Here's how Scotland's film industry was destroyed – and rescued

We had no idea how lucky we were, having lots of fun working and playing hard, shaping our futures in an environment that was easy and supportive, within a solid and functioning infrastructure populated by motivated and determined people who were all there to help us achieve our dreams.

We punched above our weight and we were regulars at every A-list festival in the world, where our work was proudly featured and the awards and nominations rolled in.

Our position of strength was mainly due to the fact that we had a film agency (Scottish Screen) dedicated to developing, producing and promoting work around the world. Together with the Glasgow Film Office it was empowered not only to attract film-makers from overseas to shoot in Scotland but at the same time grow and fund the indigenous industry and all its ancillary activities.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival was one of the world’s most exciting festivals in the world.

Then... bam! In 2006, we were told it was all over. One fairly stupid money-saving decision by Jack McConnell’s government and we were told we were losing our screen agency. Scottish Screen – as well as the Arts Council – was to be scrapped and all of the various sections of the arts and their governing bodies were to be housed under a new umbrella organisation called Creative Scotland. For the next few years, we could only watch as our precious industry was brutally dismantled.

At the time we were up in arms and many of us Scottish producers launched a campaign to lobby the government to keep our agency, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, there was also a change at Glasgow City Chambers, and suddenly our healthy film support unit and its film funds were cut. Perhaps the most destructive blow was the decision to move the Edinburgh Film Festival from August to June to save money. That was an instant guarantee that the thousands of agents, distributors, film-makers, directors, actors and financiers that regularly came to Scotland would not be coming back.

Ironically, I’d just founded Film City Glasgow after 10 years of development. I couldn’t abandon ship. It was with horror that we could only sit back and watch the exodus as everyone went elsewhere to find work and funding, and soon the pulse had disappeared from the Scottish industry.

Netflix's Outlaw King was filmed in Scotland – and marked a return to the film industry's glory days in the country

We at Sigma, the production company I co-founded, were the lucky ones. By this point we had made our first features and had developed enough experience and networks that we could reach out to other countries for help. We could stay, although it wasn’t going to be pretty. It was going to be lonely and hard and depressing. For the generation coming through, it was sadly all over. There were no opportunities, only a few crumbs left on the table. Anyone with any sense left.

We waited in hope that when Creative Scotland was finally up and running there would be a change – but it was a mess. We sympathised with the remaining “screen” employees it had carried over from Scottish Screen, who had to work underneath new bosses who knew absolutely nothing about our industry or anyone who worked in it. In the end, it took until 2010 to get Creative Scotland up and running. Unfortunately, it took much, much longer for it to be functioning.

After several years of stagnation, in 2013 Creative Scotland published a review of the film sector. It screamed ‘‘market failure’’ and not long afterwards I was invited to give evidence at a Scottish Government inquiry at Holyrood. I gave an honest account of what had happened and the devastating effect on the industry.

I watched the MSPs’ shocked faces as I described how hopeless Scotland’s industry had become compared to other small countries around the world.

Many of the independent producers in Glasgow and Edinburgh united to form a lobbying group, Independent Producers Scotland, who spearheaded the campaign to put Scotland back on screen. We persuaded the Scottish Government to launch another inquiry into the sector, and this time the Culture, Tourism and External Relations Committee invited the opinions of some of the most senior heavyweights in the industry, including John McCormick (former BBC controller), Iain Smith (Mad Max: Fury Road producer) and Tommy Gormley (Star Wars producer). All of them confirmed what we’d already told them. The industry in Scotland was dead. There was no argument. This was embarrassing.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop recognised that major steps had to be taken and, as well as formally asking the various government agencies to form a partnership, she announced the formation of a task force whose mandate was to come up with a remedy.

Given the amount of negativity and blame that was flying around, the industry’s corporate relationships were in tatters and at this point there were some very difficult and tense meetings taking place.

Thankfully, someone had the wisdom to appoint John McCormick to chair the Screen Leadership Group, which would consist of a cross-section of independent producers as well as Creative Scotland executives, Scottish Enterprise employees and government and council officials.

It took a further two years to complete what we set out to do: work with the government to come up with a plan that would turn the industry around. People lost or left their jobs. The stress was palpable. But John McCormick spoke to people individually, listened carefully to everything everyone had to say and gently shepherded us back to a place where we could be constructive and supportive.

At this point, the main area of contention was whether we needed to reinstate our former screen agency or empower the screen department within Creative Scotland.

Having watched the dismantling of the previous agency and realising the time and cost involved in creating a new one, we finally all agreed that the best option was to work with and enhance what we already had, bearing in mind that those within the screen department at Creative Scotland were extremely in tune and up-to-speed with the state of play, not to mention desperate to find a solution.

Fiona Hyslop kept her word. She gave us everything we asked for. She doubled the budget for the screen sector and set about putting in place the personnel, the resources and the strategies we needed, and at the end of 2018, our dedicated screen unit -– Screen Scotland – was formed. Isabel Davis, who had previously been head of international at the British Film Institute, joined as executive director of the new organisation. Hallelujah!

Now, Scotland is reaping the rewards of our biggest ever year in 2018. Not only did the Outlaw King grace our screens but so did Mary Queen of Scots.

We have a new leader, a new screen organisation and double the funding we ever had. We’ve made the biggest ever Scottish film and finally there’s a studio on the horizon. Our industry is worth well over £100 million and is only set to rise. Confidence has returned.

The knock-on effects are impressive. Tour operators are reporting a 160% rise in business and tourism is up by 41% year on year.

Everywhere we look there are opportunities for new entrants. I take my hat off to all those involved in turning our industry around. Needless to say, this should only be the beginning…