The warehouse powering Edinburgh's new era of screen success

But a new era of screen success for the city is now being propelled behind closed doors on the edge of the city's docklands – in a former wave power plant, which was originally built 25 years ago by an engineering company.
Matthew Goode and Alexej Manvelov star in the new Edinburgh-set thriller Dept Q. (Image: Netflix)
Launched by former record company film producer Bob Last and actor director Jason Connery, son of the Edinburgh-born screen legend Sean Connery, FirstStage is now said to be generating tens of millions of pounds for the economy every year and allowing the city to capitalise on the streaming platform boom.
New Netflix series Dept. Q, which stars Leah Byrne, Matthew Goode and Alexej Manvelov, was shot at FirstStage Studios in Leith. (Image: Netflix - Department Q)
The conversion of the vast blue warehouse complex into a long-awaited permanent film studio for the city got underway just as the global screen industry was being put into lockdown by the pandemic - and hosted its first major production as soon as Covid restrictions were lifted across the UK.
Five years later, FirstStage Studios has played host to some of the biggest players in the lucrative world of 'streamers,' including Amazon, Netflix and Sony, and transformed Edinburgh's ability to play host to productions.
Two seasons of the supernatural thriller series The Rig were shot at FirstStage Studios in Leith. (Image: FirstStage Studios)
These include two seasons of the supernatural thriller The Rig, which were set in the North Sea and the Arctic Circle, the feature film The Outrun, for scenes set in London's nightclub scene and the time travel fantasy saga Outlander, for a final series expected to be set during the American Revolution.
But its most recent production is being seen as another game-changer for the city's screen industry – with FirstStage used for the first time for a new nine-part thriller set in modern-day Edinburgh which is hoped to become a long-running series.
The feature film The Outrun was partly shot at FirstStage Studios in Leith. (Image: Bob Last/FirstStage Studios)
Locations across the Scottish capital were deployed for the latest Netflix thriller Dept. Q, which focuses on a new cold case unit set up in the heart of a police headquarters in the city.
Although detective Carl Morck and his team appear to be based in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, the inside of the atmospheric HQ and its grimy basement were created from scratch at FirstStage, along with other elaborate sets that feature in the show.
A pit that can be used for underwater filming sequences is one of the key assets at FirstStage Studios in Leith. (Image: FirstStage Studios)
The Downton Abbey and Crown actor Matthew Goode and a host of Scottish screen stars, including Shirley Henderson, Kate Dickie, Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives and Leah Byrne, spent around six months making Dept. Q in Edinburgh – with around half of the film done inside the Leith studio.
Eagle-eyed viewers may also be able to spot locations as varied as the City Chambers, the Signet Library, Greyfriars Bobby's Bar, Mortonhall Crematorium, Wester Hailes, the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena near Ratho and the Codebase building, on Castle Terrace, which stands in for the exterior of the police HQ.
Launching the show in Edinburgh, writer-director Scott Frank, creator of the hit Netflix series the Queen's Gambit, described the extensive shoot on Dept. Q - which is based on Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen's novels - as 'the happiest experience' of his career.
He said: 'You have great crews, you have great people and everything about shooting here is easy.
'The weather is interesting. It's the only place I've ever been where you can all four seasons in one day.
'The studio was wonderful. We had some pretty big sets and, partially because of the weather, we shot around half the show there. It was terrific. I loved working there.'
Successive generations of Scottish screen industry leaders had lobbied for years for the country to create its own studio facilities.
But the long-held dream did not become a reality until the Scottish Government and its screen agency agreed to help support Sony and Starz to find a home for its new show Outlander, which began filming in 2013 in a warehouse complex beside the M80 motorway in Cumbernauld.
Four years later, the Leith Docks site, which was lying empty after a wave power company had gone into administration, was used for the first time by Marvel Studios while they spent around seven weeks shooting scenes for the blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War in the city's Old Town.
Within months of the superhero being released, the Scottish Government and its Screen Scotland agency had launched a bid to create a permanent studio facility there, with Bob Last and Jason Connery announced as the successful team to take the project forward in March 2020.
Bob Last said: 'When I was an independent film producer there was a lot of talk about studios, but I wouldn't have been able to afford to use one if it had been there on the budget of an independent film.
'There wasn't really enough demand for a studio until the streamers started making the level of content that they did. I saw that they were completely changing the way that people consumed content.
