TV company’s £4,000 ‘thank you’ to Portaferry

Damian McDonald, assistant locations manager of Wildgaze Productions, presents £2,000 each to Margaret McGreevy, from Portaferry Community Collective, and Claire Walker, from Portaferry Gala. Included are Kerry Shields, Portaferry Gala, Frances McCormick, Portaferry Community Collective, councillor Joe Boyle and Elaine McBratney, Portaferry Gala.

 

A TV production company has shown its appreciation for the support it received during the filming of an upcoming Channel 4 drama series, by presenting funding to two Portaferry groups.

Portaferry Gala and Portaferry Community Collective each received £2,000 from Wildgaze Productions.

The company recently filmed the series Trespasses in the town. The drama’s cast includes Gillian Anderson, starred in The X-Files, The Fall, and Martin McCann, who plays Stevie Neil in the highly successful, Belfast-based police series Blue Lights.

Welcoming the funding, local councillor Joe Boyle said Portaferry has been a much sought after location for film productions during the past number of years and has benefited enormously from the marketing aspect involving the promotion of the area and indeed the overall Ards peninsula.

He added: “I always meet up with the location managers of various film companies seeking to produce films in and around the locality, whereby location managers of the film companies having previously visited the location, would forward on my details.

This in turn allows walks around the areas where filming is hopefully going to take place, getting to know the people and the proprietors of buildings that may be sought after and in many cases helps to identify the sense and level of co-operation on offer. To have this groundwork in place can be of huge benefit and certainly save a lot of time.

Mr Boyle continued: As with any business interruption, during filming all businesses are remunerated and well looked after. It is also a welcomed boost to businesses and the overall local economy which can be challenging during the quieter times of the year.

The councillor revealed requests to the companies for a community contribution had always been agreed, and he thanked Damien Mc Donald, assistant location manager from Wildgaze Productions for the recent donation.