Scottish Literature on the Big Screen
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-04351, in the name of Nigel Don, on Scottish literature on the big screen. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes the production of the film, Sunset Song; understands that this is an adaptation of a 1932 Lewis Grassic Gibbon novel and is set in the Mearns area of Kincardineshire; believes that it will be directed by Terence Davies and star Peter Mullan, Agyness Deyn and Stuart Martin; considers that, although it will be beneficial to the Mearns area in the short-run, it is unlikely that there will be any long-lasting legacy or benefit; believes that recent films such as Brave and The Angels’ Share have raised awareness of Scotland and that it would be beneficial to the country’s film and TV industry to have additional self-sustaining post-production, studio and sound stage facilities to ensure that all aspects of screen production can be carried out in Scotland, and considers that such additional capacity would encourage production companies from around the world to shoot in Scotland.
12:33
It was announced a few months ago that a film of the classic novel “Sunset Song”, by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, is being considered. I understand that Terence Davies is to be the director and that a prospective cast has been assembled.
The novel is set in the Howe of the Mearns, in the heart of my constituency, so I started to wonder what impact the making of the film would have on the community there and indeed on wider Scotland. It would be unwise not to use authentic settings for such a story, so I can be fairly sure that there will be some location shooting, but what will happen beyond that? Will it be possible to use a Scottish studio? What about all the post-production?
Responses to inquiries suggest that much of that business will go elsewhere. That is disappointing and it is a missed opportunity. Scotland has achieved a great deal in feature film making in the 30 years since Bill Forsyth’s “Local Hero”—a movie in which a rich American tries to buy a Scottish beach. Notable successes such as “Shallow Grave”, “Trainspotting”, “Ratcatcher” and “The Angels’ Share” will no doubt be joined by “Sunshine on Leith”, which is in production as we speak and stars one of our great talents, Peter Mullan.
Our ancient landscape, diverse cities and historic architecture have attracted film makers from Hollywood to Bollywood. Despite intense and increasing competition from our neighbours, Scotland remains a popular location for international film-makers, as we saw recently with the filming of “World War Z”, “Cloud Atlas” and “Under the Skin”. Film-makers come here not just because of our mountains, glens and medieval tenements, but because we boast excellent crews, world-class talent and extremely professional location services throughout the country.
We have produced world-class actors, including household names such as Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Ewan McGregor, James McAvoy, Gary Lewis, Martin Compston, Kelly Macdonald and Gerard Butler. We have world-class writers such as Paul Laverty, world-class producers such as Iain Smith, world-class directors such as Lynne Ramsay and David Mackenzie, and world-class composers such as Patrick Doyle and Craig Armstrong, to name but a few. I note that one of Screen Academy Scotland’s graduates, Tali Yankelevich, has been long listed for an Oscar in the documentary short subject category.
Despite all those talented individuals and wonderful natural assets, we have yet to reach the levels of production, audience and economic impact that are experienced by other small, successful countries in Europe—for example, Denmark and Ireland. In the highly competitive and highly internationalised world of film, we lack some of the crucial levers that we require in order to attract more films here, to retain more of the value that they can bring and to grow our domestic production sector. Put simply, we need more films to be made in Scotland.
Film is a hits-driven business, and to have more hits, we need more films. Not all films need to be big-budget films, as films such as “The Magdalene Sisters” and “Neds” have demonstrated. How can we achieve that? We need financial incentives to bring international production—that is what the rest of the world provides—to Scotland. We need investment in infrastructure and we need, especially, studio facilities that will attract productions and give our local film-makers scope to produce a wider range of movies. We need more direct investment in film production to boost the level of ambition in Scotland, including a greater contribution by broadcasters, who have a responsibility to work with public and private finance to raise the ambition of our big and small screen production.
We need to create more work and more opportunities for people who work in film. As I have noted, our attraction for incoming productions is based in no small part on our world-class crew, but to sustain such a specialised and highly skilled workforce we need a consistent mix of high-value work; that is, network television drama and domestic film productions.
