World of Locations Part 2 by Media Business Insight

World of Locations 2014

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Contents

60 Cover image Cover photograph taken by Kurt Arrigo for the Malta Film Commission

UK office MBI, Zetland House 5-25 Scrutton Street, London EC2A 4HJ Tel: +44 (0) 20 3033 4267 Editorial Supplement editor Louise Tutt Screen editor Wendy Mitchell Broadcast editor Chris Curtis shots editor Danny Edwards Group head of production and art Mark Mowbray Group art director Peter Gingell Production manager Jonathon Cooke Contributors Martin Blaney, Sarah Cooper, Sandy George, Melanie Goodfellow, John Hazelton, Geoffrey Macnab, Jean Noh, Liz Shackleton Sub-editors Sangeeta Chauhan, Kim Harding, Danny Plunkett Advertising and publishing Commercial director Andrew Dixon +44 (0) 20 3033 2928 andrew.dixon@mb-insight.com UK sales manager Scott Benfold +44 (0) 20 3638 5050 scott.benfold@screendaily.com Germany, Scandinavia, Benelux, Eastern Europe Gunter Zerbich +44 (0) 20 3033 2930 gunter.zerbich@screendaily.com Italy, Asia, India Ingrid Hammond +39 05 7829 8768 ingridhammond@mac.com VP sales & business development, North America Nigel Daly +1 323 654 2301 / 213 447 5120 nigeldalymail@gmail.com Sales executive Luke Heywood +44 (0) 20 3638 5068 luke.heywood@shots.net Chief executive, MBI Conor Dignam +44 (0) 20 3033 2717 conor.dignam@mb-insight.com Brought to you by

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World of Locations 2014 04 Introduction Western Europe 06 United Kingdom 10 Germany 12 Spain 16 Malta 18 Ireland 20 France 21 Italy 22 Netherlands 24 Belgium 26 Nordic countries Eastern Europe 28 Poland 30 Czech Republic 31 Russia

North Africa 32 Morocco 32 Tunisia

Latin America 44 Brazil 47 Mexico

Middle East 34 Jordan 34 Israel 35 Gulf states

Caribbean 48 Trinidad & Tobago

Australasia & South Africa 36 New Zealand 38 Australia 39 South Africa Asia 40 South Korea 42 Malaysia 43 Thailand

North America 52 Georgia 54 Louisiana 54 Massachusetts 56 Michigan 56 New York State 58 California 58 Oklahoma 60 Canada

2014 World of Locations 3

WORLD OF LOCATIONS INTRODUCTION

On the Icelandic set of Paramount’s Noah

WELCOME Our inaugural World of Locations explores key film-making territories and profiles their significant attributes, writes Screen editor Wendy Mitchell

he global market for attracting film, television and commercial productions has never been bigger or more competitive. From vast deserts to futuristic cityscapes, the visual demands of films, TV projects and commercials can take productions to all corners of the world. In the age of globalisation, easy travel and instant internet connectivity from remote areas, you don’t have to be based at one of the top studios to find an attractive shooting location. It is almost as easy to find the resources to shoot in a desert, a forest or on a mountainside. Those big studios aren’t missing a trick, of course, with the likes of Pinewood adding

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Malaysian, Canadian, Welsh and Dominican Republic outposts. Along with our sister publications Broadcast and shots, Screen International is proud to launch World of Locations, drawing on our international network of correspondents to offer in-depth analysis of what is on offer around the globe. We look at key territories and offer practical information about their most unique locations, recent productions, incentives and funding opportunities, studios and infrastructure, and local support bodies and production service companies. This is not a publication centred on incentives, but it’s clear incentives can be consid-

ered more important than beautiful beaches or period architecture when producers are deciding where to shoot a project. Facilities and the strength of local crews are also hugely important. Of course, the decision is part of an overall creative package — Darren Aronofsky didn’t push to shoot Noah in Iceland just for budgetary reasons, for instance. It also offers some of the most fantastical landscapes on Earth, which he used to stunning effect in the Biblical epic. To be sure, locations are big business but they are also creative inspirations, as you will see from some of the images on the pages that follow.

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Western Europe n UK n Germany n Spain n Malta n Ireland n France n Italy n Netherlands n Belgium n Nordic countries

United Kingdom The UK’s heritage locations are bolstered by its renowned visual-effects industry, skilled crews and expanding studio facilities. By Geoffrey Macnab

f James Bond wants to run down Whitehall in central London to catch a menace to the country, we can ensure he doesn’t get stopped by the traffic,” is the message from Film London, the agency charged with promoting and facilitating the UK capital as one of the world’s premier film hubs. It is a tonguein-cheek observation but underlines how seriously the UK government now takes inward investment in the film business. “We’ve gone from a culture of people saying, ‘No, you can’t possibly do that,’ to saying, ‘Yes, maybe,’” Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London, notes of the welcome ‘can-do’ attitude towards even the most outlandish requests. UK crews, studios, locations and visual-effects houses are magnets for leading international producers of footloose film, TV and commercials. The local industry has been quick to point out Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning Gravity was UK-made. This year, the UK’s studios are hosting, or have hosted, a huge array of high-budget US studio features and TV programmes including Disney’s Stars Wars: Episode VII, Fox TV’s series

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‘We’ve gone from a culture of people saying, “No, you can’t possibly do that,” to saying, “Yes, maybe”’ Adrian Wootton, Film London

24: Live Another Day, Warner Bros’ Pan, Disney’s Through The Looking Glass, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 5. The UK’s appeal is boosted by its tax credits for film, high-end TV drama and series animation, as well as its renowned visual-effects industry, highly skilled crews and fast-growing studio facilities. The UK offers heritage locations such as churches and country houses, which attract period pieces. It has enterprising regional screen agencies such as Screen Yorkshire, which has raised $12.6m (£7.5m) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to invest in Yorkshire-based film, television and digi-

Game Of Thrones on set in County Down, Northern Ireland; (above) James Bond title Skyfall

tal content through the Yorkshire Content Fund. Both Wales and Northern Ireland have recently boosted their regional investment funds. The biggest challenge is the UK’s own popularity and the perception of a ‘capacity crunch’. With so much incoming production, the UK has had to scramble to accommodate them.

