UK film production levels fall by 40%

UK film production levels have fallen by almost 40% this year.
The crash exacerbates last year's 57% slump in inward investment from overseas productions shooting, widely linked to a long running industrial dispute between producers and actors' guild Equity.
However, unlike last year, when local production levels held their own, the overall number of UK productions this year fell 38.7%, according to research carried out by Screen International.
The first three-quarters of the year saw only 38 starts, a massive fall from the 62 shoots during the same period in 2001.
Hardest hit were UK and US collaborations, which fell by more than 44%. With US buyers now typically providing only 25% of budgets compared to 50% a few years ago, the number of productions fell from 18 to only 10. UK-driven titles also suffered, dropping 40% from 23 films to 14.
Along with cut backs at FilmFour, Granada and Sky Pictures, changes in this year's budget, which removed the system of claiming tax relief on deferrals, seem to have hit home.
Ironically, given the pay-TV crisis across Europe, the only films to withstand the production crash were UK collaborations with the continent - though the number of UK-European films fell from 16 to 13.
Overall, the latest figures indicate a massive fall from 2000's record-breaking £751m. Estimates put total production volume for the year, including inward investment and local films, at around £450m - a return to the pre-boom levels of film production in 1997 and 1998.
(GB)