Ireland will face stiff competition from the UK if, as expected, the British Government announces a TV filming incentive this week. Spending on TV production in Ireland on shows like Camelot has outstripped the film industry in recent years, but a UK TV incentive may threaten this figure.
A TV filming incentive of 25% for the UK is expected to be announced in the Government’s annual Budget next week. Several high-profile producers and filmmakers have been lobbying for incentive support to attract high-end TV productions like The Tudors - filmed in Ireland - to the UK.
Malaysia is preparing to launch a new filming incentive programme after a long lobbying campaign from the local industry. The figure being looked at is a 30% rebate and it’s expected within the next few months.
Mississippi is advancing plans to increase the cash feature productions can claim through the state’s filming incentive programme. Currently producers can get a cash rebate of up to 30% with a per-production payment cap of USD8 million; authorities want an increase to USD10 million.
The UK Government is being called on to boost British TV production by launching filming incentives similar to what’s already available for features. Producers say the UK is losing ‘cinematic’ TV like The Tudors to countries such as Ireland and Hungary that offer TV filming incentives.
Scotland should offer its own specific filming tax breaks, a Scottish TV executive says. Alan Clements is Head of Content at STV and spoke this week at an Edinburgh conference, The Scotsman reports. He argued that filming tax breaks for Scotland could help the country compete with Ireland.
San Francisco may be the setting for new TV show Alcatraz, but Vancouver is the main filming location. The JJ Abrams-produced show filmed exteriors in San Francisco for a few weeks last year, but the bulk of the first season’s shoot took advantage of British Columbia’s filming incentives.
Oklahoma could lose its filming incentives as authorities plan ways to reduce the budget deficit. At the moment filming productions can get a rebate of up to 37% on eligible expenses, although the USD5 million annual film fund means the state's mainly appealing to low-budget shoots.