Testimonials

Bristol Film Office has been supporting productions working in the city since 2003. We are proud to have the endorsement of producers, writers, location managers and leading actors that have chosen to work in Bristol.

“Filming in Bristol was a fantastic experience. The city is incredibly film-friendly, with ideal locations that added a larger-than-life landscape to our film. Shooting at the Bristol Marina, Cascade Steps and Bristol City Hall among other locations in the city brought a unique grandeur to our scenes. The people of Bristol were exceptionally cooperative, which was crucial for us, especially while filming with a global superstar like Diljit Dosanjh. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Bristol Film Office for their outstanding support, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable filming process. With a crew of 80 people, we filmed in Bristol for a month, and the city’s hospitality and infrastructure were top-notch.”Manmord Singh Sidhu, Producer, Jatt & Juliet 3

“From the undeniably talented local crews to the fantastic facilities available at The Bottle Yard, Bristol was the perfect home for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.” Frith Tiplady, Executive Producer, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

“For a proudly Bristol-set show, the range and variety of locations the city offers is unparalleled and was a key part of The Outlaws’ distinct identity. At all times, the Film Office were supportive and proactive with assisting the production. Our experience of shooting in the city could not have been more positive.” Luke Alkin, Executive Producer, The Outlaws

“Filming Alex Rider Season Three at The Bottle Yard, and more specifically being one of the first shows to shoot at their brand new TBY2 facility, was a real advantage for us. Ideally placed for Bristol’s fantastic location options which are smoothly managed by the city’s Film Office, it proved to be the only choice for us.” Richard Burrell, Producer, Alex Rider (series 3)

“Bristol Film Office were exemplary in helping source locations. There were last minute location changes needed because of weather or cast availability – alternatives options were quickly suggested and things like parking suspensions and road closures were issued quickly and efficiently. In addition Bristol Film Office helped Boarders source last minute Graffiti artists which were needed in order for us to complete filming at a new location.” Carleen Beadle-Larcombe, Line Producer, Boarders

“With the help of Bristol Film Office, we aimed to attract local talent and give opportunities to those from underrepresented backgrounds across the crew. In addition to this, we brought on Latent Pictures, a Bristol-based company working with underrepresented filmmakers, to produce all our ‘behind the scenes’ footage.” Madeleine Sinclair, Executive Producer, Boarders

“Bristol Film Office and the Balmoral team led by Rob Skuse immediately understood the brief and were invaluable in bringing Port Royal Harbour to Princes Wharf Bristol. Although the fabulous MV Balmoral is not quite an Atlantic crossing Windrush vessel of the time, it is a beautiful period-correct ship with a hugely experienced (mostly volunteer) team less than one hour from our studio. The Dock with its impressive cargo cranes of yesteryear (operational still) and the sleek lines of MV Balmoral combined wonderfully with the design team’s Jamaican dock set dressing – for a brief moment, a small part of Bristol docks was transformed into a busy embarkation point for islanders starting their journey to Britain.” Ben Mangham, Supervising Location Manager, Black Cake   

“Bristol was the perfect place for us to film and set our series. The city offered an amazing variety of locations, both within its urban areas and the surrounding countryside. Our show also required coastal locations, and we were able to access stunning seaside locations in about an hour from our production base. More than anything, it was a lovely city to live and work in for the duration of our shoot, with brilliant crew available locally or just over the bridge in Wales. We would definitely like to film there again.” Andy Baker, Executive Producer, Truelove

“Shooting in Bristol never fails to surprise and excite. The diversity of locations, the support of the Bristol Film Office and the first-class crew based in the city made it an immediate choice.” Eve Gutierrez, Executive Producer, The Killing Kind