HBO

“

However, more and more space across the UK is becoming available for film and TV production, while existing studios are increasing capacity. Leavesden is expanding; Pinewood Wales is setting up a new studio in Cardiff; HBO’s Game Of Thrones was shot partly at Titanic Studios in Belfast; Sony Pictures Television’s big-budget TV drama Outlander was »

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FIRST FOR WORLD-CLASS FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION The British Film Commission is the national agency responsible for maximising and supporting the production of international feature ﬁlm and television in the UK. Contact us for: • Guidance on the UK’s generous ﬁlm and television tax reliefs • Highly knowledgeable and experienced teams based in both the UK and US • Free bespoke production support • Expertise throughout the UK via a network of industry partners • Assistance with sourcing the UK’s crew, talent, facilities, studios and locations

The British Film Commission is supported by

www.britishﬁlmcommission.org.uk @FilmInUK_BFC

WORLD OF LOCATIONS UK

A PRODUCER SAYS “I’ve shot in the UK a number of times and I’m very familiar with the crews and facilities. Coming to the UK is a function of the tax incentive and the requirement of the film itself and then the ability to use local talent. With a film like Red 2, where we have an ensemble cast, the UK offers a percentage of all salaries and not just below the line or crew salaries.” Jake Myers, executive producer, Red 2

shot in Scotland (where Scottish Enterprise has recently published a feasibility report looking at the opportunity for a film and TV studio north of the border). And previously, Summit Entertainment’s Red 2 and Working Title Films’ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy shot at a former Gillette Factory in Isleworth. For highend TV producers, cheaper, flexible and more unconventional shooting spaces that can be left standing between shooting series are more desirable than traditional studio space. Although commercials are not eligible for the tax credits available to film, TV and animation, the UK is a major location for commercials production. This is thanks to the strength of the local advertising industry and the creative talent that commercials directors can harness. While the UK’s inward investment strategy has been geared towards big-budget US film and TV production, under revisions to the tax credit introduced in April 2014, the minimum level of UK expenditure has been reduced to 10% (from 25%), This will make it easier for foreign partners working with UK minority co-producers to access the credit. The changes are acknowledged as having helped lure Italian auteur Giuseppe Tornatore to the UK to shoot his next film, The Correspondence. The lower threshold is also expected to boost further the UK’s visual-effects industry.

THE LOWDOWN ON THE UK What are the financial incentives available to international film and TV makers shooting in the UK? The UK Film Tax Relief (FTR) is available for UK-qualifying films that reach a minimum UK spend requirement of 10% of their overall budgets. That is a relatively low threshold — reduced from 25% in April 2014 — and should make the UK a more attractive co-production partner and entice yet more studiolevel blockbusters. Films must pass a cultural test or qualify as an official co-production. Is there a minimum spend requirement? The minimum level of UK expenditure required to access the tax credit has been reduced from 25% to 10% of the overall budget. The FTR is worth 25% if the qualifying UK production expenditure is less than $33.5m (£20m), and 20% if it is more than $33.5m. Under revisions introduced in April 2014, the tax credit is now 25% of the first $33.5m of the UK qualifying expenditure, and 20% of the UK qualifying expenditure in excess of $33.5m. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes. There are plentiful examples of films that have combined the FTR with incentives from other jurisdictions, whether Belgian tax shelter support (for example, Saul Dibb’s Suite Francaise) or German regional funding (for example I, Anna). The FTR can also be combined with the UK’s regional incentives. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? High-end TV projects with a minimum core expenditure of $1.7m (£1m) per broadcast hour can access a rebate of up to 25% of qualifying UK expenditure. Commercials are not eligible for relief. Recent TV projects to shoot in and around the UK include HBO’s Game Of Thrones, which is based at Titanic Studios in Belfast, and shoots on location around Northern Ireland, with forays to Iceland, Malta and Morocco; Fox TV’s 24: Live Another Day, which has filmed an entire series in London; Starz and BBC Worldwide’s Da Vinci’s Demons, which films in Cardiff; and Sony Pictures Television’s Outlander, which films in Cumbernauld near Glasgow. What are the key locations? The UK offers locations ranging from the Gothic architecture of the Palace of Westminster, where Ruby Films’ Suffragette

24: Live Another Day

On the Westminster set of Suffragette

starring Carey Mulligan shot this spring, and Big Ben in London, to the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. What are the major film studios? Pinewood, Shepperton, Elstree, Ealing, 3 Mills, Leavesden, Titanic Studios, Dragon Studios. First point of contact For physical shooting queries: The British Film Commission enquiries@britishfilm commission.org.uk; Film London info@filmlondon.org.uk For tax relief queries: the British Film Institute certifications@ bfi.org.uk

Da Vinci’s Demons filmed in Wales; (right) Outlander, which was filmed in Scotland

AND FINALLY

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Tonto Films and Television

Don’t be afraid of quirky requests. On Skyfall, Film London helped Eon Productions to close Vauxhall Bridge (one of London’s key access points) on two separate occasions. On Children Of Men, the producers gained access to Tate Modern art gallery during a Rachel Whiteread exhibition. On Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, the film-makers shot special-effects scenes from the London Eye.

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NORTHERN IRELAND The moST compacT 5,196 Square mIleS of back-loT IN The world. With its strong crew base, stunning locations, studio facilities and financial incentives, Northern Ireland is becoming one of the most sought-after filming locations for both film and television productions.

Northern Ireland Screen is here to help facilitate your project and provides free hands-on assistance and guidance. Please contact us for more information. info@northernirelandscreen.co.uk www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk

NI Screen ScreenInt World of Locations ad.indd 1

23/04/2014 10:13

World of locations Germany

FFF Bayern has launched an initiative to attract international productions to Bavaria

Germany From beaches to mountains to state-of-the-art facilities, Germany is a first-class international partner and location, writes Martin Blaney

ermany has long been renowned as a reliable and generous international co-production partner. In the past decade, it has also become one of the world’s leading locations for highbudget, footloose productions thanks to the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) incentive scheme, which provides a rebate of up to 20% on a film’s qualifying spend.

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Due to Germany’s federal structure, international producers can combine DFFF funding with applications for production support — in partnership with local producers — from regional film funds, as well as the national German Federal Film Board (FFA). The increasing competition between the different Länder and the main production centres of Berlin,

Munich, Cologne and Hamburg has prompted the regional funds to adapt and expand their funding portfolios to meet the demands of an ever-changing market. While the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW has introduced a special programme to support innovative audiovisual content, FFF Bayern has launched a $4.2m (¤3m) initiative to attract international productions to shoot in

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A producer says “We chose Germany because of the stunning locations, excellent crews and access to soft money that complemented our other financing.” Andy Mayson, Co-CEO, Altitude Film Entertainment, on the decision to shoot Big Game in Bavaria

Bavaria and use the studio facilities at Bavaria Film. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany’s capital and the surrounding region have once more become a leading production centre, as Studio Babelsberg was modernised and a new generation of filmmakers, such as Tom Tykwer, Christian Petzold and Angela Schanelec, appeared on the scene. Some 25 years on and Germany now boasts state-of-the-art facilities — including Oscar winners such as the VFX wizards Pixomondo — and an extensive pool of talent on both sides of the camera that has impressive track records on international Englishlanguage productions. At the same time, international producers can choose from a wide range of landscapes in Germany, from islands, sandy beaches and mud flats in the north, through forests and gorges in the centre of the country to lakes and mountains to the south. Practically everything is possible, with locations doubling for Martha’s Vineyard and London (The Ghost Writer), Russia (The Last Station), the Mississippi river (The Adventures Of Huck Finn), Warsaw (The Pianist), Moscow (The Bourne Supremacy) and Afghanistan (Fay Grim), among many others.

