Rising Opportunities for Rural Filming Locations Post-Pandemic

Author: Kaitlyn Hogg

Photo by Claire Banks

From the very beginning of Covid-19’s reign upon modern life, the film industry was one of the many industries to stop all production. The main reason for the halt was the hundreds of staff and actors working and performing in enclosed spaces for varied periods of time, and the multiple locations used for production, therefore everything needed to come to a rapid end.


However, with a value of around £3.6 billion per year, the UK film industry was able to swiftly find ways around this issue. The main way in which this large business avoided the loss of time and money, was the use of Rural areas when production was underway. Many television shows, ranging from ITV’s ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here!’ being filmed using Wales’s Gwrych castle – to ‘Mission Impossible 7’ replacing Venice’s surroundings with Oxfordshires breathtaking views.

What are the challenges being faced, and how will they be resolved?

There will be many changes and challenges for the film industry, public film shoots will have to be cautiously regulated and editing studios may have to use technology such as CGI in order to meet social distancing requirements. 

Areas such as rural estates provide the most suitable solution to this issue. Location managers have the ability to control access and movement, and bases can be vastly spread out due to the amount of land space available – and, if there was a need, all of the above can be locked down with ease. 
Additional space and accommodation will become a necessity for productions and will most definitely lead to rural locations being sought after, which may become an achievement to rural property owners. The result of this is the longer timescale needed for film shoots, different teams will now have to be placed in certain places and a three-day set up could possibly become a three-week set up. This therefore means that property owners will have to become lenient in the time needed for film shoots to take place on their land.

What can you do to push your location?

If you are looking at pushing your property for film shoots: have a go-ahead attitude towards the subject. Get in touch with agencies that can help to promote your area, images are always a good place to start. Always show your flexibility regarding the time needed to film – as this is what most companies are looking for in regards to using land.

Click here to learn more about how you can promote your land for film usage.