A plan for growth in visual effects and post production: an election manifesto for the next UK government.
The general election was held on July 4th 2024, and the UK Screen Alliance set out a manifesto for the policies that it wanted pursued by the next government.
Visual effects and post production companies in the UK turnover more than £1.3bn and employ in excess of 12,000 people. Within the £4.2bn of spending supported by the UK’s four film and TV tax incentives, VFX accounts for £363.5m (8.5%). In addition, there is £346.5m of spending on VFX for non-tax relief supported genres such as advertising. In total, VFX contributes £1.6bn in GVA to the UK economy each year.
We ask the next government to:
- Enact the VFX tax credit uplift proposed in the Spring Budget 2024 [ACHIEVED OCTOBER 2024]
- Remove the Generative AI exclusion from the VFX tax credit proposal which will cost jobs rather than create them [ACHIEVED OCTOBER 2024]
- Bring forward the implementation date for the VFX tax credit to 1st Jan 2025 [ACHIEVED OCTOBER 2024]
- Introduce an exclusion for VFX costs from the 80% cap on eligible expenditure in the new Independent Film Tax Credit
- Secure the future of the NextGen/AIM level 3 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and Visual Effects Skills
- Further increase the flexibility of T Levels placements to allow more employers to offer them
- Reform the Apprenticeship Levy to cover employers’ running costs for providing placements and to fund other forms of training
- Fund further waves of skills bootcamps in the creative sector and reduce bureaucracy and delay in the bidding process
- Introduce workplace exchange programmes to increase the quality of teaching at all levels of education by providing tutors with real experience of current working practices and incentivise industry professional to become part-time tutors.
- Remove the Immigration Skills Charge from Skilled Worker Visas in priority sectors
- Retain the Graduate Visa route and continue access to the Creative Visa for workers employed by VFX companies
- Refrain from capping cap overall visa levels
- Prevent Channel 4 from operating their own in-house post production services
- Review the contractual terms offered to post production and VFX suppliers by independent producers, who have been commissioned by the regulated broadcasters, to foster a more stable investment environment for supply chain employers with fairer commercial practices
Please feel free to share our manifesto with parliamentary candidates in your area.
Animation UK, which is part of the UK Screen Alliance, has also produced a separate manifesto “A Blueprint For Sector Growth“, which we support.
