Scotland trails significantly behind competitors in terms of the health and capacity of our film industry.

Plans for a Scottish film studio at the heart of Creative Scotland's new strategy for the industry are a vital step towards tackling that problem.

But such a studio has been under discussion for more than 20 years. It is still not clear how it is to be funded or what private backers may be in a position to make it happen. We do not know when or where it will be built.

It is encouraging that the project, which is overseen by Scottish Enterprise, is centre stage in Creative Scotland's plan for the next three years, suggesting answers might soon be forthcoming, and it has been warmly welcomed by filmmakers.

This is a broad brush overview, however, and much detail is still unclear, in particular the funding of any studio, with £1 million on offer from Creative Scotland and £2m from the Government, but the likely cost ranging anywhere from £15m to £74m.

If done properly, Scotland could provide a home for filmmaking on a much more regular basis,with direct economic benefits and secondary ones, such as a boost to tourism. Nor should ambitions be restricted to cinema. Proper facilities and appropriate incentives could make Scotland an attractive location for high-quality drama series for television too.

Blockbuster fantasy series Game of Thrones is shot at Belfast's Titanic Studios. This is the kind of work Scotland should be in the running for, and could be if conditions were right. But a studio is not the only goal in the strategy. As is acknowledged, there is other work Creative Scotland could be doing and should already be doing while the studio plans are being put in place.

First, and most obviously, there needs to be more money for film-making. While the strategy talks of incentives and new means of attracting investments including new financial mechanisms, most are unspecified.

There are already tax breaks on offer at a UK level. More powers for the Scottish Parliament could open up more opportunities to encourage filmmakers.

Anyone who doubts the importance of the sector should consider not just the value of movie-making in itself, but its impact on other service industries in Scotland. Only around six feature-length films are shot in Scotland each year but Glasgow's economy benefited by £20m in 2011, the year World War Z was shot in the city. Film and broadcasting brought another £20m to the city last year.

Hotels, taxis and catering are just some of the trades that benefit from the huge infrastructure necessary for modern-day movie making.

There is no question that Scotland has punched below its weight in this area and should be doing better. Rivals including England, Wales and Sweden are all ahead.

Scotland's countryside and cities have natural advantages which we should take full advantage of. The country has fallen behind but this strategy should be the starting point towards making up some lost ground. It is not over until the credits roll.