FAQs

Services

Q: What services does Bristol Film Office offer?

A: Bristol Film Office is a division of Bristol City Council that works to promote Bristol as a filming location and assist film crews working in the city. We assist with finding locations as well as offering advice about local crew and facilities, parking, accommodation, studios and production offices. We also issue filming permits to anyone filming in the city.  

Permits

Q: Does the Bristol Film Office issue permits for filming at all Bristol locations?

A: Bristol Film Office licenses filming on Bristol City Council property and land only. However, we also hold a large online locations database that includes a number of privately owned/managed locations. We have contact details for a good deal of privately owned locations in the city so if you need assistance or advice with sourcing a location get in touch and we will be happy to help.

Q: I am only filming a small, low-key project. Do I still need to apply for a filming license?

A: Yes. If you are filming at a Bristol City Council location you will need to apply for a license regardless of the size of the production. This also applies to students and independent filmmakers. Click here to access the permit application form.

Q: How do I find out whether Bristol City Council owns the property/land that I want to use for filming?

A: Just give us a call on 0117 922 3958 or email us a info@filmbristol.co.uk and we will be able to advise you.

Q: How do I apply for a filming permit?

A: You will need to complete a permit application form which you can download from the Permits page of the website. Please fax us the completed form along with a copy of your public liability insurance certificate and a risk assessment and we will contact you to discuss your project.

Q: How long does the permit application process take?

A: This depends on the scale of the project you are filming and the locations you are using. Most applications can be processed within the space of a week or two but if you are planning a more major shoot (e.g. involving a stunt or a large number of crew/extras) it may take slightly longer for permission to be obtained from the relevant management teams. At the very minimum we require 48 hours notice for general applications and 14 days notice for more major shoots.

Q: Is there a fee for filming on Bristol City Council property/land?

A: This depends on where you are filming. There is generally a fee involved for filming inside buildings owned by Bristol City Council. Filming in most parks, green spaces and some city centre areas also involve a fee. The fees do not apply to students and charities. For more information please call us on 0117 922 3958 or send us an email to info@filmbristol.co.uk.   

Parking

Q: Can Bristol Film Office help me to arrange parking dispensations for when I am filming in Bristol?

A: Yes. We can arrange for parking dispensations in on-street parking bays and car parks. We can also assist in obtaining permission to park on yellow lines. The current rates for parking dispensations are:

Pay and Display Bays: £23 per bay, per day.

Limited Waiting Bays: £43 per street, per day.

Car Parks (surface level and multi-storey): £6.50 - £10 per bay, per day.

Any parking requests must be sent to us at least 24 hours before the day that you wish to park in order for them to be processed effectively. If you wish to apply for parking dispensations please complete the Parking Request Form and return it to us.

We can also assist in finding and arranging unit base parking for larger crews, a number of which we license on behalf of Bristol City Council. Please call us on 0117 922 3958 for more information about unit bases, including charges.   

Locations

Q: I am looking for a particular location for an upcoming filming/photographic project. Can Bristol Film Office help?

A: Yes. We have a comprehensive locations database that includes a variety of different locations in the city. You can search the database by going to the Locations page of the website and registering a few details. If there is anything that you can't find on the website or if you would prefer to discuss the project with someone please give us a call on 0117 922 3958 or email us at info@filmbristol.co.uk and we will be happy to assist.

Q: Can I register my property/land with you as a filming location?

A: Yes. We hold an online locations database that includes both Bristol City Council and privately owned property/land. The database is available to anyone looking for filming/photographic locations in Bristol and we regularly send out details of locations from the database that we think would suit a particular script to Location Managers that are scouting for a variety of different projects. We are always looking to add to the database with as many locations as possible so if you have a property in Bristol that you think would make a good filming location and would like to register with us please complete the Location Registration Form and return it to us with a selection of around 10 photographs (jpegs or stills).

Crew & Facilities

Q: I am looking for a crew member/facilities company for a project I am filming in/near Bristol. Can you recommend someone?

A: We have an extensive crew and facilities guide that is available to search online. We share the guide with South West Screen, Bath Film Office and Cornwall Film so it covers the entire South West region. To search the Production Guide go to the Crew & Facilities page and specify your search criteria.

Q: I am a crew member living in Bristol. Can I register my details with you for future employment opportunities?

A: Yes. You can register your details on our Production Guide. This is a crew, facilities and general services database shared by Bristol Film Office, South West Screen, Bath Film Office and Cornwall Film that is available to search online. We recommend that any Producers looking to employ local crew use the Production Guide as their main resource. It is free to register on the guide and we will send you ID and pin numbers so you can update your information whenever you like. If you would like to register just click here and submit your details. We will then send you a confirmation email* that will include your ID and pin numbers and further information about the guide.

Q: I work for a Bristol-based company that offers filming facilities/general services. Can we register the company on the Production Guide?

A: Yes. The guide covers facilities and general service companies as well as crew. Just follow the above instructions to register.

Q: I am registered on the South West Screen Production Guide. Do I need to register with Bristol Film Office as well?

A: No. The Production Guide is shared with South West Screen, Bath Film Office and Cornwall Film so if you have already registered with any of these organisations you will automatically be registered with us as well.

Q: I am already registered on your Production Guide. How do I update my information?

A: When you registered your details you should have received a confirmation email from us that included your ID and pin numbers. If you still have these numbers simply click here, enter the relevant information and you will be taken to your details page. Please allow up to 48 hours for any changes to take effect.

Q: I have lost my ID and Pin numbers for updating my details on the production guide. How can I find them?

A: Please email us at info@filmbristol.co.uk and we will re-send your ID and pin numbers.

Q: I don't live in Bristol but I am looking for production work in the city. Can I register my details on your Production Guide for future employment opportunities?

A: Our Production Guide is for crew, facilities companies and general services companies with an address in the South West region of England. Because we share the guide with South West Screen, Bath Film Office and Cornwall Film anyone with an address in the South West can register through Bristol Film Office and will then automatically be registered with all four organisations. If your address falls outside the South West counties then unfortunately we are not able to include you on the guide. A large part of the work we do involves promoting the South West region as a filming location and this includes the local crew and facilities companies. We are committed to encouraging inward investment through filming to our region and therefore cannot promote crew or facilities companies based elsewhere.

Employment

Q: I would like to find out if there are any productions that will be filming in Bristol in the near future. Can you give me information about any upcoming projects?

A: In the main we are unable to give out details about upcoming productions until the information is released into the public domain by the production company. We treat all production information as strictly confidential to protect the production company and actors from unwarranted press attention that could lead to the company deciding to film elsewhere. If we are asked by the production company to release information to local crew/facilities companies we will send details to those people registered on our Production Guide.

Q: Are there any employment/work experience opportunities at Bristol Film Office?

A: We are a very small team of people and therefore we don't often have vacant positions. Any vacancies that may arise will be advertised on this website, in the local Bristol press and on the Bristol City Council website. We occasionally recruit for work experience staff to assist at busy periods and any such placements will be advertised on our website.

*Please allow 48 hours to receive the confirmation email.