How can we achieve that? We need to encourage talent and skill from an early age, and to ensure practical media literacy and encourage aspiring young film-makers to develop their talents. Put simply, we need to inspire our youngsters. We need investment in specialist skills development in the further and higher education sector, including our national screen academy. We need to train the next generation.
We need to support business development across the whole film value chain, from production to exhibition, thereby ensuring that our film-related businesses are able to take advantage of new technologies and revenue models. The part that is missing is a world-class studio and facilities village.
We must be clear that that will not be successful in isolation. When competing on the international stage, we must ensure that we have the necessary financial incentives and that support skills are developed to serve the industry. We are missing an opportunity. Scotland is a natural film set, from sea to mountain. We have the artistic talent and skills. We ought now to enhance the production facilities to ensure that we can build a world-class industry here in Scotland.
12:38
I welcome the opportunity to participate in this afternoon’s debate and congratulate Nigel Don on securing it.
I have grown up watching talented Scots flying the flag proudly for Scotland in film and television, on screen and on the other side of the camera. At the same time, Scotland offers the perfect location for production companies, from its beautifully scenic Highlands and lowlands to its bustling cities. Our country’s natural beauty has served and continues to serve as the perfect location.
The fact that Scotland’s film and television industry is so diverse is a testament to the talent of our directors, producers, writers and actors. It acts as a beacon, spreading Scotland’s story across the globe, whether that is through fiction or non-fiction. Films such as “Brave” show Scotland’s Highlands as a deeply mythical and magical place. Films such as “Trainspotting”—one of my favourite films of all time—display the harsh realities of life facing young people in cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow at the height of economic depression. “The Angels’ Share”, which was mentioned earlier, shows us all the hilarity of the Glasgow patter and after all that laughter we can always look to the Disney classic, “Greyfriars Bobby”, if we want a film that will just tug gently on the heartstrings.
Nigel Don’s motion highlights the upcoming transformation of the classic 1932 Lewis Grassic Gibbon novel, “Sunset Song”, into film. The novel depicts the hardship that was faced by the working classes 100 hundred years ago. Scheduled to be shot on location here and in Sweden, I have no doubt that the film will capture the hearts of many.
More and more often, Scotland is playing host to directors and producers who see what Scotland has to offer. A certain Mr Bond has made his way back home to Scotland on four occasions, in a number of different guises—most recently in the box office smash, “Skyfall”. We were all captivated, too, when just last year Glasgow was transformed into zombie-occupied Philadelphia for the Brad Pitt blockbuster “World War Z”, which is set for release this year. That is an example of how local authorities can open up cities as production sets and invite film-makers to Scotland.
Scotland’s actors are taking the world by storm too. As mentioned earlier, household names such as Gerard Butler, Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, Robbie Coltrane, James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor and Peter Capaldi are all A-listers—or are sure to be A-listers soon enough. Our directors have also been mentioned and they have established themselves on the international scene, as well. Lynne Ramsay, Paul McGuigan and Kevin Macdonald have already had international success and will, I am sure, have more.
A great deal of progress is being made within the Scottish film industry and it is important that it continues to grow and develop. This year is the year of creative Scotland and it is important that the Scottish Government supports, where it can, the continued development of our film industry along with local authority partners—such as Glasgow in the case of “World War Z”.
So often, a country of our size can get tarred with a certain stereotype; there are people in pockets of the world who believe that Scotland is full of kilt wearers who have an unhealthy obsession with whisky and a little animal known as a haggis. Sometimes the film industry perpetuates that myth, but it has also been instrumental in showing the talents, the creativity, the skilfulness and the beauty that Scotland has to offer.
