Film, Media and Scotland's Future

From 'Outlander' to season 6 of Netflix's 'The Crown' whose filming captivated the town of St Andrews in spring 2023, Scotland is now a major destination for the filming and production of movies, television series and other forms of media such as Video Games and Virtual Reality. 

Indeed, film and other forms of popular media are, increasingly, the world's window into Scotland. 

For local communities based in popular filming locations, the impact of a media production coming to town can range from the short-term and negative (parking restrictions, closed roads, the paparazzi!) to long-term and positive (creation of local jobs, boost for the local economy, increase in tourism). 

But how can we understand the impact of Film and Media Production in Scotland on a regional, national and even global level? How have attitudes towards this process (from government, local bodies, media producers) shifted over time and what kinds of roles might be required in the future as both the media, and the means of production, change?

Building on these questions, 'Film, Media and Scotland's Future' seeks to explore:

  • What contributions can film and media productions bring to Scotland and local communities (economic, political, tourism, soft power…)?
  • How can we ‘quantify’ this contribution and how do we measure it? Is it even measurable? What data/indicators could we use? How can we think outside of the box to find this data?
  • How can we measure the impact of filming and media production activities on communities? How has this shifted over time and what forms and roles might this involve in the future (for example in relation to issues such as: local economies, sustainability, environmental impact, preservation, tourism etc)?
  • How does Scotland incentivise filming and media production? How do these incentives compare to other UK locations or other countries? 
  • What can we learn by analysing media that was filmed in Scotland and/or media that depicts (or claims to depict) Scotland? What image of Scotland as a real or imagined nation are propagated through such media? What impact can these productions, and their very varied, sometimes negative (and murderous!),  representation of the local space, have on Scotland and their local communities?
  • Can Scotland work with global film industries beyond Hollywood? 
  • Scotland has multiple film offices and organisations such as Film Edinburgh, TayScreen and Screen Scotland. What role do such organisations play towards the development of Scotland's economy, tourism, political future? What challenges do such organisations face?
  • How do institutional and governmental policies and strategies support (or hinder?) Film and Media production in Scotland?

Film, Media, and Scotland's Future is imagined as a multi-semester project, with opportunities for students to work with partners locally (St Andrews Tourism, Fife Council), nationally (TayScreen, Screen Scotland, Film Edinburgh) and globally (Georgia Film). For students, this will provide valuable practical experience, developing leadership, teamwork, learning how to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to broad research questions and developing an innovative methodology to help us understand cultural industries in Scotland.Ultimately, what does Film and Media production tell us about Scotland's current and future place in the world? Let's find out together!