'When I was introduced to this building it was the first time that I felt there was a viable way of providing the scale that these huge shows needed. If we were going to attract shows to Scotland it was all going to be about competitive cost.
"There used to be a lot of talk about building new studios from scratch in Scotland. But the cost of that would have meant that any such studio would have priced itself out of the market.
'We've been extremely busy since we opened pretty much on the first day of lockdown. We've had Amazon, Sony and Netlix shows in now, and have also been doing a rolling programme of work on the building, which has all sorts of unique and extraordinary elements.
'The pit that we use as a tank is one of the most interesting assets we have. If you were building a studio from scratch it would be insanely expensive to build, but it has turned out to be extremely useful.
'We also have 60 tonne and 20 tonne cranes, which have also been used by productions. You would never install them in a studio.'
Chloe Pirrie is one of the stars of the new Netflix series Dept. Q, which is set in Edinburgh. (Image: free)The Scottish Government's film and TV agency Screen Scotland describes FirstStage Studios as a 'unique proposition' due to its size and facilities. The complex, which covers 8.9 acres, boasts 115,000 sq ft of shooting space up to 82 ft high, as well as offices, workshops and on-site parking for more than 200 vehicles.
A spokesperson said: 'FirstStage has a number of key advantages.
"It is one of very few UK-based studios to host a tank for underwater shooting, which has been used in productions including The Rig and The Outrun.
'Because of its height, FirstStage also has the capacity for very large set builds, and the large backlot as well as production offices and ancillary buildings on site.
'On its opening in 2020, once Covid restrictions were lifted it immediately became home to The Rig, Amazon's first UK drama commission. Created by Portobello-based writer David Macpherson, it perfectly highlighted the versatility and quality of the studio. An incredibly ambitious project, it was shot entirely in Scotland, and largely inside the FirstStage studio and surrounding lot.
"Dept. Q from Netflix has built further on the potential first realised by The Rig and has again shown that FirstStage can deliver against the expectations and requirements of large-scale international productions.'
Bob Last said: "If we knew the budgets of our customers we wouldn't be able to talk about them.
"When a big show comes in here they will spend a lot of money in the city. We can have 200 people working here at the same time.
"We are certainly anchoring tens of millions of pounds in direct spending ever year."
Rosie Ellison, film commissioner at Film Edinburgh, the city's long-running film office, highlighted the transformation of the screen industry since the advent of the Leith studio.
'Edinburgh used to pick up a couple of days of or maybe a week or two of filming on productions.
'A production based at FirstStage might be here for a full six months of filming, plus another two or three months of preparation, plus another month or so winding down the production.
'The economic impact of a production and the opportunities it creates are very different to what they were before we had the studio. Productions are spending a lot when they are here, they are hiring local services and creating jobs for our young people to get involved in the industry.
'Dept Q was based at FirstStage, but they were also out and about every month, making use of our urban, rural and coastal locations, different kinds of architecture and office spaces. All sorts of landscapes will appear in that show, including places that people have never been seen on screen before."
FirstStage Studios in Leith has been up and running for more than five years. (Image: FirstStage Studios)Hugh Gourlay, supervising location manager on Dept. Q said: "We filmed in something like 13 of the city's 17 council wards.
'There's such a variance in the architecture in Edinburgh: you've got the New Town, the medieval parts, the narrow closes, the wide streets, and the high-rise flats of parts of the city."
For Bob Last, the city itself is a major selling point to help attract big-budget productions to FirstStage.
'Ware now on that global map because of the shows that have been here. When people are sitting in LA going down a list of studios we are on that list. That's where we need to be.
"For us, Edinburgh as a city for someone to come and live and work in for six months is a massively important asset. There are five stars hotels near the studio and Michelin-starred restaurants literally walking distance away.
'These kind of shows are bringing people in from a global talent pool. If you're going to live and work somewhere for six months Edinburgh is a pretty cool place to do that.'
Speaking at the Dept Q premiere in Edinburgh, showrunner Scott Frank said: 'When I came to Edinburgh I immediately knew we had to shoot here. I felt instantly inspired.
'It made me want to work even more in terms of the story to make it work more for Edinburgh. It was a really easy decision to film here.
'I loved living here and it was very easy to work here. I found Edinburgh very inspiring.
'I would love to come back. We'd all love to come back. We really enjoyed ourselves and I think we all got very close. I think we have a really good way of doing the second season. I hope people watch the show and we get to do it again.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

