Sweeping shots of the city bathed in golden sunlight from Arthur’s Seat, scenes of the New Town and Vennel views of the Castle – Edinburgh is a cinematic city.
No recent production has arguably captured the sweeping romance and drama locked into its architecture and geography as well as the Netflix hit, One Day.
In just a single week in February 2024, ten million people sat down to watch the show, which quickly became the most-watched on the streaming platform. Based on David Nicholls’ book, the series may centre on Dex and Emma, but Edinburgh plays a starring role.
The opening scenes of a party in Old College Quad illuminated with festoon lighting set the University as the launchpad for the will-they-won’t-they love story of the two graduands.
Creative arts
It’s not the first time that the University has been in the spotlight. The 1959 production of the Jules Verne novel, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, brought James Mason’s mid-century charm to Old College.
More recently, Hollywood blockbusters (more of which later) and TV productions of Edinburgh alumnus’ Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels have transformed campus.
But how do showbiz productions like One Day end up here, and how does the University get its leading role?
Vital links
Away from the bright lights and clapper boards, pull back the curtain and you will find a dedicated team within the University who make all of this possible, providing a vital bridge between location scouts, production teams, and the University.
“Offering our photogenic and historic locations as sets attracts shoots to come to Edinburgh and feeds into the creative arts, giving back to the city by showcasing some of its gems in the best light,” says Lorna Brain, Head of Festivals and Events, and the key link between film crews and the University.
The Festivals and Events Team have supported several blockbuster productions in recent years. For The Fast and the Furious franchise’s F9: The Fast Saga, starring Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, one stunt included a gravity-defying leap from the roof of the National Museum of Scotland onto the 18th century roof of Old College.
Streets around Old College were closed as giant cranes and cherry pickers were erected to ensure safety for the stunt team.
Famous faces
The Festivals and Events team are well-versed in dealing with big names, including an Oscar and Bafta winning actor who was recently in town to film an upcoming Sky Studios series, set in the 1990s.
Lorna says: “We sometimes will have extremely famous actors on site and production crew will work closely with us on creating a closed set, so that we can offer a degree of privacy, both for the actor, but also for students and staff trying to get on with their day.”
Logistical wizardry
Lorna and the team ensure that the shoot is carried out with minimal disruption to the University community, coordinating with the production crew closely, using gargantuan spreadsheets and logistical wizardry to avoid clashes with teaching timetables and other University events.
Whether Golden Boy is having an on-screen moment atop Old College, or the Appleton Tower reception is doubling as a GP office, the production is considered with acute sensitivity to how filming will affect campus life.
“It’s difficult to have crews on site as we don’t want to disrupt students and staff who are trying to get on with their day,” says Lorna. “The grad ball scene for One Day, for example, was filmed overnight during July, so there wasn’t a conflict with University schedules.”
Hidden gems
Having worked with productions for many years, the Festivals and Events team are adept at matching what crews are often looking for with hidden corners of the University.
“Scouts might be seeking the perfect room to double as a 1960s lawyer’s office, or to host a Georgian banquet, and that’s where our familiarity with the estate and its rooms is very useful,” says Lorna.
Tweaks made to campus for the recent Sky series included recreations of archived University logos and signs to bring an air of authenticity to the set.
Over the years, film crews have used the University’s ancient – and not so ancient – buildings as generic locations in well-known television dramas.
Photogenic spaces such as the Playfair Library have been used for countless period productions. Extras dressed as 18th century soldiers have been known to fill a room that is more often used for academic meetings.
However, some less obvious locations are also in high demand. The brutalist back-end of the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre with its concrete over-hang has served as a hospital A&E entrance for television dramas or as a Police Station – as in the most recent production of “Rebus” on TV
Big budget productions
While big screen productions bring a Hollywood close to Holyrood, its knock-on effects are tangible and significant. By hosting shoots for film and TV, the University supports a crucial ecosystem of people working in local creative industries.
There was a measurable One Day uptick in flight searches to Edinburgh, according to travel site Kayak, boosting the tourist trade for Edinburgh businesses.
Film is big business, not just for Edinburgh. The British Film Institute estimates that the film and television industry generates more than £6bn to the UK economy and employs an 84,000 people.
Hosting these shows not only provides a revenue stream for the University, which is redirected into campus improvements and the student experiences, but also contributes to the wider community.
“Large scale productions will often employ hundreds of people on a single movie or TV show. From location scouts to set dressers to editing, there is a huge team involved in creating a major show,” says Lorna.
Film Edinburgh
The Festivals and Events team work closely with Film Edinburgh – the City Council’s dedicated film and television office which attracts and facilitates productions in the city. It enables around 20 high-end dramas a year across Edinburgh, plus 100 factual shows for television and countless commercials.
Having the opportunity to use the University’s varied architecture to evoke different centuries adds to the attraction for scouts seeking the perfect locations.
Rosie Ellison, Film Edinburgh Commissioner, says: “Scotland is a bustling place for filming at the moment and Edinburgh is a star attraction. We’ve had more enquiries in for filming for the first half of a year already than we would normally expect in a whole year.”
Career opportunities
Rosie also highlights the wide scope of exciting career opportunities in the film and TV industry.
“Big productions need engineers, lawyers, accountants and even named medics, so the scope to have people from those kinds of degrees move into the film industry is massive – it’s an opportunity to join a really incredible career with lots of travel and interesting experiences.”
The University offers degrees in this area, including a a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television Studies at Edinburgh College of Art.
Even for those who aren’t seeking a career in film, thanks to the work of the Festival and Events Team and Film Edinburgh, studying, working and visiting the University will always have a light sprinkling of stardust.
Discover more
Image credits: One Day still: Netflix; Old College sign and behind the scenes: Lorna Brain; Rebus: Eleventh Hour Films / Mark Mainz