“Making Rain Dogs in Bristol has been great – it’s obviously a very film friendly place, it felt like everyone really wanted us to be here and the crews are brilliant. Around 70% of our film crew was from Bristol. The Film Office was helpful, The Bottle Yard Studios were a fantastic partner – it’s just a really exciting place to film. We needed somewhere that could double for London, where the first four episodes are set before the characters move to the West Country towards the end of the show. The shoot used 72 locations in total which is an extraordinary amount. We did just two days in London, everything else was Bristol and the South West.” Ciara McIlvenny, Producer, Rain Dogs

“Bristol always has incredible visual production value. The Lazarus Project is primarily set in London but Bristol has the scale and variation to be the most likely place to find suitable options. The Crescent on Canon’s Way, a prominent building near the docks, also doubled for Eastern Europe. The ease with which the Film Office and Highways Dept dealt with our request to close a major road for a stunt-laden car chase helped turn what could have been an utter headache into a highly effective and excellent-looking night of filming.” Benjamin Greenacre, Producer, The Lazarus Project

“The majority of our filming was shot in and around Bristol, which provided the majority of our London location requirements. We actually only went to London once to shoot very obvious London scenes. Having worked on six shows for Urban Myth Films, I find that a lot of the areas around Bristol give us the large scale buildings London has, without having to shoot in London. Unless an iconic London building is required in shot, it is good to use Bristol for filming our exteriors.” Darren Green, Line Producer, The Lazarus Project

“We couldn’t have wished for a better location for Sanditon. We chose Bristol’s Georgian House for the Parker’s London home because it was a truly authentic location and a remarkable place that felt exactly like stepping back in time…the real deal!” Belinda Campbell, Executive Producer, Sanditon

“Bristol proved a terrific choice for many practical reasons and in giving the show its identity. Aside from the well run Bottle Yard base, there is a wealthy array of city and rural location options within a relatively short radius. There’s something of the soul of the West Country in the show which was creatively important to co-creator and co-writer Daisy May Cooper. Bristol is a very film friendly place, from cityscapes to bucolic beauty nearby, its versatility is impressive. Bristol is fast becoming the destination for shows and films with its advanced production infrastructure, experienced crews and superb locations.” Shane Allen, Executive Producer, Am I Being Unreasonable?

“Bristol Film Office were incredibly supportive in helping us find and service a wide variety of locations in and around the area for The Undeclared War.” Robert Jones, Producer, The Undeclared War

“Bristol is Wildseed Studios’ home and it was important for us from the outset that The Last Bus should be made here in the city. The Film Office made it easy to film at Redcliffe Caves and The Downs, awesome locations right here on our doorstep, and we found all the other locations we needed nearby in the South West.” Miles Bullough, Executive Producer, The Last Bus

“Bristol is a city that carries Drama in its blood. The city is a theatre of opportunity with ready-made stages in its gorges, docks, colourful streets and vibrant harbourside, robustly supported by both the dynamic operation at The Bottle Yard Studios and the post facilities at The Farm.  ‘Chloe’ has an idiosyncratic yet distinctively Bristol/South-West look and sound, but it’s thrilling story of obsession and grief is universally relatable.” Joanna Crow, Producer, Chloe

“The Girl Before required a build space with dimensions that would allow us to construct a two-storey house, which was quite a challenge to find. The Film Office and Bottle Yard Studios stepped in at the twelfth hour and helped facilitate the shoot to run smoothly, both in the studio and at our various Bristol locations, in challenging times.” Rhonda Smith, Producer, The Girl Before

“Relocating Alex Rider from London to Bristol was a decision born from COVID-19 but it proved to be a successful choice on every level. The range of locations that Bristol and the West Country gave us were amazing. Add in the top rate Bristol film crew and we had a recipe for making another exciting season of Alex Rider that the audience love whilst doing so in a fantastic city that welcomed us and helped us to make the show COVID-safe. Bristol Film Office were a first-class resource that helped us on that journey and we are very grateful.” Richard Burrell, Producer, Alex Rider (series 2)

