While the manufacturing industry struggles to survive, Lindsay Jennings reports on the growing roles film, media and tourism have to play in the region's fortunes.

BILLY Elliot skips along, ballet shoes in hand on one wall, while the sinister gaze of Geoffrey Rush stares ominously from the other along with his co-stars in the film Elizabeth.

These are just two of the film posters displayed around the offices of Northern Film and Media in Newcastle and are clear evidence of the way the region has become a leading choice for production companies.

But as Tom Harvey, Northern Film and Media's chief executive points out, the image of the North-East and attraction for Hollywood producers has more to do with castles than home-grown creative talent - something they are hoping to change.

Mr Harvey said: "The traditional view among the production company sector is castles, it's Alnwick (Castle) and Harry Potter.

"In some ways it is pretty simple if they are after castles, as they'll come here. But more importantly, what we're trying to do is anchor ideas in the North-East. That's why these two films were made."

He points at the poster of Billy Elliot and the independent film, Like Father, made by Newcastle's Amber Films. Amber, he said, reflect the lives of working class communities in the North-East.

"We could give a production company £100,000 to come and shoot in the North-East, but they would come and shoot for a couple of months and go away again. If we spend that £100,000 on dealing with local stories using local talent we can develop five to ten scripts for the same money. Then we're putting money into productions that are anchored here, which means we are keeping creative people employed here. It is a strategy that's about investment not about subsidy."

Since its launch in October, Northern Film and Media has supported 44 projects from its annual £1.5m budget, across a broad spectrum of media, from film and television to education projects and digital media. It receives funding from the National Lottery through the Film Council's Regional Investment Fund for England and regional development agency One NorthEast.

Last year, the production spend in the North-East was £2m alone, with companies needing hotel beds, food, local crews, actors, equipment and facilities.

According to Northumbria Tourist Board, visitor numbers for places that have been used in films increase by anything from ten to 200 per cent. An example is the TV show Heartbeat, filmed at Goathland, North Yorkshire, which brings more than 1.5m visitors a year to the North York Moors and has generated about £9m for the local economy.

The tourist industry is worth £1.5bn to the region and employs 100,000 people - ten per cent of the North-East workforce.

Out of Northumbria Tourist Board's £2m budget, 60 per cent is spent on marketing. It is why the publicity for an area from a new film is priceless, said Peter Sloyan, the board's chief executive.

"The most dramatic impact is the way that it focuses upon a place that very often wasn't known about in the past and that inspires people to go and see that site," he said.

"There are still a group of people who are loyal to the film Get Carter and would not wish the car park in Gateshead to be demolished because it was used in the film. It's a horrible concrete car park but it still has a residual power. We had more people going to see the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough as a result of Auf Wiedersehen Pet than we had in the past ten years."

But he conceded it did rely on much cooperation from local people and the authorities.

"Certain cities like New York will shut down entire streets if someone's making a film, despite the fact that it annoys people and brings all the traffic to a standstill. It's worth their while doing that," he said.

Read more about the Working For A Future campaign here.