London has grown to become the third busiest city in the world for filmmaking after LA and New York. The news comes after the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced last week a new investment in London”s film, TV and animation industries to boost jobs, support home grown talent and attract high-end productions.

Johnson is expanding the remit of Film London, to bring in £200m worth of additional expenditure through TV and animation production and create 1000 industry jobs. He will invest £2m to broaden Film London”s reach, with £750,000 ear-marked to promote the development of these sectors.

“We are at the dawn of a new golden age of TV production in London,” Boris Johnson, Mayor of London said while visiting Ealing Studios. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to make London the city of choice for TV and animation production. It”s time for London to fulfil its potential as the world leader.”

Over the last four years Film London, already working to facilitate major motion pictures shot in the capital, generated £770m in investment and there are hopes that the agency”s scope will be expanded into high-end TV, such as dramas, mini-series, franchise shows, international co-productions and animations.

With additional funding, the city can now set its sights on new investment opportunities from markets such as US, India, China and South America.

Producer Gareth Neame, responsible for Downton Abbey, said: “We are fortunate to have one of the most vibrant TV production industries in the world here in the UK and much of that work has traditionally been located in the London area, which also boasts many of our most iconic locations.

“Britain is the second biggest exporter of TV content in the world and a tax incentive to boost local production and encourage incoming content is long overdue. As British producers we welcome this commitment by the government.”

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