I close with a remark from one of the directors whom I spoke about earlier, Kevin Macdonald. When he was asked why he had chosen to film in Scotland, his reply was:
“Scotland delivered the perfect mix of ancient and modern. Its breathtaking scenery was easy to find and easy to shoot. All-weather crews, modern facilities, epic locations and world class cities to return to in the evening. Why would I shoot anywhere else?”
Indeed, Presiding Officer. Why would anyone go anywhere else?
Why, indeed? I call John Mason to be followed by Annabel Goldie.
12:43
I thank Nigel Don for raising the subject and for securing the debate.
When I was younger, I thought that all good films were made in America, the duff ones were made in England and virtually none was made in Scotland. What changed that for me was going to the cinema—I think it was in 1994—to see “Shallow Grave”. That was the first time I remember coming out of a cinema having really enjoyed a Scottish film and feeling proud that we could do something such as that ourselves. I suppose that the fact that I found it funny also says something about my sense of humour.
However, it has been clear for a number of years that although urban and Highlands settings are ideal for films, we lack the
“post-production, studio, and sound stage facilities”,
as referred to in the motion.
Clearly the subject matter of films that are made in Scotland varies enormously. The motion mentions “Brave”—I did not realise that it was based on Scottish literature. However, it was an enjoyable film and it follows in a line of many films that have been set in Scotland in recent years.
“The House of Mirth” in 2000, starring Gillian Anderson, used Glasgow City Chambers and is one of a number of films that have used Glasgow’s buildings and the fact that the grid system in the Glasgow streets closely resembles that in many American cities.
More Scottish films that I have enjoyed in recent years have included “My Name is Joe” in 1998, which featured the Forth and Clyde canal if memory serves me correctly; “Sweet Sixteen”, set in Inverclyde; “Red Road”, which used the high flats in Glasgow; and one of my favourites in recent years, “Neds” in 2010, which I felt had a strong message about a youngster with no positive adult role models in his life, either at home or in school, who went seriously off the rails. That is not to mention animated films such as “Brave” and another recent film, “The Illusionist”, which is set in Edinburgh and the Highlands.
I am, of course, keen that any new facility be located in Glasgow. BBC Scotland and STV are located close together at Pacific Quay on the south bank of the Clyde. Glasgow City Council deliberately targeted that area for media development with the building of the squinty bridge across the river, so it would seem to be the obvious location if we are going to develop in that field.
As well as specifically Scottish and Scottish-themed films, a number of major Hollywood productions have used Glasgow as a location. Mark Griffin mentioned “World War Z”—or, as I am instructed by my more American-orientated friends, “World War Zee”—which features Brad Pitt in George Square and Cochrane Street. It was fascinating to see the city transformed to look like Philadelphia, right down to the information boards having Philadelphia maps stuck on them in place of the Glasgow maps.
Another recent film that was shot in Glasgow is “The Fast and the Furious 6”, which I understand involved some 250 crew working through the night in the Broomielaw, Cadogan Street and Wellington Street areas. The Glasgow Film Office estimates that those three weeks of filming injected some £20 million into the economy, which is very encouraging. I also understand that in 2011 the Glasgow Film Office received more than 300 location inquiries, which resulted in more than 200 productions being shot in the city, slightly less than half of which were for TV.
I thought that I had better go to the cinema last night to prepare for the debate. I saw “Skyfall”, which I was glad to see featured Scotland towards the end, although I had to wait until I was the very last person in the cinema to see the National Trust for Scotland appear in the credits. Perhaps we could be a bit higher up the credits in the future.
The challenge is to see whether we can expand on the benefits and keep more of the work that surrounds such films in the local economy. We do not want to be the country that has its raw materials extracted by multinational companies while we receive only the crumbs.
If I was to disagree with one point in Nigel Don’s motion, it would be the claim that
“it is unlikely that there will be any long-lasting legacy or benefit”
from a film’s being shot in Scotland. I believe that filming in Scotland is positive because it attracts tourists, conferences and so on, but I am otherwise happy to support the motion.