The lowdown on Germany What financial incentives are available?

In partnership with a local production company, international film-makers can apply to the various regional film funds, such as Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and the Filmund Medienstiftung NRW for development and production funding, as well as the national German Federal Film Board (FFA). In addition, the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF), with an annual budget of $83m (€60m), is open to international feature, documentary and animated films shooting in Germany if they have a qualifying German co-producer as a partner. Since 2013, FFF Bayern has an annual $4m (€3m) fund dedicated to international co-productions shooting in Bavaria. The first projects supported include the UK-Germany-Finland thriller Big Game, starring Samuel L Jackson and produced by Altitude Film Entertainment and Egoli Tossell Film; and Rupert Everett’s directorial debut The Happy Prince for Beta Film. To access DFFF backing, a production must spend at least 25% of its budget in Germany to obtain a grant of up to 20% of the approved costs. The regional funds require producers to generate a specific regional ‘economic effect’ in return for production support.

The Grand Budapest Hotel miniatures at Studio Babelsberg

Are they easily combined with those in other territories?

Yes. Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac accessed funding from regional fund Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and national funds DFFF and FFA. It combined with the pan-European fund Eurimages, the Belgian Tax Shelter, Danish Film Institute, France’s CNC and Sweden’s Film i Vast, among others.

Big Game shot Germany for Finland

What are the major film studios? Can incoming TV productions access the incentives?

Yes. For example, international television productions can access production funding from the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, but DFFF does not allocate grants to TV productions shooting in Germany.

Studio Babelsberg (Berlin), Bavaria Film Studios (Munich), MMC Studios (Cologne) Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew?

Only heads of departments. The rest of the crew can be recruited locally.

Which films have shot recently in Germany?

Jalmari Helander’s English-language adventure epic Big Game is set in Finnish Lapland and shot in Bavaria. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, for Scott Rudin Productions and Indian Paintbrush, and George Clooney’s The Monuments Men, for Columbia Pictures, both shot at Studio Babelsberg in 2013.

Do crews speak English? Yes First point of contact

The 11 members of the German Film Commissions network — from Kiel in the north to Munich in the deepest south. They can be found at www.locationgermany.de

AND Finally The town of Görlitz is so proud of housing the shoots of international productions such as Around The World In 80 Days, The Reader and The Grand Budapest Hotel, the council officially registered the name of Görliwood for PR purposes. Postcards are now on sale, with a local version of the famous Hollywood sign crowning the town’s skyline.

John Goodman, George Clooney and Jean Dujardin on the set of The Monuments Men

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2014 World of Locations 11

WORLD OF LOCATIONS SPAIN

Majorca stands in for the Goldeneye villa, Jamaica, in Sky TV’s Fleming

SPAIN The territory boasts locations unavailable elsewhere in Europe. By Melanie Goodfellow

hen Sergio Leone arrived in the Tabernas desert in southern Spain to shoot A Fistful Of Dollars in 1964, he was drawn by more than the sunny climate and unbroken, ethereal vistas. At the time, Spain was one of the only countries in western Europe where he could keep to his meagre budget. Some 50 years on, Spain remains good value for international film-makers, despite not offering a tax incentive to attract big international film shoots outside of the Canary Islands. “Our crews and services are keenly priced so even without rebates we’re competitive,” says Piluca Querol, director of Andalusia Film Commission. “Spanish crews are keen to work and as a result we’re able to put some competitive prices together,” agrees Trent Walton, executive producer at Majorcabased production services company Palma Pictures. Founded by Swedish commercials producers Ola and Grete Holmgren in 1993, and then acquired by two compatriot entrepreneurs in 2007, Palma has become increasingly involved in long-form shoots in Spain in recent years. As well as assisting productions on the island and at its 4,500 sq m studio complex, it has opened a Barcelona office and co-ordinates shoots in mainland Spain. In Majorca, Palma serviced Sky Atlantic’s TV miniseries Fleming, with Majorca standing in for the Caribbean and a seaside cottage doubling for Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye villa in Jamaica. Palma has also recently worked with Pascal Chaumeil’s feature adaptation of »

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GOOD TO KNOW Spain may not offer national incentives but local town hall and tourist boards understand the benefits of hosting productions and can sometimes help out financially or in kind. The UK’s Left Bank Pictures received $208,000 (€150,000) from the Majorca Tourist Board to shoot TV series Mad Dogs (pictured) on the island rather than in Malta as originally planned. “It’s always worth asking,” says Palma Pictures’ Trent Walton.

Todd Field’s trilogy of Captain Morgan Rum advertisements shot in Majorca

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World of locations spain

The tsunami scenes in The Impossible were shot in Ciudad de la Luz studio’s water tank in Alicante

Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down, starring Pierce Brosnan and produced by the UK’s Wildgaze Films and BBC Films. Bigger international productions are heading for the Canary Islands, which boast generous rebates and have recently housed Ron Howard’s Heart Of The Sea for Warner Bros on La Gomera and Lanzarote, and Ridley Scott’s epic Exodus: Gods And Kings for 20th Century Fox on Fuerteventura. Scott previously shot scenes for 2013’s The Counselor in a luxury villa in the eastern province of Alicante. The Spanish industry is lobbying hard for national incentives to attract inward investment. The move has not been a priority for the government in the post-2009 economic crash years, but there are signs it may soon become one. “Spain Film Commission is negotiating with the minister of finance over the creation of incentives, with the aim of having them available by 2015,” says Andalusia and Spain Film Commission chief Carlos Rosado.

The Lowdown on Spain What financial incentives are available? The Canary Islands offers film tax deductions of up to 38% of the total film budget, including expenses made both in and outside the islands. The 38% credit is accessed by investors with an economic activity on the islands. Companies with their seat of economic activity in mainland Spain are also entitled to the allowance, but only at an 18% rate. In addition to this, companies based on the islands are also eligible for a 4% corporate tax rate.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the Canary Islands’ incentives? Yes, TV productions can but commercials cannot.

the territory, with the most important facility the Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante. The tsunami scenes in The Impossible were shot in its water tank.

