Screen Alliance and Animation UK have revealed their manifestos for the next government

channel-4

The Screen Alliance has revealed a list of recommendations for the post-production and VFX sector ahead of the general election.

Included in the Screen Alliance Manifesto is a recommendation that the next government to prevent Channel 4 from creating in-house post-production services, and a review of the contractual terms that post and VFX houses work with, with the aim of giving them more stability.

It also includes asking the next government for the VFX tax credit, which was announced in the last budget, to be introduced from January 2025 instead of April, and for its generative AI exclusion to be removed. It would also like an exclusion for VFX costs from the 80% cap on eligible expenditure in the new Independent Film Tax Credit.

Another area of focus is training and skills, with the future of the NextGen/AIM level 3 16-18 Extended Diploma in Games, Animation and Visual Effects Skills to be confirmed, and asking for further flexibility in T Levels so that more employers can offer them.

The Screen Alliance would also like further funding for skills bootcamps, and streamlining of the bidding process, as well as reforming the Apprenticeship Levy to cover employers’ running costs for providing placements and to fund other forms of training. Another recomendation is the introduction of workplace exchanges, so that tutors have more experience of current working practices and to incentivise current professionals to become part-time tutors. 

On immigration, it advocates for the removal of the Immigration Skills Charge from Skilled Worker Visas in priority sectors, keeping the Graduate Visa route and continuing access to the Creative Visa for workers employed by VFX companies. The manifesto also asks the next government to refrain from capping cap overall visa levels.

Meanwhile Animation UK has five proposals for the next government. These are uplifting the AVEC tax incentive for animation content to 37%; funding kids TV proportionally to other genres at PSBs and introduce a £100m Children’s Content Fund; review private sector incentives for animation work; increase the UK Global Screen Fund and explore re-linking with Creative Europe/Media; and have more focus on arts based and creative education.