Herts, Camera, Action!

The Driving creative innovation and culture-led regeneration through the film industry programme aims to capitalise on the world-leading hub of film and TV studios located in South Hertfordshire to ensure that the wider community benefits from these assets. This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

The project includes three interconnected workstreams to kickstart innovation by supporting the creative industries’ supply chain, investing in creative skills and knowledge exchange, and developing a series of brand-new screen tourism products to support the rebuild of Hertfordshire’s visitor economy.

In 2016 research published by the British Film Institute found that inbound tourists to the UK spent an estimated £597.7 million in film-related screen tourism. In Hertfordshire alone, Creative England data has shown that location filming was worth £20 million to the local economy in 2016/17.

With established studios already at Elstree and Leavesden, along with investment in the new Sky Studios in Hertsmere, Hollywood’s Sunset Studios in Broxbourne, and proposals for Hertswood Studios, partners across the destination are working closely to ensure that it can best maximise the opportunities presented to local businesses and residents by providing a wrap-around supply chain delivering world-class skills, innovation, and workforce development.

Hertfordshire is home to a burgeoning film and TV sector which has attracted over £3.7bn of new private sector investment in the past 12 months. Hollywood’s Sunset Studios choosing to locate its new £700m base in Broxbourne, is set to create over 4,500 permanent jobs with an estimated contribution of £300m p/a to the local economy. Further to this, Comcast’s £3bn investment in Sky Studios Elstree will create over 2,000 jobs, while at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, three new sound stages are being built, providing 83,000 sq. ft. of additional production space.

Led by Hertfordshire’s official destination management organisation Visit Herts, along with project partners at the Hertfordshire Growth Hub and the University of Hertfordshire, this new programme is one of five successful bids to have been put forward for the UK Community Renewal Fund by Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. This project has received £828,229 from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Activity planned as part of the programme for the coming months includes the creation of a creative industries grants funding programme offering grants of up to £5,000 to support innovation with a focus on the film and TV production supply chain, and a package of specialist and technical support for businesses in the creative industries to enable growth. It will also include a CPD programme to upskill the creative industry workforce and close skills gaps, knowledge exchange between industry and academia to increase innovation in training and build strong links within the destination and the development of cast and crew accommodation and packages. Further to this, the programme will comprise the development of new screen tourism products with tourism businesses through an intensive grant-supported product development programme with specialist support, access to production facilities, content creation, marketing, distribution, and grants of up to £8,000.

Click here to read our latest Herts, Camera, Action! press release

Creative Industries and supply chains to the film and TV sector grant programme

As part of the Hert, Camera, Action! project, the creative industries and supply chain grants programme aims to support businesses who are already in the creative sector and supply chains for filming in Hertfordshire as well as businesses looking to diversify into the sector to maximise the opportunities Hertfordshire's filming industry has to offer. The programme is designed to encourage innovation in the creative industries, providing a package of support for 50 businesses. 

• Creative industries supply chain grant programme for SMEs (up to £5,000 plus 20% match funding) to support with equipment 
• Expert-led 1:1 consultancy support to develop new or existing offering to capitalise on opportunities including: 
  • Strategic business consultancy and advice
  • Review of the business strategy / operating mode
  • Innovation strategy
  • Reviewing and rebuilding a viable business model
• 12 hours of academic support and access to specialist facilities

If you are a creative business, supplier or potential supplier to the film and TV industry this opportunity is available to you. For example, if you are a new or existing film location or catering business looking to diversify and become a supplier to the film and TV sector, the Creative Industries Supply Chain Grant Programme is available for you. 

For full information and eligibility criteria please visit the Examplas website here 

Continuing Professional Development Programme 

The Univerisity of Herts offers a wealth of training and development, designed to provide opportunities for businesses and professionals to expand their knowledge and enhance their workplace effectiveness. With access to award-winning academic knowledge, expertise and resources you can enhance the productivity of your business through continuing professional development (CPD) courses.

Packed with valuable insights and a wealth of knowledge delivered by industry experts, the Herts Camera Action CPD programme will offer free of charge training to help upskill the creative industry workforce. It will foster knowledge exchange between industry and academia to increase innovation in training and build links with new and existing film studios, production companies and distributors.

The transformative modules include:

• Operating in the Media Industry
• Media strategies and Communication
• Marketing Opportunities in the Creative Industries

For full information and eligibility criteria please visit the University of Hertfordshire's website here 

Screen Tourism Development Programme and Development of the Filming Offer 

The project’s screen tourism development programme and development of filming offer will draw upon some of the key strengths, opportunities, and gaps of screen tourism for Hertfordshire, identified as part of a Screen Tourism Product Audit and Toolkit conducted in 2021 by Visit Herts and expert Seren Welch.

The Screen Tourism development project aims to support 10 businesses in Hertfordshire to develop and launch new experiential screen tourism products to attract visitors, extend the tourism season and drive overnight visitation.

• Create new revenue streams to support business resilience
• Attract new markets, increase the length of stay and spend
• Encourage visitors throughout the year and dispersal to less-visited areas

Click here for more information on the Visit Herts Screen Tourism Development programme

Filming in Hertfordshire

In addition to the Screen Tourism Development Programme, Visit Herts aims through this project to position Hertfordshire as a film-friendly destination by developing the offer. The filming in Hertfordshire package of support includes: 

• Film locations workshop supporting new and existing film locations in Hertfordshire 
• Collation of crew and cast accommodation available in the county, showcasing the facilities available in proximity to studios and key film locations 
• Promotion of film locations and facilities to location scouts and productions companies

More information will be available soon. To register your interest as a location or accommodation provider, please contact us

About the UK Community Renewal Fund

The UK Community Renewal Fund is a UK Government programme for 2021/22. This aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It invests in skills, community and place, local business, and supporting people into employment.

Click here to download the full Press Release