What TV productions and commercials have shot recently in Spain? Todd Field’s action-packed commercial trilogy for Captain Morgan Rum shot in Majorca, while the US cable drama Covert Affairs filmed on location in central Barcelona.

Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Only heads of department. The Spanish audiovisual industry is well developed so international productions can recruit locally. Do crews speak English? Yes

Is there a minimum spend? No but a production must shoot at least two weeks on the island to qualify. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes, both Exodus: Gods And Kings and Heart Of The Sea were based in the UK.

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What are the key locations? Varied landscapes including desert terrain and mountain ranges, as well as Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline. What are the major film studios? There are a number of medium-sized studios dotted about

First point of contact Spain Film Commission spainfilmcommission.org The body has been operational for 13 years and has a network of offices across the country that can advise on locations as well as local services.

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World of locations Showcasing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s f ilm, TV & commercial locations

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World of locations MalTa

Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, Valletta

Malta Stunning architecture and renowned water facilities make Malta a big draw. Melanie Goodfellow reports

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the lowdown on malta What financial incentives are available? Malta offers a 27% rebate on eligible costs, subject to state approval. The basic rate is 25% plus an additional 2% for productions with a Maltese element. The incentives take the form of a cash grant given to eligible productions on qualifying expenditure incurred in Malta. Post-production has recently been added as an eligible cost, to a cap of $208,000 (€150,000). The island has also launched a co-production fund aimed at encouraging local production companies to become involved in international projects, offering development and production grants.

episodes of Impossible Pictures’ Sinbad shot in Malta. Stylewar/Stink’s Volvo — Command The Extreme commercial was shot in the tank facility in 2012. What are the key locations? The country’s water tanks facility is regarded by many as the best in the world, in addition to the clear blue sea surrounding the island. What are the major film studios in the territory? Mediterranean Film Studios, which houses the water tanks.

Is there a minimum spend requirement? No. Water tanks at Mediterranean Film Studios

alta is fast becoming one of the world’s most attractive international locations hubs for highbudget feature films following the introduction of an improved film rebate in April 2014. Under the initiative, approved visiting productions will benefit from a basic 25% rebate, with an additional 2% if they feature Maltese cultural elements. Further enhancements include the inclusion of eligible post-production costs up to $208,000 (¤150,000) and the extension of the incentives to TV and transmedia productions. The island has also recently launched a $1.4m (¤1m) co-production fund aimed at encouraging collaboration between Maltese and international companies to produce films and TV series for global distribution. The island also has treaties with a number of European countries and Canada. Malta has a long history of hosting international productions, dating back to 1925, when the silent UK maritime drama Sons Of The Sea shot on the island. “We are proud of our film history,” says Malta Film Commission’s Engelbert Grech. “Since 1925, Malta has provided a magnificent backdrop to some of the world’s best producers. Film is part of our culture. The Maltese are driven by the passion and love for films, not to mention their expertise that they have skilfully gained throughout the years.” Ancient meets modern As well as doubling for Ancient Rome, Troy and Alexandria, Malta is adept at housing contemporary dramas. Shoots over the past few years have included the Gaza-set Pigs Have Wings, as well as Marc Forster’s zombie thriller World War Z produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B for Paramount Pictures, in which the island doubled for modern-day Israel. HBO’s TV fantasy drama Game Of Thrones has also shot on the island. Over the years, facilities and a pool of qualified crew

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Good to know Malta isn’t just about maritime or ancient-world shoots. The island has also doubled for Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Palestine in the past, as well as its European neighbour Italy.

Malta stands in for Israel in World War Z, produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B for Paramount Pictures

Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories? Yes, they take the form of a cash rebate on qualifying costs incurred in Malta. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? TV productions, mini-series, animation and documentaries are all eligible, provided they are partially produced in Malta. Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in Malta? In addition to HBO’s Game Of Thrones, all 12

have developed in Malta. Locals are often willingly utilised in mass crowd scenes, with some productions employing as many as 2,000 at a time. Average pay rates for extras are around $85-$100 (¤60-¤70) a day, including food allowance. The country has also provided secondary actors. Camera, audio, lighting and grip equipment can easily be sourced. However, post-production facilities for film are limited in the region. One of Malta’s main draws is the water tanks at Mediterranean Film Studios. Indeed, Malta was a pioneer in the watershooting business, constructing one of the world’s first surface-water tanks, known as

Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, just heads of departments (if required) as Malta boasts a large, highly trained workforce with experience throughout various film departments. Do crews speak English? Everyone in Malta speaks English along with a good level of Italian. Productions from France, Germany and Russia have also filmed locally with ease. First point of contact Malta Film Commission

www.mfc.com.mt

the shallow tank, in 1964, followed by a larger tank, the deep tank, in 1979, which gave the island its unique selling point. A third indoor tank was built in 1996 for Michel Gondry’s award-winning Levi’s jeans commercial, featuring a drowning fisherman being rescued by mermaids. Most recently, the tanks have played host to the shoots of Asterix & Obelix, Universal’s Captain Phillips and HanWay Films’ Kon-Tiki, as well as earlier films such as Troy, Swept Away and U-571. On dry land, the 17th century Fort Ricasoli is a popular backdrop. A huge fake amphitheatre set, used by productions such as Gladiator and Troy, stands within its walls. The site was recently shut to the public due to damage caused by sea erosion but Malta Film Commission, which manages the site, confirms it is still open for shooting. Alongside the sets there is space for all other film departments. Beyond the water tanks and fortress, Malta’s towns and natural landscapes have also provided locations for many films. The Maltese capital of Valletta, boasting a mixture of architectural styles, has been the backdrop for The Devil’s Double, Midnight Express, Munich and Kon-Tiki. Gozo, Malta’s sister island, is also a popular destination. Productions on Gozo include Sinbad and Games Of Thrones.

2014 World of Locations 17

WORLD OF LOCATIONS IRELAND

Showtime’s Penny Dreadful shot in Dublin and County Wicklow

A PRODUCER SAYS

IRELAND Mountains, coasts, castles... and Victorian London, Ireland is a highly adaptable film hub. Sarah Cooper reports

ith its breadth of locations, financial incentives and strong crew base, Ireland attracts an impressive crop of large-scale TV and film productions. The country already boasts an attractive financial incentive in Section 481, which from 2015 will be upgraded to an official tax credit and its value increased from 28% to 32%. The changes are evidence of the importance the Irish government places on attracting inward investment, highlighted further by its decision to lock down Section 481 until at least 2020. The Irish Film Board’s ability to invest in projects provides a further sweetener for big-budget productions looking for a film friendly and well-established infrastructure within which to work. Ireland boasts mountains, coasts, castles and cities, along with several studios including Ardmore and Ashford, both within 30km of capital Dublin and a crop of successful local production companies such as Element Pictures. Dublin is a popular choice for producers looking for Victorian architecture and it often doubles for London. “You get better Victorian London in Dublin than you do in London,” says Penny Dreadful showrunner and executive producer John Logan. Ireland is also a popular co-production partner, particularly with the UK, as it is easy to combine both incentives.

