N.Ireland journeys from building ships to screen hits

N.Ireland journeys from building ships to screen hits

N. Ireland was the backdrop to 'Game of Thrones'
N. Ireland was the backdrop to 'Game of Thrones'. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!

For much of the last century Belfast's dockyards dominated global shipbuilding but now the harbour that built Titanic is the launchpad for some of the world's biggest TV and film releases.

A string of major recent cinematic and streaming projects made in the UK province have earned it a growing international reputation for television and cinema production.

Industry insiders say Northern Ireland is increasingly likely to be known globally as the backdrop to "Game of Thrones" rather than for the decades of sectarian violence that plagued it until the signing of 1998 peace accords.

Since the seminal HBO series, which ended in 2019, the region has provided locations and studio space for Netflix film "The School for Good and Evil" and the historical action feature "The Northman", both released in 2022.

Fantasy blockbuster "Dungeons and Dragons", which is due for released in March, was similarly filmed there.

Read also

Confectionery firm turns vegan to avoid Brexit checks

Amazon Prime's "Blade Runner 2099" series, based on Ridley Scott's 1982 sci fi original, is due to start filming in the province later this year.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

Meanwhile, homegrown series and films including Kenneth Branagh's "Belfast" and Lisa McGee's TV comedy "Derry Girls" have also won international acclaim.

The ill-fated Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast Harbour
The ill-fated Titanic was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast Harbour. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
Source: AFP

Richard Williams, the chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, which promotes the industry's growth, said success is changing perceptions and helping the province grow in confidence.

"There's probably a higher percentage of people in the world who only know about Northern Ireland from 'Game of Thrones' than there are that know about us because of our challenged history," Williams told AFP.

"Northern Ireland still needs to build up its confidence."

'Cutting edge'

Belfast's once-mighty shipyards, which now house the Titanic Studios -- among Europe's largest -- and the newer Harbour Studios, offered the huge spaces needed by blockbuster filmmakers.

Read also

Regret takes hold in Brexit bastion

"That was very attractive to certain types of early films that needed large-build spaces," Williams explained.

N. Ireland's north coast is one of the most famous beauty spots in the UK
N. Ireland's north coast is one of the most famous beauty spots in the UK. Photo: PAUL FAITH / AFP
Source: AFP

He added that there were obvious parallels between film production and the heavy industries that once dominated the docks.

"There is a huge amount of craft involved. There's a huge amount of construction involved. Doing things on time and on budget are just as important," he noted.

The UK government offers tax breaks to the industry, which in return trains and maintains a growing multi-skilled workforce.

Offering the latest studio technology to production companies is seen as a key plank in Northern Ireland's economic plans.

In a sign of its ambitions, Belfast's Ulster University has partnered with the harbour to deliver the next generation of film and TV production through its new Studio Ulster project.

The 25-million-pound ($31-million) complex will include large-scale virtual production stages with in-camera visual effects, a motion capture stage, a 3D scanning stage and a research and development smart stage to support research.

Read also

Generation Z finding time for second-hand luxury watches

Declan Keeney, director of the university's Ulster Screen Academy, noted it will help quadruple the number of large-scale studios in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Screen CEO Richard Williams sees parallels between film production and heavy industry
Northern Ireland Screen CEO Richard Williams sees parallels between film production and heavy industry. Photo: Paul Faith / AFP
Source: AFP

Comparing them to lighthouses that "draw people to them", they put the province "at the very front end, the cutting edge of technology for film and TV".

"We have a thriving sector here of people, enthusiastic people, who see the potential to work in this space," Keeney said.

The university and academy are already a "talent pipeline" into the creative industries, with 900 students studying 3D skills, aspects of media production and other related disciplines.

'Screen tourism'

Northern Ireland's small size and varied locations have also proven a draw for production companies, according to Naomi Liston, the location manager for "The Northman" and "Game of Thrones".

"(What is) absolutely key about Northern Ireland is that from our studio base we can be up at the north coast, which is one of the most famous beauty spots in the UK and Europe, in under an hour," she told AFP.

Read also

Chinese gamers bid sad farewell to 'World of Warcraft'

"That makes great production sense. And that saves money -- you're not travelling crews and having to accommodate them somewhere else."

Northern Ireland's scenery has proven a draw for production companies
Northern Ireland's scenery has proven a draw for production companies. Photo: Paul FAITH / AFP
Source: AFP

The TV and film success has spilled into the tourism sector. At the height of "Game of Thrones" popularity in 2018, Northern Ireland's tourism office said the show accounted for 350,000 visitors.

That contributed over 50 million pounds to the local economy, it estimated.

Flip Robinson, a former "Game of Thrones" body double and extra, now runs guided visits of locations from the show.

"We knew that it was going to bring tourists and that was the great thing that we were excited about, plus showcasing our amazing scenery that we've got here to the world," he said.

Robinson, from County Antrim, which includes Belfast and the famous northeastern coast, hopes the benefits of the film industry's growing success will ripple widely.

"People are just all delighted to get involved in it," he said. "I'm in the area of screen tourism, so it's fantastic."

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.