How Yorkshire's film and TV sector is boosted by video-on-demand streaming sites

Whether it's the Victorian vision of Herbert and William Riley, inspired by the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe in Paris to present the Kineoptoscope projector back at home, or city's starring role in Jack Clayton's Room at the Top in 1959, the location's place on the silver screen is significant.

Director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film, David Wilson, says that production and location managers in Yorkshire have reported "unprecedented levels of activity" as the growth of VOD has "really fuelled the sector" over the 18 months before the coronavirus pandemic.

The estimated value of the streaming VoD market in particular - subscription services, for example, rather than just regular digital videos - to the UK surged from virtually nothing a decade ago to nearly £800m in 2018, according to the British Film Institute.

Productions such as Julian Fellowes' Netflix drama The English Game, which features various Yorkshire locations such as the picturesque Saltaire, are examples of VOD-specific projects which are ensuring the region gets a share of revenues.

Bradford UNESCO City of Film this month also highlighted more than 20 productions partly or entirely film in the region which are available to view on platforms such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime and All 4.

Mr Wilson said: "The growth of VOD has provided more work for people in the sector across the UK and in Yorkshire as a result.

"This has been apparent over the past 18 months or so where the production managers and location managers who we have regular contact with had reported unprecedented levels of activity.

"Yorkshire has always had a good through-put of production but the growth of VOD has really fuelled sector in recent months.

"Netflix, in particular had started to commission more UK based content and up to the recent pandemic were expanding commissions from TV drama to documentaries."

Mr Wilson said that the majority of enquiries to the Bradford Film Office - which assists with productions in the area - are still for traditional content such as feature films, televisiondrama and more daytime TV, but says this was predicted to shift as the VOD platforms invest in more original content.

"The addition of the Disney+ VOD service will also no doubt drive more production in the future as the competition between platforms grows post Covid 19," he said.

"We have started to see a definite shift from productions like Peaky Blinders, which was originally on BBC and made for a terrestrial channel, now available on Netflix to productions such as The Innocents and The English Game, both filmed extensively across Yorkshire, which were specifically commissioned for the Netflix VOD platform."

One "massive difference" this has made is availability of regional content across the world, said Mr Wilson, and this means than low-budget and independent films have enjoyed "a longer lease of life" and reached larger audiences.

He said: "Taking Peaky Blinders as one example, once it went onto Netflix in USA the show attracted a huge following which has helped it build to almost cult status. And its not just in the States, my UNESCO colleagues around the world have all heard of Peaky Blinders, though its not hit the Chinese audiences yet.

"Gentleman Jack was also hugely popular with American audiences who were able to access it on HBO. All of this has also led to an increase in film tourism."

"Its all worth pointing out that many lower budget and independent films have enjoyed a longer lease of life and reached a wider audience thanks to VOD. The theatrical window in cinemas is the length of time a new film will be on our cinema screens.

"For smaller budget films and independent films this can be as little as a few days rather than two to three weeks like the major studio productions.

"If you consider some of these titles such as God's Own Country, Funny Cow and Ghost Stories all made locally in the past few years and all with the support of the Bradford Film Office, they are now available to watch across various VOD platforms.

Such dispersal allows the region as a whole to benefit, he believes.

The first feature film that Mr Wilson supported in his role at the Bradford Film Office was the critically-acclaimed Oscar Wilde adaption The Selfish Giant by Otley-born director Clio Barnard.

"Its a truly brilliant film which was made in Bradford in 2013 and Clio returned to Bradford last year to make Ali & Ava.

"Of course the productions that have now become household names such a Peaky Blinders and Gentleman Jack are great TV but also a brilliant way to promote the Yorkshire region, its architecture and landscape.

"I am very much looking forward to the cinema release of The Duke starring Helen Mirren, not least because I spent a lot of time with the producer and the director in the build up to the filming and the crew on that film were great fun to work with."

He added: "We have been very fortunate to work with some great partners since we re established the Bradford Film Office in 2012 and have worked alongside organisations such as Screen Yorkshire, Creative England and Film Offices UK [the national network of Screen Office in the UK] and until very recently the sector was flying high with many opportunities for new content and new employment opportunities.

"The relocation of parts of Channel 4 to Leeds is already providing more employment and skills opportunities across the Yorkshire region and again this in turn makes the sector ready to respond to the demand for content from VOD providers."