“What I love about shooting in Bristol is that for a relatively compact city it offers such a variety of locations. From a period private house in Clifton (a personal favourite as I could walk there from my accommodation) to a converted warehouse in Brislington. As our story was set in Devon, it was a bonus to be able to “cheat” the coast in Portishead and on Severn Beach. The shoot went very smoothly – it’s definitely a film friendly place.” Angie Daniell, Producer, The Long Call 

“Showtrial was shot in its entirety in and around Bristol. We benefitted from the huge variety of available locations in and in close proximity to this very photogenic city. Bristol is extremely film friendly; terrific crews, a great production base at The Bottle Yard Studios, a thriving technical and creative community and easy access to a wide range of locations. It is no wonder that so many productions are finding their way to Bristol. I for one want to return as soon as possible.” Christopher Hall, Producer, Showtrial 

“We can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us over series one and two of The Outlaws. It wouldn’t have been possible without your help.” Locations team, The Outlaws (series 1&2)

“The Bottle Yard Studios and Bristol Film Office could not have been more flexible and more supportive to our ever-changing circumstances. I would return to shoot in Bristol in a heartbeat.” Producer Nickie Sault, The Outlaws (series 1&2)

“Although Manhunt The Night Stalker is set in suburban South London, we decided to move the majority of our shoot to Bristol, with a few days at the end for some key London shots. It proved to be an extremely good decision. We started filming in mid-October 2020, when the Covid figures were rising again after the summer, and continued in Bristol right through until Christmas.  Bristol went into Tier 3 during our shoot and we ended the Bristol shoot with all the government’s changes of plans over what was allowed for Christmas itself. Not an easy time to be working in close proximity to a large group of fellow professionals. Bristol Film Office were extremely helpful and we were able to agree a key location, the old Bank of England building in the City Centre, very early. Here our design team created a composite police station set. This meant that for three weeks of our shoot we were away from members of the public, in our own large interior space. Before that we had to film in various locations around the city, often at night, but moving between locations was far easier than it would have been in London, and without exception we found location owners helpful and understanding.” Jo Willett, Producer, Manhunt: The Night Stalker

“Bristol Film Office were incredibly supportive in aiding the return of War of the Worlds to shoot in the city following Covid. As the city has numerous areas that double well for London it is a natural fit for us. Combined with the flexibility, efficiency and ‘can do’ attitude from the Bristol Film Office the whole process of filming in Bristol has been a smooth and organised experience. They worked together with the production to ensure that all locations were well aware of our strict Covid protocols which meant that very few requests were turned down.” Adam Knopf, Producer, War of the Worlds

“We wanted to set it in a port city, as that is important to the drug trafficking storyline. We were looking for something a little less familiar and Bristol is one of those cities that actually has been used as a backdrop for filming a lot, but you wouldn’t know it because a lot of series are filmed there but not set there. Bristol is such a visually interesting city and editorially it fitted with our storyline.” Jo McGrath, Exec Producer, Before We Die

“We had a great time filming The Pursuit of Love at The Bottle Yard Studios and in and around Bath and Bristol. Fantastic locations and talented local crew all contributed to a show we are very proud of. Being one of the first shows to film with Covid procedures in place was a challenge that was crucially supported by the Studios and Film Office, which helped everything run very smoothly.” Frith Tiplady, Executive Producer, The Pursuit of Love

“Bristol Film Office have yet again proved how accommodating they can be to make sure the process of scouting, prepping and shooting a series in the city goes smoothly. Their support was fantastic and has helped us nurture an ongoing relationship that we hope can continue.” Adam Knopf, Producer, The One

“Shooting factual drama presents a number of challenges when trying to balance budget limitations, whilst staying faithful to the original story. Murder in the Car Park had 11 days to shoot sequences spanning three decades – Bristol offered us all the locations we needed as well as a fantastic crew who really got behind the project.” Kate Cook, Producer, Murder in the Carpark