12:47
I too thank Nigel Don for bringing the debate to the chamber. Scotland has a wealth of artistic talent, especially when it comes to TV and film production, and it was my pleasure to cover some of that territory in the recent members’ business debate on “River City”.
Mr Don is correct to refer to the importance of that creative presence in Scotland. Our creative industries employ 60,000 people across more than 9,000 businesses, and approximately 15,000 people are employed in Scotland’s screen industries alone. We currently attract £20 million to £25 million a year in location spend from production companies that are shooting films and television productions here. The annual production spend on the screen industries in Scotland is £243 million. All of that is a significant contributor to the economy, and it also benefits tourism. Interestingly, film tourism accounts for 10 per cent of the total value of tourism to the British economy, and it is vital that we tap into that.
The forthcoming film of “Sunset Song”, the Lewis Grassic Gibbon classic, is an exciting prospect for Scotland. I note Mr Don’s specific concern about there being no “long-lasting legacy or benefit” from that production, but in that regard I am perhaps where John Mason was in the final part of his contribution. It is correct that we should never take anything for granted, but I wonder whether Mr Don’s pessimism is entirely justified.
In the past 60 years, Scotland has starred in and benefited from many film classics that have been shot in various locations and have showcased the beauty of our country. Epics such as “Whisky Galore!”, “The Maggie”, “Geordie”, “The Thirty-Nine Steps”, “Gregory’s Girl” and “Local Hero” are written into film legend, and undoubtedly created a positive impression of Scotland, enhancing visitor interest.
On that point, is Annabel Goldie aware that one in five overseas visitors to the UK is inspired to visit by images that they have seen on film and television?
That is a very helpful contribution to the debate and it bears out what both Mr Mason and I are saying.
Recently, the Harry Potter films, “Brave” and the new Bond film, “Skyfall”, have all generated widespread interest in Scotland and there are good examples of Scotland capitalising on that. Following the release of “Brave”, VisitScotland has launched a movie map that
“allows visitors to explore the castles, culture and myths of Scotland—where legends come to life.”
It highlights the castles, myths and landscapes that inspired Disney Pixar during the making of the film.
VisitBritain is mounting its biggest ever film tourism campaign to cash in on the release of “Skyfall”. Its initiative is aimed at persuading families to holiday in Scotland who might have been deterred earlier in the year due to major events such as the London Olympics or the Queen’s diamond jubilee. VisitScotland is not participating in that £3 million campaign, although scenes were filmed in Glen Coe. However, VisitScotland is screening adverts in trailers before “Skyfall” across the country as part of its autumn surprise yourself campaign.
The one intervention that poses a question mark above the enduring attraction of Scotland as a film location is of course the ubiquitous presence of wind farms but, thankfully, city locations are proving popular.
We know that the use of Scotland as a film location can bring a myriad of lasting benefits. That has been happening over the years and we know that there are strategies to capitalise on that. It may be that more can be done in the post-production area to cement that legacy, and Nigel Don is right to highlight that potential. We shall look forward to “Sunset Song” translating into a film classic that showcases the north-east of Scotland and the rest of our country.
12:51
I thank Nigel Don for bringing this members’ business debate to the chamber.
Around six feature films a year are produced in Scotland, but screen academy Scotland believes that that is well below the level that is required for a stable film industry. At that level, the industry is far more susceptible to dramatic peaks and troughs than it is in comparable countries with a greater output.
The Scottish industry tends to be quite top heavy and is often driven by one or two blockbusters. In 2006, Scottish films took £7 million at the UK box office, which was in large part due to Kevin Macdonald’s “The Last King of Scotland”. In 2005, however, Scottish films took only £400,000 in the UK. That kind of instability discourages investment, and that can lead to greater instability.
