Cameras will soon start rolling again in Wales as work on high profile productions are set to begin, following the Welsh Government coronavirus regulations and guidance, after a very difficult time for the film and TV industry across the world.
Productions in Wales affected included the third series of television drama Keeping Faith / Un Bore Mercher produced by Vox Pictures based in Cardiff Bay. Production was halted back in March but they hope to resume filming towards the end of July.
Adrian Bate – Vox Pictures, said: “The filming on ‘Keeping Faith’ Series 3 was halted mid-production in March but we are excited to be able to resume shooting in Wales in July. We’ll be following all Government guidance, legislation and industry protocols. Cast and crew are looking forward to filming again and our fans will be really pleased to know that hopefully we are due to deliver the series to S4C for transmission later in 2020 and BBC Wales for transmission early in 2021.”
Creative Wales has published guidance to offer further clarity on the current regulations in Wales and how they affect the creative industries. The guidance signposts to resources designed to support a safe return to work. The guidance recognises that as part of a phased approach to recovery, different parts of the creative industries are at different stages, and some sub-sectors will take longer to resume than others. Our guidance reflects this and signposts to resources designed to support a safe return to work, in line with these timescales. This is a live document, which will be updated on a regular basis in line with the Welsh Government’s 21-day review cycle of the coronavirus regulations and industry developments.
The third series of popular Netflix drama Sex Education and the third series of A Discovery of Witches are currently preparing to resume filming in the coming months. Kate Murrell at Eleven Film (Sex Education), said: “Eleven Film are looking forward to returning to Wales to film Sex Education 3. Having filmed both seasons 1 & 2 there, we found Wales to be a great place to make a home for our production. The excellent local crew base, the wide variety of locations and stunning scenery on offer, all combined to entice us back for another season”.
The Pembrokeshire Murders was one of the lucky productions that wrapped just before the coronavirus restrictions came into force Wales. Produced by World Productions and starring Welsh actor and Hollywood star Luke Evans, ITV’s true crime drama tells the story of four cold-case murders and a detective’s quest to bring a serial killer to justice. The series received funding from Creative Wales. Roderick Seligman at World Productions, said: “After shooting the series Born to Kill in 2017, World Productions was delighted to return to Wales to shoot The Pembrokeshire Murders in association with Welsh production company Severn Screen. “With the help of Welsh Government support we were able to film the entire series in Wales, and showcase the best of Welsh talent on both sides of the camera. In addition to the seven week shoot, all picture and sound post-production was also done in Wales, at Cardiff-based Cinematic.”
Productions that made it to our screens during lockdown included Sky’s Gangs of London, of which one of the episodes was set and filmed in South Wales. The series was Sky Atlantic’s second biggest original drama launch of all time and was created by award-winning filmmaker from Wales – Gareth Evans and his creative partner Matt Flannery. Gareth spoke on the subject of filming sequences for the series in Wales, he said: “It was an absolute joy to be able to bring work of this ambition and scale home and I’m beyond proud of the end result.”
Deputy Minister for Culture Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “The creative industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this period, Creative Wales has worked hard with our stakeholders to understand the impact, and to respond rapidly. There’s no doubt that it’s been a very tough time for the global screen industry with the pandemic bringing television productions across the world to a halt. Wales Screen, the Creative Wales service providing practical and logistical support to productions filming in Wales, has seen an increase in enquiries in recent weeks. This demonstrates there is renewed hope that the industry will get back on its feet again.”
