Production Resources

Everything you need to prepare a UK film production for funding and to shoot legally — what financiers expect to see in an application, the licences and permits a UK shoot requires, and four ready-to-use templates. All templates on this page are © Rajesh Rajilal / RFPI — Raj Film Productions Int. All rights reserved.

Documents Required for a Film Funding Application

Financiers, tax-credit certifiers, sales agents and completion bond providers all expect a broadly similar package. Before approaching anyone for money, have the following ready:

• Screenplay / script — the current draft, with revision date and writer credit.
• Synopsis, logline and director’s statement — the creative pitch in one page or less.
• Full production budget — top sheet and detailed line items, above- and below-the-line, with a contingency (use the Film Budget Template below).
• Finance plan — every source of finance (equity, tax credit/AVEC, pre-sales, gap, soft money) and how they add up to 100% of the budget.
• Shooting schedule — indicative dates, prep/shoot/post timeline.
• Key creative team CVs — director, producer(s), lead cast attachments, DoP.
• Chain of title — proof you own or have optioned the underlying rights.
• Company documents — certificate of incorporation, latest accounts, insurance details for the production company (SPV).
• Distribution / sales estimates — a sales agent estimate or comparable-titles analysis, plus a recoupment / waterfall summary.
• Marketing one-pager or deck — positioning, comparable titles, target audience.
• Insurance quote — indicative cast/production/public liability quote.

Use the Film Funding Application Form template below to assemble all of this into a single document you can send to financiers, or adapt it for your own investor deck.

UK Tax Relief & British Certification (AVEC)

UK independent productions can claim the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) — including the Enhanced AVEC rate for independent films with core expenditure up to £15 million — but only once the production has British certification from the BFI, via the cultural test (the “points test”) or as an official co-production. Certification is applied for online through the BFI’s certification portal and currently takes around 6–8 weeks to process, so apply early. Keep your cultural-test scoring notes and co-production paperwork (if applicable) with your funding documents.

Licences & Permissions Required to Shoot a Film in the UK

What you need depends on the shoot, but most UK productions of any size will need some combination of the following:

• Local authority filming permit — required for filming on public land, streets, parking bays or council-owned buildings. Apply through the relevant council or borough film office (e.g. Film London for Greater London boroughs) well ahead of the shoot date.
• Police notification — mandatory if filming on a public highway, or using special effects, pyrotechnics, explosives, or any weapon (including replicas/prop guns).
• Location and property clearances — written permission from the owner for any interior location (shops, restaurants, homes, offices), plus trademark/signage clearance where a business name or logo will be visible in a way that could be seen as a negative portrayal.
• Child performance licence — any performer below the school leaving age must be licensed by their local education authority, which sets permitted working hours and welfare/chaperone requirements.
• Animal welfare compliance — animals on set should come from a known industry supplier and the production should follow RSPCA guidance for animals in film and TV.
• Firearms, weapons & explosives — any weapon on set requires police notification; pyrotechnics and explosives must be handled by personnel certified under the Joint Industry Grading Scheme (JIGS).
• Drone / aerial filming permission — operators need Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) authorisation appropriate to the drone and the shoot location.
• Music licensing — PRS for Music (for using or performing copyrighted music) and PPL (for recorded music played on set or in a scene) licences may be required, separate from any sync licence for the underlying composition/recording.
• Public liability & production insurance — most locations, councils and crew require proof of public liability cover, alongside standard production, equipment and cast insurance.
• BBFC classification — needed at the distribution stage if the finished film will be released theatrically or on a UK physical/some streaming platforms.

Requirements vary by borough, location type and what’s being filmed — always confirm directly with the local film office, the CAA and your production insurer before the shoot.

Free Production Templates

Four ready-to-use templates, built for independent UK productions. Copyright © Rajesh Rajilal — RFPI (Raj Film Productions Int). All rights reserved. Free to use for your own production; please don’t resell or redistribute as your own template.

These templates are provided for guidance and general use only and do not constitute legal or financial advice. We recommend having a solicitor or accountant review any document before it is signed or submitted.

Further Reading

• BFI — British certification & Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit
• BFI — Sources of funding for UK filmmakers
• British Film Commission — Filming regulations
• Film London — Getting permission to film