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UK government to invest in film and TV AI special-effects research UK government to invest in film and TV AI special-effects research
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Almost £150m to be spent on research labs to help future-proof industry and lift creative economyAlmost £150m to be spent on research labs to help future-proof industry and lift creative economy
The government is seeking to future-proof the UK’s multibillion-pound film and TV production industry by investing almost £150m in a network of research labs across the country tasked with developing the next generation of special effects using tech such as artificial intelligence. Ministers are seeking to future-proof the UK’s multibillion-pound film and TV production industry by investing almost £150m in a network of research labs across the country tasked with developing the next generation of special effects using tech such as artificial intelligence.
The scheme aims to build on Britain’s reputation for producing hi-tech hits from Star Wars to Harry Potter, and is part of wide-ranging plans to drive the UK creative economy. The government has earmarked millions to support grassroots music venues hammered by the Covid pandemic, and is tripling a fund designed to find and support the next generation of homegrown superstars like Adele and Ed Sheeran.The scheme aims to build on Britain’s reputation for producing hi-tech hits from Star Wars to Harry Potter, and is part of wide-ranging plans to drive the UK creative economy. The government has earmarked millions to support grassroots music venues hammered by the Covid pandemic, and is tripling a fund designed to find and support the next generation of homegrown superstars like Adele and Ed Sheeran.
There will be significant investment to nurture up-and-coming video games developers and backing to ensure the annual London fashion week and BFI film festival continue to thrive. The funding will be spread among hundreds of venues, new video games studios, fashion, film and other creative ventures. Four new research and development labs focusing on visual effects, motion-capture technology and AI will be supported with an additional £63m investment from industry.
“Our creative industry isn’t just about the glitz and glam of the red carpet in Leicester Square,” said Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the exchequer. “It brings in £108bn a year to help fund our public services, supports over 2 million jobs, and is world renowned. There will also be significant investment to nurture up-and-coming video games developers and backing to ensure the annual London fashion week and BFI film festival continue to thrive.
“Our creative industry isn’t just about the glitz and glam of the red carpet in Leicester Square,” said Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor. “It brings in £108bn a year to help fund our public services, supports over 2 million jobs, and is world renowned.
“We are backing it as an industry to drive our economic growth, keeping the UK at the top of the world’s cultural charts with a multimillion-pound boost.”“We are backing it as an industry to drive our economic growth, keeping the UK at the top of the world’s cultural charts with a multimillion-pound boost.”
The government, which has set a target of growing the scale of the UK creative industries by £50bn and create 1 million extra jobs by 2030, revealed the preferred locations chosen after a bidding process for its network of four research labs to drive the next generation of screen technology and on-set virtual production.The government, which has set a target of growing the scale of the UK creative industries by £50bn and create 1 million extra jobs by 2030, revealed the preferred locations chosen after a bidding process for its network of four research labs to drive the next generation of screen technology and on-set virtual production.
The national hub is to be located at Pinewood Studios, home to James Bond and the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, although the government has only officially said it will be located in the studio’s home county of Buckinghamshire.The national hub is to be located at Pinewood Studios, home to James Bond and the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, although the government has only officially said it will be located in the studio’s home county of Buckinghamshire.
The preferred sites for the regional labs have been named as Production Park Studios in West Yorkshire, Waters Edge Studios in Dundee and Studio Ulster in Belfast. Regional research labs will be established in West Yorkshire, Dundee and Belfast, with a national lab in Buckinghamshire, supported by the £63m investment from industry on top of £75.6m previously committed by the government.
The labs have been tasked with developing new virtual production techniques beyond traditional “green screen” special effects, for use in the film, TV and live event industry. “The creative industries are a true British success story, from global music stars like Adele and Ed Sheeran to world-class cultural institutions like the BBC,” said Rishi Sunak.
This will involve using computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality, motion capture and artificial intelligence to create virtual sets and real-time digitally generated environments. “These industries have a special place in our national life and make a unique contribution to how we feel about ourselves as a country.”
Some of the emerging technology has been used in productions such as the Abba Voyage live concert and immersive Batman and Minecraft live experiences, as well as in the Star Wars TV spin-off The Mandalorian. Despite facing huge challenges during the Covid pandemic, the sector has grown at 1.5 times the rate of the wider economy over the past decade, contributing £108bn in gross value added (GVA) annually. Employment in the industries has grown at five times the rate of the economy since 2011.
The overall amount announced on Tuesday includes £50m to help startups and creative entrepreneurs around the country.
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A previously announced investment of £75.6m in the network of labs, which government claims will be the largest virtual production research and development network in Europe, will be supported by a further £63m from industry players including BT, Vodafone, the National Film and Television School, Studio Ulster and Screen Yorkshire. About 400 grassroots music venues – the “lifeblood of our world-leading music sector”, according to the government – will receive an additional £5m over two years via Arts Council England. However, the sum averages out at just £12,500 for each venue.
Arts Council England’s grassroots music venue fund will receive an additional £5m over two years to aide 400 venues and projects that are trying to get back on their feet after the pandemic. Funding for the Music Exports Growth Scheme, which helps emerging musicians break into global markets, will be expanded by £3.2m over the next two years. Brit Rising Star nominee Beabadoobee said the funding had given her a “helping hand” and “more money will … help even more artists break through”.
The music exports growth scheme, which has supported former Brit Awards winners including Wolf Alice, Dave and Catfish and the Bottlemen, will be expanded from £1m to £3.2m to be spent on emerging talent over the next two years. An additional £5m will go to the UK Games Fund, bringing its total funding to £13.4m over the next two years. The fund awards grants to young video game developers to turn ideas into prototype products.
And the UK Games Fund, which has been supporting promising video games developers since 2015, will receive a £5m funding boost so it can also help more mature startups grow and attract private investment. “The games industry is worth billions of pounds,” said Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary. It was important as a research and development vehicle for other sectors. “For example, the 3D technology [used in gaming] can also be used for robotic arms in surgery.”
London fashion week and the London film festival will get new funding of £2m and £1.7m respectively as “international showcase events which enhance our soft power and boost creative exports”.