Batman helps rescue UK developers

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Hollywood is helping London developers weather the financial crisis by turning empty offices into film sets, providing cash and publicity for landlords struggling to fill buildings with tenants because of the uncertain economic outlook.

In addition to films and television shows, a growing number of developers are also opening their doors to events like London Fashion Week or temporary retail sites for online companies such as Amazon, eBay and Google.

Others are planning to cash in on short-term demand from film crews seeking rooftops with panoramic views during the Olympic Games and celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

"There has been a sea change in the way landlords deal with empty space since the financial crisis," said Mark Hughes-Webb, managing director of SPACE-2 Consulting, which finds buildings for shoots and events.

Developers have struggled to fill a series of striking new buildings meant to attract a wave of tenants: five skyscrapers in central London at varying stages of build have signed one office deal between them.

The office vacancy rate in London's main financial district was 7 percent in January, double where it stood at the end of 2007, its last low point, according to data from property consultancy CBRE. SPACE-2's turnover has almost doubled over the same period.

Two neighboring office blocks near the Bank of England in the main financial district have the equivalent of eleven soccer pitches of empty space between them.

One is Cannon Place and though reportedly close to signing its first tenants, Hughes-Webb said it was the venue for a new BBC spy drama, the type of shoot that can raise 1,500-7,000 pounds per day. SPACE-2 takes about a quarter of any fee.

The other block is the Walbrook building, which was used to shoot the latest film in the spoof spy series Johnny English. In the real world, it has been empty for two years and wealth manager Schroders pulled out of a move there in December.

Film shoots raise similar amounts to TV productions and it is not only buildings in the best locations that benefit. New Batman film The Dark Knight Rises includes a stunt sequence shot at an office block in the south London suburb of Croydon, with the area's dour 1960s architecture doubling up as Gotham City.

One of the fastest growing sources of new revenue is Internet retailers like eBay setting up temporary stores to build trust with shoppers wary of buying goods online. Landlords can fill space for between one week and six months and demand for space far outstrips supply, Hughes-Webb said.

Owners of buildings with panoramic rooftop views plan to cash in on demand from camera crews looking for sites during this year's Olympic Games and Diamond Jubilee events. Fees will likely double from their norm to 300 pounds per hour, Hughes-Webb said.

Questions:

1. What was the office vacancy rate in January?

2. What are the two neighboring office blocks near the Bank of England?

3. Which suburb in south London was the new Batman film shot at?

Answers:

1. 7 percent.

2. Cannon Place and Walbrook Building.

3. Croydon.

About the broadcaster:

Emily Cheng is an editor at China Daily. She was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Media, English Literature and Politics. She has worked in the media industry since starting university and this is the third time she has settled abroad - she interned with a magazine in Hong Kong 2007 and studied at the University of Leeds in 2009.