Creative Scotland has noted that Scotland’s facilities for large-scale studio productions are fairly limited compared with those in similar countries and that they need to be improved. To compound matters, those countries often have more attractive tax incentives for investors. On that front, Ireland has often been cited as an example. Unlike Scotland’s average of five or six films per year, Ireland’s average is around 20, despite Ireland having a smaller population. Scotland has a globally recognised brand that is arguably more distinctive than that of countries such as Denmark, yet Denmark’s film industry is several times the size of ours.
I welcome tax breaks that exist at UK level. For instance, film production companies can claim significant additional tax relief for films with a core expenditure of more than £20 million. Indeed, in the last UK budget, George Osborne announced that that would be extended in April 2013 to high-end UK drama, animation and video games. However, I see a structural flaw in that tax relief. It denies Scotland a specific competitive advantage and it denies Glasgow the advantage that it needs to become a creative centre of excellence. Whether we believe that an independent Scotland should be able to create bespoke tax conditions to attract the finest international production companies to Scotland or whether we believe that the UK Parliament should do that, we should all agree that it needs to be done, for the benefit of Glasgow and the benefit of Scotland’s film industry.
The Scottish Government has sought to target tax support to Glasgow for the promotion of the Scottish film industry by designating creative Clyde, which encompasses Film City Glasgow and Pacific Quay, as an enterprise zone for the creative industries. Businesses based there can claim 100 per cent business tax relief, which represents an estimated injection of £275,000 by the Scottish Government. Scottish Enterprise is also keen to attract a purpose-built film studio to Scotland that could rival the likes of Pinewood in England. I am sure that having enterprise zone status in Glasgow will give us the competitive edge in chasing that investment. I note that Creative Scotland is keen to contribute to that if it can do so. There are huge opportunities for Glasgow and for Scotland.
Glasgow City Council is also keen to promote film within the city, to its credit. It founded Glasgow Film Office for the express purpose of attracting international investment, and it has been successful. We have heard about the investment, the money and the exposure that “World War Z” brought to my city.
I believe that the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and the city council are all focused on delivering film and production facilities for Glasgow and for Scotland. I am sure that Glasgow can become a film-making and production hub to rival any in Europe, but I ask the cabinet secretary, in her closing speech, to assure me that our Scottish Government is helping to co-ordinate those efforts. I look forward to a bright future for film production in Glasgow and across Scotland. I would like to think that, in the years to come, Pacific Quay will be mentioned in the same breath as Pinewood for its excellence in film production.
12:56
I congratulate Nigel Don on securing the debate.
The late Donald Dewar’s great speech at the opening of this Parliament evoked
“the speak of the Mearns, with its soul in the land”.
It was good to hear Nigel Don and others speak of the Mearns and the story of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s “Sunset Song”. It is a great novel and one that truly deserves to have recognition, and it has its soul in the land. The great strength of “Sunset Song” and the “Scots Quair” trilogy, of which it is the first part, is how a male author centred his work on a fully believable, strong, politically engaged Scottish woman, Chris Guthrie. Watching Vivien Heilbron’s terrific performance in the role in BBC Scotland’s earlier television adaptation and then reading the book was a formative experience for me as a teenager, as I am sure it was for many members, women and men alike. That underlines how valuable it can be to read literature from our own country, and I am confident that our new curriculum will offer opportunities for more children to benefit from “Sunset Song”.
I am thrilled that the novel is being adapted for film. If it matches the book and the TV programme, it will certainly be a landmark production. That it will be produced by Bob Last from Glasgow, directed by Terence Davies and star Peter Mullan and Agyness Deyn certainly augurs well, and that the work revolves around the terrible human and emotional cost of the first world war makes it all the more timely as we prepare to commemorate the centenary of that war.
I am an enthusiast for film, but we learn from the last novel in the trilogy, “Grey Granite”, that Chris Guthrie is not. I will quote a sentence that tells how Chris and her mother travelled past the site of the Parliament to go to the Picturedrome cinema, which used to stand on Easter Road. They went
“down Royal Mile, and up Little James Street to the Picturedrome; and paid for their seats and went in and sat down; and Chris felt sleepy almost as soon as she sat, and yawned, pictures wearied her nearly to death, the flickering shadows and the awful voices, the daft tales they told and the dafter news.”