“This is a unique story about Salisbury so we were keen to film there as much as possible. However, we didn’t want to remind its residents of the extraordinary, disruptive events they experienced in 2018 by recreating big set pieces there. The drama includes news archive from the time, so our locations needed to be as authentic as possible. Bristol has a wealth of modern and period architecture and is very film-friendly. We were hugely supported by the Film Office and The Bottle Yard Studios in finding our key locations and in the filming of this sensitive production.” Karen Lewis, Producer, The Salisbury Poisonings

“We worked extensively with Janine and colleagues at the Bristol Film Office on the forthcoming production of A House Through Time. They were hugely helpful in facilitating both locations and permits, sometimes at very short notice.” Zarina Dick, Production Manager, A House Through Time: Bristol

“Having based Poldark here for 5 years, Mammoth Screen already knew about the professional excellence provided by local crew, the variety and beauty of locations found in the city and the region, the excellent facilities and staff at The Bottle Yard and the unparalleled help and expertise proffered by the Bristol Film Office and Bristol City Council. It’s because of all these invaluable assets that Mammoth have returned to their home-away-from-home to shoot this flagship drama for BBC One. Bristol should take pride that it has become a centre of excellence for High End TV drama; it is as strong an option for filming as London ever was and is now the front runner amongst the regional production bases such as Manchester or Cardiff.” Benjamin Greenacre, Line Producer, The Pale Horse

“What you have created here in Bristol is very special. To be able to produce a major drama with over 80 speaking parts and up to 500 people working on it, and to find everything you need in one city that you can get around so easily compared to London, is a remarkable thing. Bristol deserves a BAFTA for the best place to make drama.” Douglas Rae, Executive Producer, The Trial of Christine Keeler

“It has been a delight to make The Trial of Christine Keeler in Bristol. The Bottle Yard has been a wonderful and supportive home and along with the Film Office, has helped to make Bristol a great place to film. The locations have also been inspiring for the whole team. And the icing on the cake has been access to the best and loveliest crew and HoD’s I’ve ever worked with.” Kate Triggs, Executive Producer, The Trial of Christine Keeler

“Hellboy was the fourth – and biggest – film that I’ve shot in my home city and Bristol never disappoints; it’s an exceptional place in which to make a movie. The city and its surroundings has every sort of filming location a director could want. The Bottle Yard is a Grade A facility, perfect for our production base and Bristol Film Office is second to none. There’s a terrifically strong talent base here which is growing every year. Access to this talent, to the excellent locations and to the Studios are huge incentives for productions to base themselves here in Bristol. As ever it was a pleasure to work alongside the people of Bristol during the shoot. We filmed in Redcliffe for a couple of nights; the local residents could not have been more helpful and enthusiastic. Bristol continues to be a renowned centre of excellence for High End Television production – Hellboy puts Bristol on the US studio radar as a city in which to shoot big budget films too.” Benjamin Greenacre, Unit Production Manager (UK), Hellboy

“Locations played a huge part in deciding where we wanted to film. The West country seemed like the right choice. Not only are Bristol crew incredibly skilled, the landscape seemed to fit with the idea of a big music festival. The Bottle Yard Studios was the ideal production base, with sets built for weather cover, and easy access to some terrific Bristol locations. Colston Hall doubling for our university graduation scene and the residential houses in the adjacent area working well to fit the idea of pretty suburbia England. Not to mention the incredible food scene Bristol now has, the cast and crew could not have been happier to be in Bristol for three months.” Claire Jones, Producer, The Festival

“Bristol is my home city, so I’m biased, but I think it’s the most fascinating city in the country. There’s always something to do and experience; from the incredible outdoor spaces to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft; from the brilliant Bristol Old Vic to the amazing carnival. I’m so proud it’s got this new City of Film status, it’s a place where stories should be told.” Jack Thorne, BAFTA-winning Screenwriter, Kiri

“We filmed all of the exteriors [in Bristol]. It’s Miriam’s patch. It’s fantastic, vibrant, really colourful, really edgy, completely non-conformist, which is very much who she is. They sort of complement one another… it was a really good place to film.” Sarah Lancashire, Actress, Kiri: