Alma Economics was commissioned through the BFI Research and Statistics Fund, awarding National Lottery funding, to undertake a screen sector data review and mapping exercise as part of the fund’s Rapid Economic Assessment and Data Reviews (READR).
Recognising that information on the UK screen sector is spread across many organisations and formats, this short report and accompanying Excel data map aims to provide a clear picture of the data and evidence available to potentially support industry analysis across film, television and video games.
The report describes over 50 sources of data and evidence relevant to the UK screen sector, covering film, television and video games. It includes both datasets already used by the BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit (RSU) in its published statistics and additional sources identified during the scoping phase of this exercise. For each source, an overview of its content and focus is provided, along with contextual information useful for understanding the nature and purpose of each dataset.
The report also presents the findings from three focused analyses (‘deep dives’) carried out as part of this review. These were designed to explore in more detail the data and evidence available, both within and beyond the sources reviewed, across three topics of particular relevance to the screen sector:
- Screen sector data in the UK’s nations and England’s regions
- Funding for the screen sector
- Inward investment in film and television production
The final chapter of the report highlights where evidence is relatively comprehensive and where important gaps remain. It also includes a set of considerations on potential ways to strengthen the screen-sector data landscape, drawing on the issues and opportunities identified throughout the review.
The Excel-based map provides a visual summary of all data sources in scope, including sector and topic tags and a concise outline of the main topics each source covers. For sources that are publicly accessible or to which the BFI has access, the map also captures additional details, such as format, source type, publication frequency and other key attributes, presented in a consistent structure for ease of reference.
This report was commissioned as part of the BFI’s Rapid Evidence Assessment and Data Reviews (READR). READR aims to deliver shorter, targeted reports underpinned by data and evidence to provide rapid, responsive insight for the UK screen sector. Alongside the BFI’s full scope of research data and market intelligence on the UK film industry and other screen sectors, READR reports will be used to shape policy and strategically guide the sector. This report is authored by Alma Economics, the BFI’s appointed research supplier for READR.