28 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

Girls enjoy unexpected Grave Encounter with Hollywood actress Jenna Ortega

Her role in Addams Family spin-off Wednesday has seen her shoot all manner of graveyard scenes with her on-screen mother Catherine Zeta Jones. And it seems actress Jenna Ortega is equally at home in cemetries during her time off after she was spotted walking her dog in Glasgow 's Victorian city of the dead. The 22 year old Netflix star, who is in Scotland to film scenes for Star Wars director JJ Abrams latest movie, took time out of her day for a stroll in Glasgow's necropolis. During the outing, the friendly star stopped to pose for a photo with a group of young women, including another famous face - Dave Grohl 's daughter Harper, 16. It's not clear if Grohl, who has been sharing photos of the city's tourist attractions on social media this week, was there with Ortega or if it was a chance celebrity encounter. The Wednesday star looked relaxed in her all black ensemble as she posed for pictures with the group at the Necropolis - with the images showing her laughing during the exchange. Meanwhile, Dave Grohl's second eldest daughter Harper is an accomplished drummer who has joined her father onstage at gigs before. Ortega told the Scots she met that she was exploring the city during her break before shooting scenes for the Abrams film at 10pm. One of the group who spoke to Ortega, took to social media to share details of the encounter. She wrote: 'She's shooting a film here. We met her on her break.' She addded: 'She said we all looked so cool and she complimented my friends shirt!' Inspired by the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, Glasgow's necropolis opened in May 1833 and is the final resting place for some 50,000 souls from the 19th century. Ortega was also spotted taking a stroll around the city centre, circling Blytheswood Square, Pitt Street and West George Street with her beloved dog. The American star, who has been acting since 2012, became a household name thanks to her part as the central character in Netflix comedy series Wednesday based on The Addams Family character of the same name. Fellow co-stars include 55-year-old Zeta Jones, who plays Wednesday's mother Morticia, and former Bond girl Joanna Lumley, 79, who is a new edition for season two as Moriticia's mother Hester Frump. And it isn't the only spooky production Ortega's been involved in, having starred in Beetlejuice 2 alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder. Abrams' latest movie is rumoured to be a sci-fi adventure called Ghostwriter and also stars Hollywood actors Glen Powell and Samuel L Jackson. The Warner Bros production was in Edinburgh and has now been filming long shoots into the early hours of the morning in Glasgow. Sets include dystopian Asian style restaurants with futuristic vehicles and although Jackson has not yet been seen, Powell has been spotted running up hills and walking along pavements in character. Director Abrams told fans who met him this week that he was enjoying his time shooting in Glasgow after being here secretly in February to check out locations during Glasgow Film Festival.