DON’T FORGET Ireland has a thriving post-production and VFX sector, which includes companies such as Windmill Lane Pictures and Screen Scene, attracting films that held their principal photography outside Ireland.

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“I was looking for a place to double for Whitechapel in the 1880s, but I knew it was pretty much impossible to shoot Victorian London in London. Dublin provided a combination of redundant and semi-derelict buildings, which we used for our interiors, as well as several locations around Dublin that doubled for London in a very charismatic way. We were also induced by the Irish tax incentive and investment from the Irish Film Board, and the world-class crew.” Stephen Smallwood, producer on BBC drama series Ripper Street (pictured below)

THE LOWDOWN ON IRELAND What are the available financial incentives? Section 481 applies to feature film, television drama, animation and documentaries shooting in Ireland. Projects can claim on up to 28% of a project’s Ireland spend and can claim on up to 80% of the project’s total budget, with a ceiling of $70m (¤50m). It is available to the production on the first day of principal photography or on the financial closing of the film. In order to claim the tax incentive, an international producer will usually team with a local Irish producer and then an application is made to the Irish Revenue Commissioners for a Section 481 certificate, which can then be used as insurance to help raise finance. From 2015, subject to EU approval, Section 481 will go from being an investor-based scheme to a tax credit that will be paid by the Irish Revenue Commissioners. Productions will be able to claim up to 32% — compared with the present 28% — of their Ireland spend, which will now include cast and crew from any nationality rather than just from the European Union, as is the case presently. Is there a minimum spend requirement? No. Is Section 481 easy to combine with other incentives? Yes, particularly with the UK as it enables productions to access both Ireland’s Section 481 and the UK tax credit. If a project films in Northern Ireland too, it can also access the Northern Ireland Screen Fund. Ireland is also a popular co-production partner with France, Germany, South Africa and Canada. Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall, John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary, Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank and John Crowley’s Brooklyn are all UK-Ireland co-productions, while Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster is set up as an Ireland-UK-Greece-France-Netherlands co-production. Is Section 481 available to incoming TV projects and commercials? TV projects can access Section 481 but commercials cannot. Recent TV productions include MGM Television’s Vikings, which shot at Ashford Studios and on location in the Wicklow Mountains; Showtime’s horror series Penny Dreadful, which

Ripper Street

shot at Ardmore Studios and on location around Dublin and County Wicklow; and BBC drama Ripper Street. What are the key locations? Ireland offers coastal landscapes, mountains, ancient buildings, castles, the urban setting of Dublin and bucolic countryside, all within a relatively short distance of each other. What are the major studios? The renowned Ardmore Studios is just south of Dublin, while Ashford Studios in County Wicklow opened in 2012. Smaller studios include Galway’s two-stage Studio Solas and Dublin’s Blackthorn Studios, which has a soundproofed 12,000 sq ft stage and production office suites. Should incoming productions bring their own crew? No. Ireland is well known for its strong crew base. First point of contact Ireland’s Film Commissioner Naoise Barry at the Irish Film Board naoise.barry@irishfilmboard.ie. For international producers looking to team with a production company, the go-to film-makers include Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney at Element Pictures info@elementpictures.ie, and Morgan O’Sullivan and James Flynn of Octagon Films info@octagonfilms.com

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Calvary Irish Producer Octagon Films

Penny Dreadful Irish Co-producer Octagon Films

Ripper Street

Quirke

Irish Co-producer Element Pictures

Irish Producers Tyrone Productions & Element Pictures

Frank

Vikings

Irish Producer Element Pictures

Irish Producer World 2000 Entertainment

WORLD OF LOCATIONS FRANCE

Focus Features’ The Moon And The Sun shot for two weeks in Versailles

THE LOWDOWN ON FRANCE

FRANCE With its iconic heritage sites and stunning countryside, France reigns supreme. Melanie Goodfellow reports

rance produced some 279 films — more than 100 of them co-productions — in 2013. Such a high annual turnover sustains one of the oldest and most sophisticated film industries in the world. However, the country’s top-notch facilities and experienced technicians come at a price, which is why some international productions touch down for an establishing shot before heading to a cheaper or fiscally favourable territory for the rest of filming. Ile de France Film Commission is working hard to prove France is a cost-effective international location. “On paper France can look expensive on a unitary basis, but you have to take into con-

The Love Punch

GOOD TO KNOW If you want to stop the Paris traffic, the woman to contact is Sylvie Barnaud at the Paris Préfecture de Police.

20 World of Locations 2014

sideration the French way of doing things,” says Ile de France Film Commission spokesperson Yann Marchet. “Crews tend to be lighter, more compact and because they’re highly trained they do things more efficiently.” Ile de France Film Commission and the Paris Film Office, which manages permits, are the key points of contact for productions looking to film in and around Paris. The Tax Rebate for International Production (TRIP) offers a 20% rebate on approved French spend, up to a ceiling of $13.8m (¤10m), for international films shooting at least five days in France with a French element in the script. The industry is campaigning for the cap to be lifted completely to compete with other European incentive schemes. More than 70 films have accessed the mechanism, including Sean McNamara’s King Louis XIV fantasy The Moon And The Sun for Focus Features, Stephen Frears’ Lance Armstrong biopic for Working Title Films, and Francis Lawrence’s US title Seashore. Last year saw Joel Hopkins’ caper movie The Love Punch, starring Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan, shoot in Paris and the south of France, and BBC Films and Cohen Media Group’s comedy drama My Old Lady shoot in Paris, among several others. Some 60 international films tap into National Cinema Centre (CNC) support through a co-production deal each year.

