Left to Right: Jemima King, Partner, Richardsons Chartered Accountants; Tony Hood, Supervising Location Manager; Hayley Beer-Gamage, Experience Oxfordshire CEO; Richard Venables MRICS DL, Head of the Oxford office for CBRE; and Samantha Vaughan, Head of Commercial Development at Blenheim Palace
The Cultural Platform, recently hosted by the Experience Oxfordshire Charitable Trust, allowed attendees to engage in a detailed discussion on screen tourism and network with local businesses. The session featured an insightful conversation with Tony Hood, a Supervising Location Manager working on Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 4.
In a discussion led by Richard Venables, Head of the Oxford office for CBRE, Tony Hood shared his extensive knowledge and experience in the film and TV industry. Hood, whose credits include X-Men: First Class and Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, offered attendees a rare look into the process of scouting and managing locations for high-profile productions.
Tony Hood explained the various criteria for selecting film locations, the logistical challenges involved, and the role of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) in modern filmmaking. He emphasised the economic benefits of hosting film productions, noting that crews use local accommodation and services and increasingly rely on local suppliers to support their operations.
The event also shed light on the broader context of screen tourism, with the latest research fromVisitBritain showing that 91% of surveyed potential visitors across 20 overseas markets expressed interest in visiting film and TV locations in the UK. In response to this trend, VisitBritain is set to launch a new marketing campaign, Starring GREAT Britain, in early 2025. The campaign will showcase UK filming locations to inspire international visitors to explore Britain and extend their stays.
Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire said, “Screen tourism is a growing international trend, and Oxfordshire is well-positioned to benefit from it. With many internationally recognised filming locations, we are committed to ensuring that the region capitalises on the increased visitor interest in these sites. We will continue to work closely with VisitBritain and local partners to maximise the impact of the ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign.”
Richard Venables, MRICS DL, Head of CBRE’s Oxford office, added that Oxfordshire has a long history of hosting film productions. The region benefits from the economic boost during filming, and the exposure gained when productions reach global audiences.
Jemima King, Partner at Richardsons Chartered Accountants, highlighted the event’s value, noting the film production sector’s positive impact on Oxfordshire’s visitor economy and the opportunities for businesses to collaborate with and support the industry.
Click here to find out more about Experience Oxfordshire.
