HOUNSLOW is set for a financial harvest' year for movie makers according to figures released by the borough's film office, who are expecting the film and television industry to boom, despite a down-turn across the capital.

According to the figures, nearly 250 days of shooting have taken place in Hounslow over the last 12 months - 10 times the amount when the Film Office initiated its service in the borough, meaning revenue from filming could be as much as £40,000 this year. The Council can then use the money to benefit facilities in the Borough.

In addition to the usual stills shoots for Vogue and Marie Claire or commercials for mobile phones, the Borough has played host to the BBC's adaptation of George Elliott's Daniel Deronda, Johnny Depp's new film about J.M.Barrie, Neverland, Stephen Poliakoff's drama The Lost Prince, Jeffrey Archer: The True Story, a male-menopause drama, Manchild, the first black Pope as portrayed by Lenny Henry in Pieces, the WI pin-up drama, Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren, as well as Love Actually, the new Hugh Grant movie from the Notting Hill team.

Hounslow temporarily became a high crime area - at least on camera - with the filming of Silent Witness followed by Inspector Lynley, Peter Divison's Last Detective, In Deep's undercover cops, Nick Berry and Stephen Tompkinson, and the cold case' team from Waking the Dead.

Television show, Spooks blew up a car bomb in Kinnaird Avenue, but there was a little Happiness' from Paul Whitehead as well.

This is good news for local businesses - 60 of whom advertise in trade magazine The Knowledge' from specialised firms, such as Lee Lifting and Arri Lighting, to more general companies', such as freight company Airlift Sealift International and taxi-firm Capital Cars, who all benefit when the shooting starts.

Principal film officer, Jon Hardy, put this success down to the harmony between locals and movie makers:

We endeavour to provide a service to reconcile the needs of local residents and businesses with those of production companies.

It is not always an easy task to satisfy everyone in every situation but the Film Office, as a locally based business, tries its utmost to serve the community as well as the production industry.

The Film Office operates a strict protocol to govern filming - this has now been adopted across London - but the rule of thumb is always would I mind this happening in my street, outside my house'.

We are keen to hear from residents who have concerns about filming so we can nip any problems in the bud.

This approach works: nearly 250 days of shooting took place in the last 12 months - the number of shoots has gone up 10-fold since the Film Office initiated the film service in Hounslow- but the number of complaints relating to filming has remained at a very low level - as low as it was before the service was launched 10 years ago.

Safety is also always paramount since much filming occurs in public places or in buildings where the public is present. The Film Office insists on professional standards of Health and Safety, conducting its own risk assessments of shoots in additional to those carried out by productions.''

For more information, log onto http://www.filmoffice.co.uk.

May 1, 2003 16:00