What financial incentives are available? In addition to TRIP, official coproductions with France can access CNC subsidies if they pass a strict cultural test. Regional funds also offer support for incoming shoots. Is there a minimum-spend requirement? Yes. Productions need to spend at least $1.4m (€1m) in France to qualify for TRIP. A television series can aggregate these stipulations over several episodes. There is no minimum spend for CNC-backed feature coproductions, but TV productions must spend 30% of the budget in France. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories? Yes. For example, The Moon And The Sun shot for two weeks in Versailles before heading to Australia, enticed by support from the state of Victoria. However, productions tapping into TRIP cannot also access CNC support. CNC-approved co-productions regularly combine incentives from a variety of countries. Is there support for incoming TV and commercials shoots? TV productions can access TRIP and there is CNC provision for TV co-productions, but it is rare. Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in France? Sky Atlantic and Canal Plus’ coproduction The Tunnel shot in the

Nord Pas de Calais region in 2013. This year has seen NBC’s miniseries Rosemary’s Baby, produced by Lionsgate TV and directed by Agnieszka Holland, shoot in Paris. Mr Bean’s Holiday director Steve Bendelack recently shot a commercial for confectionery brand Mentos at Chateau du Cheylard, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. What are the key locations? Iconic heritage sites such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris, and the Palace of Versailles, some 45 minutes from Paris, are France’s main draw. The country also boasts thousand of miles of coastline and stunning countryside, as well as mountain ranges. What are the major film studios? There are several studios in and around Paris including the Luc Besson-backed Les Studios de Paris run by Euro Media France. Epinay Studios, favoured by Michel Gondry, is also popular. Key facilities outside of Paris include the Studios Riviera in Nice. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, France has one of the most sophisticated technician pools in the world. Do crews speak English? Yes First point of contact Film France. The Paris-based, statebacked body acts as a conduit to France’s array of production services and some 40 film commissions www.filmfrance.net

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WORLD OF LOCATIONS ITALY

Filming Walking On Sunshine in Nardo, Italy

ITALY Italy is renowned for its beautiful landscapes and iconic cities, as well as excellent crews. By Melanie Goodfellow

taly is firmly back on the international locations map following the government’s renewal of the country’s generous financial incentive for incoming productions through to 2015. Film-makers can access a 25% tax rebate of up to $4.1m (¤5m) on their local costs. The renewal in October 2013 ended months of uncertainty over the future of the incentives. “It was difficult for foreign producers to consider Italy as an option when they weren’t sure whether the tax credit would be in place or not by the time they arrived,” says producer Marco Valerio Pugini of Panorama Films, a respected production services company with a 20-year track record. It has worked on IM Global’s feature Afflicted (aka Ends Of The Earth) and as well as Ridley Scott’s TV movie The Vatican (aka Portrait) in 2013. “We’ve been promised the credits will stay in place for good now, and the industry is in talks to increase the rebate,” adds Pugini.

THE LOWDOWN ON ITALY What financial incentives are available? National tax incentives offer a 25% rebate on costs incurred via an Italian executive producer. It is also possible to access the 15% rebate for Italian productions up to $2.9m (€3.5m), through an official co-production. A number of regions also offer incentives. The commission for the northern region of Alto Adige, known as the Business Location Sudtirol Alto Adige, put $575,000 (€700,000) into Baltasar Kormakur’s

Is there a minimum spend? No Are the incentives easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes. Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age Of Ultron, which shot in the Alpine Aosta Valley, has also tapped into incentives in the UK and South Korea.

GOOD TO KNOW Check what’s on offer from the regional commissions, as many of them run some generous local rebates and hospitality funds.

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adventure epic Everest. The film, produced by the UK’s Working Title Films with the backing of Cross Creek Pictures, Universal Pictures and Waldon Media, spent six weeks shooting in the Dolomite Mountains. Apulia Film Commission in southern Italy runs the Apulia International Film Fund, offering a further 25% rebate on expenses incurred in the region on top of the 25% Italian incentive. The organisation also operates a hospitality fund. Recent international productions to have shot in the region include Vertigo Films’ UK musical Walking On Sunshine.

The Trip To Italy

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? The incentives bill passed in October 2013 set aside $16.5m

(€20m) for TV productions, but not for commercials. Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in Italy? Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip To Italy, Tom Fontana’s Borgia, Left Bank Pictures’ Zen and The Weinstein Company/Netflix original series Marco Polo. Why Italy? Mediterranean landscapes and iconic cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice. What are the major film studios? Rome’s historic Cinecitta Studios. Do productions need to bring their own crew? Italian technicians are renowned as some of the best in the world and productions can recruit locally. Do crews speak English? Yes First point of contact Italian Film Commissions www. italianfilmcommissions.it and the Association of Executive Producers www.ape-italy.com/en/about/

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WORLD OF LOCATIONS NETHERLANDS

Kidnapping Freddy Heineken on set in Amsterdam

NETHERLANDS Medieval towers and modern urban skylines are attracting international film-makers. By Geoffrey Macnab

THE LOWDOWN ON NETHERLANDS

etherlands’ film industry received a major boost last year when the Dutch government announced a new $27.7m (¤20m) cash rebate fund. This is expected to attract international production to the country and revitalise the country’s ailing post-production sector. Although the territory does not have studio facilities to match those at Pinewood or Babelsberg, the local industry is thriving with local films achieving a 20.5% market share in 2013. In addition, there has been a conscious attempt by the Netherlands Film Fund to court international producers and an emphasis on co-production treaties and alliances. Netherlands has struck partnerships with France, Canada, Norway, Belgium and South Africa; accord with Germany is in the works. The territory boasts a surprisingly wide range of film locations, which include pastoral scenery, broad beaches, extensive forests and waterways as well as a panoply of architectural styles. Visiting film-makers can make use of medieval towers, gates, streets and castles. There are also ultra-modern cityscapes.

22 World of Locations 2014

A PRODUCER SAYS “The great interest from Dutch co-producer Lemming Film, their passion and enthusiasm, compelled us to work with them.” Producer Ed Guiney of Element Films, which headed to Netherlands to conduct post-production, sound, grading and lab work on The Lobster

GOOD TO KNOW Producers can receive a grant of up to $2,100 (¤1,500) from the Netherlands Film Fund towards the costs incurred by the location scout or production manager who visits the country to research the possibility of shooting or conducting post-production there.

What financial incentives are available? May 2014 sees the launch of the Netherlands Film Commission and the Netherlands Film Production Incentive. The incentive offers a 30% cash rebate on the eligible production spend for features, feature documentaries and feature animations of up to $1.4m (¤1m). Additionally, the Netherlands Film Fund supports minority co-productions, offering grants of up to $345,000 (€250,000) for a feature film. The total Dutch share in the project needs to be at least 10% of the production costs. Will the rebate have a minimum spend requirement? Yes, $140,000 (€100,000), making it easy to combine with incentives in other countries. Which films have shot recently in Netherlands? Umedia’s Kidnapping Freddy Heineken starring Anthony Hopkins and Sam Worthington. What are the major film studios? There are no major facilities but plenty of smaller ones, including Amsterdam Studios, Schram Studios and Singel Film. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, and everyone speaks English. First point of contact Netherlands Film Commission

