the locality is a big part of a successful film office, and this is one of a few ways that we continue to assess how we can deliver against this pillar.  

And, finally, a huge congratulations to Access Bookings who kindly invited us along to the grand opening of their very own Shire House, Lichfield’s newest premiere working space. Unsurprisingly, much of the building is already tenanted – a testament to the hard work that has gone into creating a welcoming and conducive environment for professionals looking to grow and thrive. Access Bookings play a huge role in local, national and global film and tv – so it was a real pleasure to be invited, see old friends, and make new ones.  

And whilst Jonny – in his capacity as Finance Officer for the Royal Television Society Midlands – was able to attend the official premiere of Joe Lycett’s United States of Birmingham at the Midlands Arts Centre (a real success!), he could only send his follow committee members best wishes in delivering the screening of the final ever episode of Man Like Mobeen at the same venue, due to diary commitments – but it looked and sounded fantastic, and well done to all involved!  

We’re excited to share that our Film Office officially launches on 11th June! Find out more and book your place here.

Happy Staffordshire Day!