Sean's links to SNP 'doomed studio plans'

SIR Sean Connery today claimed his loyalty to the SNP prevented a multi-million-pound film studio from being built in the Capital.

Plans for a £90 million international film studio at Hermiston Gait were first put forward in 1998 but fell foul of Edinburgh City Council's rules on development.

Scotsman 21 May 2007

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=36&id=788742007

He had backing for the project from the Sony Corporation, but said the council killed off the project due to his political links.

And now Sir Sean has again stirred controversy by saying his discussions with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, got nowhere due to his political allegiances.

He was reported as saying: "It became clear that anything associated with myself was not going to be accepted.

"They would have been perfectly happy if I joined Labour."

Web link

Scottish Screen
http://www.scottishscreen.com/
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ho hum.........maybe not. Some of the sights, crumbling old castles and scenery of Scotland may seem just an ordinary part of life. Not so for those who have never seen much, if any of it. Scotland may possess a gold mine in just her sights and scenery.

This studio would of course be of great benefit to our country and we should all support having it. But great films can be made showing the outstanding scenery of Scotland nonetheless.

The recently made film Seachd, which was widely tipped to go forward for an Oscar, is a case in point.

www.scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/entertainment.cfm?id=15...

Scotland NEEDS a major all-purpose film studio to be built here. Let's get it near to Edinburgh before Glasgow nabs it!!

Err what is this article about? The studio debate surfaces every couple of years and as always nothing happens. A big studio is not the answer, a decent sound stage is all that's required, saving production trips down south.

As to Glasgow v Edinburgh. It takes longer to drive across LA than it does Glasgow to Edinburgh.

The only way international productions will come to Scotland is through tax breaks like the Isle of Man, tied to training local people and a certain percentage of definite location work.

The creation of our own industry will only be helped by an independent Scotland imposing quotas on what US productions can be distributed and exhibited here. Like what those clever Frenchies do. Look at any multiplex here and all you have available is churned out poor quality Yank keech.

Are we really saying that Scotland needs a studio? That there are no more imaginative ideas we could exploit?

Human imagination knows no bounds ... and that human imagination was once Scotland's studio.

Some obvious questions:

Did Scottish Screen video any of this aerial reconnaissance trip? Did they capture the message they wanted to transmit? If not - why not?

Have they then posted that video on for example, YouTube - to exhibit the visual image involved, and capture the imagination of many others worldwide at no additional cost? If not - why not?

Did they? Presumably without a studio the answer is no?

A perhaps less obvious question:

Anyone know the size or location of the YouTube studio?

Yes indeed - what has become a worldwide facility exists without any studio.

Do we need a studio - maybe.

Do we need to exercise our imaginations - definitely.

Thank God for CGI, it'll be needed to remove wind turbines and super pylons from the scenes!

Good god - they want to make a sequel to 'Wild Hogs'?

Wilder Hogs 2: Oban to Clachnacuddin.

9
LOL