info@filmfonds.nl

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the netherlands

30% cash rebate www.filmfund.nl www.filmcommission.nl

World of locations Belgium

Ypres cathedral stands in for Westminster Abbey in The White Queen

Belgium Caves, castles, forests and port cities make Belgium very appealing. By Geoffrey Macnab

elgium’s film industry has benefitted hugely over the past decade from its tax shelter system, which generates at least $200m a year of investment into the film industry. Many high-profile international films have made use of the tax shelter, including Cannes opener Grace Of Monaco, Saul Dibb’s Suite Francaise, Bill Condon’s The Fifth Estate and Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist. International TV dramas including BBC TV’s Parade’s End and The White Queen have also shot in Belgium, doubling for France and the UK respectively. Belgium has a wide range of urban and rural landscapes and location opportunities, strong transport infrastructure and a busy post-production sector. The country benefits from being at the heart of Europe and offers every kind of location from caves to medieval towns, from 18th and 19th century villas and castles to industrial parks, as well as forests, mountains and port cities. Both Flemish and Wallonian communities are united in wanting to bring international film and TV projects to the country and work together closely. The Belgium government is now modifying the tax shelter system so investors will no longer take rights in a project. A producer spending a certain amount of money in Belgium will receive a certificate that can then be sold on to investors. This certificate will give

24 World of Locations 2014

A producer says “We did a bit of Brussels and a bit of Bruges to get some of that European architecture and scale. We shot scenes set in Germany and scenes set in Scotland. The crew were incredibly enthusiastic and skilled.” David Parfitt, Trademark Films, producer of BBC/HBO TV series Parade’s End

the investors an immediate fiscal advantage – but this will not be linked to the exploitation of the film. These proposed changes would extend the reach of the tax shelter yet further to include territories with which Belgium has a bilateral agreement, among them China and Canada.

And finally The key to working in Belgium is to find a Belgian co-producer.

The Lowdown on Belgium Are there any further financial incentives available? There is a network of regional film funds. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes, the tax shelter requires the audiovisual work incurred in Belgium to amount to at least 90% of the total tax shelter investment (loan part + equity). Is it easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes — Saul Dibb’s Suite Francaise (the UK), for example. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? TV productions can, but not commercials. What are the major studios? No major studios but plenty of smaller facilities. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, but do bring heads of department. First point of contact Wallimage info@wallimage.be Screen Flanders screenflanders.be

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World of locations Nordic region

On the set of Oblivion

NORDIC REGION Spectacular geography and enticing towns all play their part. Geoffrey Macnab reports

hey may not boast many major tax credits, cash rebates or huge state-of-the-art studios but the Nordic countries still attract plenty of international film-makers. From Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion, Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty and HBO’s Game Of Thrones, (all shot in Iceland) to David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and the BBC’s English-language Wallander (which shot in Sweden), big-budget footloose films are drawn by the locations and various regional funding opportunities. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland are all ultra-modern countries boasting high-tech gadgetry and urban sophistication. They also have spectacular locations that cannot be found anywhere else, including volcanoes, fjords, mountains and huge forests. In the Nordic world, modern cities and quaint old-fashioned villages sit side by side.

A director says “Wherever I looked around Stockholm, every view was a great filming image.” David Fincher, director, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

‘Having worked almost exclusively at 3 Mills for the last decade I can recommend the experience to anyone.’ Danny Boyle

OWN THE STAGE A UNIQUE ISLAND OF CREATIVITY

ScreenDaily_World of Location_halfPage_2014_AW.indd 1

26 World of Locations 2014

01/05/2014 12:13

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The Lowdown on the nordic region What financial incentives are available to international producers? Film and TV productions shooting in Iceland can take advantage of a 20% tax rebate — one of the region’s few film financial incentives aimed at attracting high-budget productions. There is a plethora of local film funds throughout the region. One of the most prominent is Film i Vast in Trollhattan, on Sweden’s west coast, which has an annual investment budget of around $11m. The Academy Award-nominated Kon-Tiki and A Royal Affair, Hammer Films’ The Woman In Black and various Lars von Trier features have either shot or done their post-production work here. International film-makers are eligible for support from the region’s state funds if they work with local partners.

Denmark — which is home to Nordisk, the world’s oldest film company — has several funds. Among them are the West Danish Film Fund, the Copenhagen Film Fund and FilmFyn. The Danish Film Institute is at the hub of the industry and supports between five and nine minority co-productions every year. In Sweden, if you co-produce with a Swedish producer, you may, through that producer, access the 10% of the National Film Fund set aside for foreign co-productions. What are the major film studios? Film i Vast houses big productions in its studio and office complex in Trollhattan, while part of HanWay Films’ Kon-Tiki was shot at Storm Studios in Norway, with much of the film’s post-production also being done there.

Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No. The Nordic countries have professional, Englishspeaking crews that are used to working on large international productions. First point of contact Sweden Ingrid Rudefors, film commissioner, Sweden ingrid.rudefors@frsm.se Denmark Noemi Ferrer Schwenk, international producer, Danish Film Institute noemis@dfi.dk Norway Truls Kontny, head of commission, Film Commission Norway truls.kontny@nfi.no Iceland Einar Hansen Tomasson, film commissioner, Film In Iceland einar@filminiceland.com Finland Tiina Laasonen, film commissioner, Finland Film Commission info@filmfinland.fi

(Far left) Noomi Rapace on the set of Prometheus in Iceland; (left) Kenneth Branagh in BBC TV’s Wallander, filmed in Sweden

Good to know All Nordic countries have film commissions designed to encourage international production, and which pride themselves on their efficiency. “One phone call to the power,” is how the Swedish Film Commission puts it.

A new perspective. W W W. R E P U B L I K . I S

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2014 World of Locations 27

EASTERN EUROPE ■ POLAND ■ CZECH REPUBLIC ■ RUSSIA

On the Lodz set of The Passing Bells

POLAND With its competitive prices and highly trained crews, Poland is an attractive partner, even without a tax incentive. By Geoffrey Macnab

oland may not yet have a soft money scheme but its appeal to international producers is growing fast. Locals point to competitive labour costs and the financial and logistical support that incoming film-makers can access, both from the Polish Film Institute and the nine active regional film funds. Indian blockbuster Kick recently shot in Poland, and it has been reported that one of Poland’s most celebrated film-makers, Roman Polanski, could shoot his feature An Officer And A Spy in the country. Poland offers a wide range of shooting locations: from rugged forests, beaches and castles to picturesque old towns and bustling modern cities. With 13 airports, the transport links are improving and it takes less than an hour to cross the country by plane. There are 150 production companies offering highly trained technicians, most of them English-speaking. Post-production, animation and VFX sectors are booming and studio space is easy to find. Lodz’s much vaunted film school provides a steady supply of capable cinematographers, editors and production designers. Poland is in Eurimages and already has co-production treaties with Canada, France, Israel and India (a treaty with New Zealand is in the offing). Meanwhile, a report has been commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers into the possibility of offering incentives, which will kickstart a public debate on film funding and tax incentives.

