Scotland on Screen What’s the process ?

Scotland is host to some of the most dramatic and beautiful countryside in the world, which is why Scotland features so often in award-winning films and TV shows.

With the right advice and expertise landowners up and down the country can 1. Benefit from free advertisement and 2. Get the best deal when film crews come knocking at the door. From Harry Potter, 007, The Crown and The Traitors, Scotland clearly has a lot to offer.

The opportunity comes with benefits such as free advertisement or the opportunity to diversify and generate extra revenue. Owners can also benefit from further income streams through commercial adverts, photo shoots for products or product launches on the back of a film or TV production.

There are a few steps in the process when seeking a dramatic backdrop for the latest Bond film or the next Outlander series. Scouts or freelance agents will approach the landowner, they will ask to scout out the location then report back their findings to the director. Once the appropriate location is discovered, negotiations can begin. This is where the landowner can outline in detail their terms, fees, access and dates can be discussed and confirmed. Extras can be added to the contract such as if the estate or filming location has holiday cottages that are in hand, these could be let to the film crew as accommodation for example and could be charged at a higher rate for exclusive use.

Depending on the budget of the film landowners can secure reasonable fees, Major, corporations such as NETFLIX or Hollywood producers are willing to pay handsomely to film the perfect scene, therefore it is in the landowner’s interest to get the best deal This is where experienced agents can assist. The one caveat to bear in mind is that smaller TV production companies do not have the same budget and sometimes the effort and time spent dealing with these organisations isn’t always worth it.

Landowners can charge more depending on the backdrop of the scene i.e. if the film crew wants to film in front of a dramatic castle, the owner can charge more for that shot compared to a shot which is in front of a woodland. The reason for this is that castles and other specific backdrops may contain sensitive information or details that can give away a film set location. This can attract unwanted public attention. Payment is typically dependent on the price per day rather than a lump sum.

Strike days are the take down days where all equipment, props, cameras and sets are taken down and removed. These can be efficient and smooth operations if planned well in advance but if not they can be timely and can be costly if things are damaged in the process.

In some circumstances staff from the estate or locations who will be employed and involved with the filming have to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is a legal document that requires the parties not to share or profit from any classified information. This gives some security to film crews to know that the staff involved won’t sell or provide sensitive information about the potential plot or production.

There are of course several disadvantages to your land being used as a film location. For one, the public can sometimes work out exactly where the location is and may therefore turn up unannounced. This can cause conflicts in the area between farmers, landowners and the general public. Due to the Land Reform Act 2003 the public have a right to roam, this can again cause conflicts with landowners bringing a halt to dayto-day farming.

Galbraith has been involved in a range of film sets due to the vast areas of land we manage. We can therefore provide professional help, expertise in negotiation skills and advice to landowners, in order to capitalise on these opportunities. n

Harry Burton 01463 224 343 harry.burton@galbraithgroup.com