Member Article

Lights, Camera, Action: Film production is booming in London borough

In the last year an increasing number of television and feature film producers have selected Barking and Dagenham as a filming location, generating income of around £100k for the borough.

Most recently the science buildings at the former May and Baker site in Dagenham – now home to Londoneast-uk Business and Technical Park, were used as the setting for ITV’s new prime-time drama ‘Code of a Killer’.

The two-part drama was shot on location at the former pharmaceutical plant over a three-week period in October last year. Part-one is being broadcast on Monday, April 6 at 9pm.

Barking and Dagenham Council has a dedicated Film Officer who works with Film London, the coordinating body for film production in the capital which coordinates and promotes the capital as an outstanding and cost-effect location for producing TV programmes and movies.

Since it was set up in 2000, Barking and Dagenham’s Film Office has supported a series of projects across the borough and it has gained a good reputation among filming professionals.

Productions which have been filmed in the borough include BBC dramas Silks, Eastenders and The Interceptors. British movies filmed in the borough include Harry Brown, which starred screen legend Sir Michael Caine as well as recent hit The Riot Club and the still to be released, London Road which features heartthrob, Tom Hardy.

There was over 70 days filming in the borough in the last year.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure, Councillor Darren Rodwell, said: “We are a Council that wants to play its part in London and we are committed to doing all that we can to achieve this. We are strengthening our offer to the film and television production industry by working in partnership with local businesses like Londoneast-Uk who have the vision to see the benefit filming can bring.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .