The new initiative from Government body, Skillset, to improve training and skills in the UK film industry will hopefully prove to be hugely beneficial to the rather weak performance in the medium over the last thirty or so years. It’s good to see that film companies and industry bodies are supportive of the scheme and prepared to put the money up to fund it.
The decline of the industry in recent years has been largely due to the lack of investment and unattractive taxes in this country, both of which have been mainly the fault of successive governments. Ironically the skills of film professionals and facilities in the UK have been one of the few pluses and have continued to attract foreign film producers throughout the lean years.
The government really should look to invest and encourage others to invest in the industry in order generate a home based market for the future technicians, directors and producers from schemes like the Skillset Film Industry Training Board, otherwise they will just be going to countries such as France, US and India where they do make films occasionally.
Dan Atkinson.
