The UK has become a global hub for top film and TV production thanks to highly skilled talent and a series of generous allowances for studios. With record investment in the UK, more and more jobs will be created.
The creative arts sector has been a key driving force for the UK over the past decade, far outpacing the national economy in terms of growth. To put some statistics to the claim, the UK Government reveals the creative arts industries grew by 43.9% between 2010 and 2019, while the wider economy only grew by 17.7%.
Plenty of economic growth is a sure sign of more job roles being created, so we take a look at some of the smaller sectors which are desperate to hire right now.
Studios
Huge levels of investment have been pumped into UK studio space – our estimates now suggest over £1 billion worth of investment into new studios projects. This investment is happening across the UK too, you’ve got new studios under construction in East London, Ashford and Reading, plus projects across Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool and Belfast to name a few.
This investment is partly the consequence of major global media businesses producing more and more content in the UK. Both Disney and Netflix have secured long-term, exclusive leases for the majority of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios. Those giants’ original commissions could be produced there, but other productions will need to find other studio space, where there is a clear lack of supply.
With all the new investment and studio space coming online, there will be hundreds of jobs created to ensure the smooth running of studio operation.
Production
With an increase in studio space, the UK will become more and more attractive to make TV shows and feature films. Many high-end blockbusters and shows are already produced in the UK due to the highly-skilled talent base the country has. The amount of talent should grow if there are successful training schemes in place.
Streamers
Lots of SVOD (Subscription-Video on Demand) services now exist and these will likely be a key sector for the media industry for the foreseeable future. The likes of Netflix has expanded their London office with the intention of hiring even more staff based in the UK capital across 2021 and following years.
You’ll find many similar roles at both broadcasters and streaming services, though the scope might be different. However, SVOD services are beginning to commission more local content and those decisions will be data-led. Therefore, an understanding of data, both app usage and viewing data will become an extremely attractive skill set in the future for SVOD services.
Finding the new jobs
Here at Action Media Jobs, we are a one-stop destination for roles in the media and entertainment industries. Whether its in production, distribution, broadcasting or streaming, we’ll highlight the very best roles in the industry.