Scottish Sun

an hour ago

• Scottish Sun

Rock legends announce huge Scots gig on first UK tour in six years

The veteran group will perform in Aberdeen, Leeds, London, Newcastle, and Wolverhampton - before ending their tour in Glasgow LONG-AWAITED RETURN Rock legends announce huge Scots gig on first UK tour in six years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH rock icons have announced a new gig as part of their UK tour. The band will be playing in venues around the UK for the first time in six years. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 1 Idlewild will play three dates in Scotland as part of their first UK tour in six years The veteran group will perform in Aberdeen, Leeds, London, Newcastle, and Wolverhampton. The tour will finish with a night at the iconic Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. Tonight, Idlewild announced they will also play a night in Dundee. They will take to the stage at the city's LiveHouse venue on December 6. The band will be joined by special guests but their support is still to be announced. Idlewild will play in Aberdeen on December 5 and wrap up their tour on December 7 in the east end of Glasgow. The message from promoters DF Concerts read: "We're delighted to confirm Cult Scottish Alternative rock band IDLEWILD will be making a stop at LiveHouse as part of their first UK tour in six years. "Formed thirty years ago in Edinburgh by vocalist Roddy Woomble, Guitarist Rod Jones and Drummer Colin Newton, the band have released nine studio albums and toured worldwide as a headline act, alongside as support to REM, U2 and Pearl Jam amongst others. "For the last decade Idlewild's line up has been completed by multi-instrumentalists Andrew Mitchell on bass and Luciano Rossi on Keyboards." Idlewild were formed in Edinburgh in 1995. Deacon Blue star James Prime dies aged 64 after short illness Tickets are on sale now and are available here.

Metro

4 hours ago

• Metro

All five episodes of 'chilling' Netflix top 10 crime thriller streaming now

Netflix's new thriller Baby Farm has taken the streamer by storm, debuting at number six in the UK's top 10 TV shows. The five-episode Nollywood drama was recently added to the streaming platform globally. It follows The Evans Foundation, run by expatriate Dr. Oliver Evans and his devoted wife, Sister Barb, which is an organisation claiming to 'help the community'. The synopsis continues: 'But beneath their benevolent appearances lies a sinister operation that exploits women for profit,' as the TV show title indicates with its disturbing connotations. The Nigerian crime drama, starring Rita Dominic and Joseph Benjamin, focuses on the story of a pregnant Adanna (Onyinye Odokoro) who is saved from the streets of Lagos by the charitable organisation but soon realises that everything is not as it seems. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Black Film Wire described the show – which some have compared to shows like The Handmaid's Tale – as a 'five-episode Nigerian crime thriller that doesn't just rattle your nerves, it leaves them in a puddle on the floor.' 'The series draws chilling parallels to real-life horrors, grounded by a powerful performance from Onyinye Odokoro as Adanna, a woman pushed to the edge, yet never backing down. 'But it's Genoveva Umeh that left me cold. Her portrayal of Ebun isn't just haunting—it's the kind of performance that burrows under your skin and refuses to leave: layered, grounded, and absolutely haunting,' the publication added. 'I really enjoyed every minute of Baby Farm' X user oluwabanke said. 'This show is great give us more like this,' plaintainchoiice added. Although you'll have to decide for yourself whether this show keeps you 'captivated' with some reviews calling it 'unoriginal' and 'too restrained'. Executive producer Mo Abudu, who is also the boss of the company EbonyLife TV that created the show in collaboration with Netflix, explained the significance of the show. More Trending Per Deadline, he said: 'This series is more than just a thriller – it's a powerful story rooted in real-life issues told through the lense of bold, cinematic African storytelling. 'With breathtaking visuals, a gripping narrative and an outstanding cast and crew, Baby Farm will keep audiences on the edge of their seats while sparking vital conversations. We can't wait for the world to experience it.' Heidi Ulys, supervising producer, added: ' Baby Farm is our darkest [show] yet. It's a gripping, cinematic journey into a world few dare to explore. Yet, within the shadows, there is light – because storytelling has the power to reveal, to challenge, and to inspire change Baby Farm is available to stream on Netflix now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Netflix fans are sweating after watching all 8 episodes of 'hot' new drama MORE: Netflix star Sara Burack, 40, killed in hit-and-run as police hunt driver MORE: 'I beat the system and proved I didn't need a TV licence'