That might seem a discouraging scene to mention in a debate about film, but it is instructive. If we read on in the chapter, we discover the reason for Chris’s disdain, which is that the film is a cheap Hollywood melodrama that is set in a fictionalised New York and has nothing to say to her. Just as access to literature about our country and experiences is vital, so too is access to film production that speaks of the Mearns and the rest of Scotland. That has great cultural value. As Nigel Don’s motion brings out, it also has economic value—a value that is growing but has the potential to grow more.
Film forms part of the creative industries, which are one of the seven key growth sectors for Scotland’s economy. The film industry has nearly 400 production and related companies in Scotland and they generate a turnover of £1.2 billion a year. [Fiona Hyslop has corrected this contribution. See end of report.] I say to Bob Doris that about 15 to 20 feature films are shot in Scotland each year. There are a range of companies, including Park Circus, which distributes classic films, Savalas, which is innovating in sound production, and other companies that find locations, build sets and design props, to name just a few activities.
Scotland is becoming a sought-after location for filming. Successes include “World War Z”, which was filmed in parts of Glasgow; the science-fiction hit “Prometheus”, which had scenes shot in the evocative landscapes of the Isle of Skye; and the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises”, which showcased compelling Highland scenery and delivered a significant economic benefit, as the production spent approximately £1.1 million in the area and retarmacked the local airport runway so that a C-130 Hercules could land on it.
Location shooting also encourages tourism, as I said earlier. VisitScotland calculates that almost a quarter of overseas visitors visited a film location while in Scotland—set-jetting, I think it is called in the parlance. It is remarkable to think that this year will have seen the release of what will almost certainly be the two most-watched films set in Scotland: Disney Pixar’s “Brave” and the James Bond film “Skyfall”. The latter was filmed in Glen Coe, and I note that the National Trust for Scotland, which owns Glen Coe, has just appointed a dedicated locations manager. On that, I think that John Mason has a point about how far up the credits we might want our locations to be.
The public sector in Scotland is working with the industry to support its growth, which Bob Doris touched on. Creative Scotland’s lottery funding for film sits at £3 million for 2011-12, increasing to £4 million by 2013-14. Training was mentioned earlier, and Creative Skillset is working with the screen sector to invest in our film talent of the future. For example, it is collaborating with BBC Scotland, the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, Creative Scotland and Skills Development Scotland on the television drama training programme, which is supported by an investment of £800,000 over the next two years. That supports the training of producers for high-end TV drama and feature films.
In all of that, the public sector is working with the film sector. For example, earlier this year, a £500,000 commitment from Creative Scotland helped to launch the Mackendrick fund, which levers in private sector funding to invest in films, developed by the industry itself, with strong Scottish connections.
Nigel Don signals in his motion the contribution that could be made to the film industry by having a self-sustaining production centre. Creative Scotland has recently committed £75,000 to work with the industry on a feasibility study into how that can be achieved, with provisional further funding of £1 million identified if the study shows a way forward.
Presiding Officer, you might recall that your predecessor in the chair of this Parliament when it was adjourned in 1707, the Earl of Seafield, said:
“There’s ane end of ane auld sang.”
The reconvening of this Parliament marked the beginning of a new song. That has been accompanied by a flowering of our creative arts, including film. We have achieved a lot in film and I believe that, with independence and the ability, for example, to develop the kind of film-friendly financial regime that Ireland, despite its current difficulties, has not just protected but extended, we could do even more.
I look forward to seeing the new “Sunset Song”. It is part of that new song of Scotland and of a Scottish film movement that is not at sunset but rather is heading towards a noontime zenith.
13:02
Meeting suspended.
14:30
On resuming—