First Minister visits the back streets of Paris – in Swansea Bay Studios

First Minister Carwyn Jones has been to tour the set of The Collection at Swansea Bay Studios as the skills of the Welsh crew have been highly praised by the head of production.

The Welsh construction crew are currently replicating the back streets of Paris in the studio back lot on Fabian Way and have been complimented by Cahal Bannon of London production company Lookout Point.

He said they struck it lucky when they inherited the crew who had previously worked on the international blockbuster Da Vinci’s Demons.

Bannon, who has filmed all over the world, said:

“Their workmanship and productivity is second to none, and I can say this with confidence having done this many times around the world.”

The Collection – the latest high end TV drama to film in Wales – will be exclusively available to Amazon Prime members in the UK later this year.
It is backed by funding from Pinewood Studios and the Welsh Government Media Investment Budget that is advised by Pinewood Pictures and which played a pivotal role in bringing the new series to Wales.

Following his visit the First Minister said:

“The sets being built at the studio are quite amazing and a credit to the highly skilled crew.

“We have a strong and rapidly growing creative industries sector in Wales and the very positive experience of Lookout Point is a great endorsement of the talented pool of professionally trained and highly skilled individuals we have in Wales.

“I am also pleased to note that our Media Investment Budget, backed by expert advice from Pinewood Pictures, is delivering tangible results. Attracting high end TV drama and film productions to Wales creates significant benefits, attracting investment worth millions of pounds and providing opportunities for scores of freelancers, crews and studios as well as service providers.”

The majority of filming –  up to 17 weeks of principal photography –  is now underway in Wales bringing investment and economic benefits to the region.
The Collection – a series of eight, hour long episodes –  is created, written and executive produced by award-winning showrunner Oliver Goldstick (Ugly Betty, Pretty Little Liars, Desperate Housewives, Lipstick Jungle) and produced by Lookout Point (Ripper Street, War and Peace).

The cast includes Richard Coyle (Crossbones, Life of Crime, Going Postal), Frances de la Tour (The Lady in the Van, Vicious, Into the Woods, Hugo), Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons, Kill Your Friends, Monroe), Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife, Ricki and the Flash, Emily Owens M.D.) and Jenna Thiam (The Returned).

It is a family saga set in the world of French haute couture in post war Paris which centres on two very different brothers, and exposes the grit behind the glamour and the treachery beneath the trappings of this empire, and all who work there.

The Collection is a Lookout Point and Artis Pictures Production, co-produced with Federation Entertainment and MFP, with the participation of France Télévision for Amazon Prime and BBC Worldwide Ltd.