About the Lancashire Film Liaison Officer

LYNDA Banister has headed the Lancashire Film Office since its transfer to North West Vision in 2002.

“But the film office was first established back in 1996 by Lancashire Enterprise PLC,” says Lynda, who started her career at the BBC in London, before moving back to the Northwest as a PA at Granada.

There’s not much she doesn’t know about the diverse locations available in Lancashire. And it’s that extensive local knowledge which producers find invaluable.

“In the very early days we didn’t have a locations database or a crew list, it was more about promoting Lancashire’s tourism sites to potential filmmakers. But these days, film and programme makers are looking for far more wide-ranging locations,” says Lynda.

“My contacts are fantastic and however weird or wonderful the request, they can usually help me find what the filmmakers are looking for. I think of myself as an information hub, a bubble linking other bubbles - helping filmmakers to connect with the right people to get their production made!” laughs Lynda.

From logistics to office management to dealing with requests from Location Managers or crew looking for work, Lynda’s encyclopaedic knowledge of all things film and TV related, stands her in good stead for the Film Office job.

“There’s never two days the same in this job, which is one of the best things about the role,” confides Lynda. “I never know what to expect when I come into work each morning. The email is always waiting with that day’s surprise request!”

In addition to her office-bound work, Lynda is also out and about discovering new locations to add to the already extensive Northwest Vision and Media Locations database. “I love it when I find a new gem, totally undiscovered by TV and filmmakers. I like to think I’m not only doing my bit for the industry, but for the county, too, by showing the wider-world what we have to offer.”

Assisting Location Managers is an essential party of Lynda’s workload. “They tell me about locations they’re specifically need to tie down, and I can advise them on which permits they’ll need and who they’ll need to approach to get them. I also arrange location technical reccies to find out what they want, and when,” she explains.

At technical reccies Lynda needs to discover a whole range of information. For example, she finds out whether a production needs control of the road before they shoot that scene, and where lights will go, and whether a street will have to be closed to accommodate them.

“It’s my job to try and facilitate all of the productions needs, and work very closely with the council, highways and Lancashire Police when it comes to things like traffic management,” she explains. Lynda also knows she can call on the resources of the other Vision and Media Film Offices for help.

“Working together with the other film offices in the Northwest means we’re able to promote the entire region, which makes us a lot more successful. The filming days in Lancashire have shot up since we’ve come under the brolly of Northwest Vision and Media. If a production is shooting in say Manchester, if they can’t find a certain location, the Manchester film office can call me and I’ll say yes, we have the ideal spot, and it’s only 45 minutes away!”

In Lancashire alone, Lynda’s work helped to generate around £7 million inward investment during 2006. “We’ve had four series of Born and Bred filmed in Lancashire, which was great as it showed what beautiful locations we have available,” says Lynda.

“But my favourite shoot was a Clarks shoe commercial, showing a young woman dancing around with French music playing. You really thought she was in Paris, until it was revealed the location was actually Preston – which in my opinion is every bit as good!”

But Lynda admits to having an even greater ambition for her much-loved Lancashire. “I want to attract a big feature film here,” she says. “That’s my goal for the future. It would be amazing.”

Contact Lynda

Lancashire Film Office