AND FINALLY Poland may not have financial incentives yet but competitive prices on locations, equipment and internationally experienced crews can still make it a cheaper solution than other territories with incentives.

28 World of Locations 2014

THE LOWDOWN ON POLAND What are the financial incentives available to international productions? No financial incentive is in place yet (this remains a work in progress), but support is available for international producers through the Polish Film Institute (PFI), which invested $8.2m (€6.5m) in 20 co-productions in 2013, as well as through the country’s nine regional film funds. Location incentives are also available in several cities. Is there a minimum spend requirement? PFI funding for minority co-productions requires that at least 80% of the funding made available is spent in Poland. To be eligible, producers must work with local partners. The minimum contribution from the Polish side must be at least 20%, in the case of a bilateral coproduction, and 10% when it is a multilateral one. Which films have shot recently in Poland? Sajid Nadiadwala’s action film Kick, starring Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez; part of the animation on Ari Folman’s The Congress was carried out in Poland.

A PRODUCER SAYS “Poland is a great place [to shoot] with excellent infrastructure and manpower. They don’t have a tax incentive, but it is 40% cheaper than anywhere else in Europe. They want films to come there, so the government helps a lot.” Shahjahan Riaz, executive producer, Kick

Kick shoots outside Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science

Which international TV productions have shot recently in Poland? AXN’s The Crime shot in Hel Peninsula (mostly in old or abandoned holiday resorts), BBC Worldwide’s The Passing Bells shot in Lodz and BBC2’s Great Continental Railway Journeys filmed in Warsaw and Wroclaw. What are the key locations? More than 500km of sandy coast, lakes, mountains and forests. Architecture from skyscrapers to quaint towns to cities that can double for Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Moscow. What are the major film studios? Alvernia Studios in Krakow, and ATM Studio and WFDIF Studio in Warsaw. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, unless heads of department are required. Poland is known for its professional, English-speaking crews (there are no unions) and post-production professionals. First point of contact? Film Commission Poland office@filmcommissionpoland.pl

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Niels Sejer

WORLD OF LOCATIONS CZECH REPUBLIC

On the set of A Royal Affair

CZECH REPUBLIC

A PRODUCER SAYS “We learned how to shoot a period movie in the Czech Republic. We could never do it in Denmark. We don’t have the experience, the props or costumes. It would have been so expensive to shoot such a film in Denmark.”

Medieval and modernist locations lie just an hour away from forests and mountains. By Geoffrey Macnab

or period drama, the Czech Republic is increasingly the global location of choice. Projects from Zentropa’s A Royal Affair to big budget Scandinavian TV drama 1864 and the BBC’s The Musketeers have all shot recently in the territory. Relatively few major Hollywood films have come to the Czech Republic in recent years, with the exception of Daniel Espinosa’s Child 44 starring Tom Hardy for Scott Free. High-end TV series are making up for the shortfall. The 20% cash rebate system, which was put in place in 2010, is an attraction as is the extraordinary range of locations the country offers: everything from medieval castles to Soviet-era brutalist buildings. Barrandov Studios in Prague offers top-level sound stages. Crews are not organised in unions and are independent and flexible. Local skills levels are such that international producers can often arrive with only their director, lead actors and a few department heads. Transport links are good, with plenty of service companies.

GOOD TO KNOW From Prague, you can reach any kind of location in the country in an hour’s drive — from medieval castles to chateaux, from snowy mountain tops to forests.

30 World of Locations 2014

Zentropa’s Peter Aalbaek Jensen on shooting A Royal Affair in the Czech Republic

THE LOWDOWN ON THE CZECH REPUBLIC What are the financial incentives available to international productions? The cash rebate fund offers 20% rebate on qualifying Czech spend and 10% on qualifying international spend. The eligible spend is capped at 80% of the total budget. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes. $753,000 (CZK15m) for a feature or TV film, $151,000 (CZK3m) for a theatrical documentary, and $502,000 (CZK10m) for a TV episode. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories? Yes. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives too? Yes, TV productions can. Which international films have shot recently in the territory? Scott Free’s Child 44, Zentropa’s A Royal Affair.

(Right) The Musketeers

Which international TV productions have shot recently in the territory? Miso Film’s Nordic co-production 1864, which staged the main battle scenes in Milovice and also shot in Brno, Prague, Terezin, Lednice and elsewhere. BBC TV’s The Musketeers recreated D’Artagnan’s 17th century Paris in Prague. What are the key locations? Medieval to contemporary, baroque to Renaissance, forests, mountains, lakes. What are the major film studios? Barrandov Studios in Prague. There are also plenty of old industrial sites that can be customised for film-making. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, just a few heads of department. Crews speak English, and French and German too. First point of contact Ludmila Claussova, Czech Film Commission Ludmila@filmcommission.cz

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russia World of locations

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

russia Russia has declared itself open for business — but away from the remarkable range of locations, beware the unexpected costs. Geoffrey Macnab reports

The Lowdown on russia Are financial incentives available to international producers? By co-producing with local partners and fulfilling stringent criteria, international film-makers can qualify their projects as ‘national films’ and thereby become eligible for state funding and a waiver on VAT (18% in Russia). However, this is not easy.

ussia is a country with a long and proud film-making tradition, top film schools (such as VGIK), state-ofthe-art studios, talented technicians and an extraordinary range of locations, from baroque churches to rural steppes, Soviet-era brutalism to exquisite pastoral scenery. In a sign that Russia is open for international business, film promotional agency Roskino recently set up offices in London, while the country joined Eurimages in 2011. The local industry is thriving, as witnessed by the recent box-office success of Stalingrad and strong measures have been taken to combat piracy. But Russia remains a challenging country in which to shoot international films. English is not spoken widely and there are huge bureaucratic hurdles, including ever-changing laws governing the film industry. There is no financial incentive aimed at attracting international business and although international producers can theoretically access state funding when working with local producers, in practice this is not always straightforward. Production costs for big footloose productions are far higher in Russia than in other eastern European territory.

Which features have shot recently in Russia? Paramount Pictures’ Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit shot partially in Russia in 2013 (and also used Liverpool in the UK to stand in for Moscow). The studio’s Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol also shot partly in Moscow. Why go there? For Moscow’s irreplaceable Red Square, 19th-century cityscapes and the stunning steppes, rivers and forests of this huge country. Cinematic Steppes in Siberia

A producer says “Moscow is an amazing city, but it’s a challenge to work in because it’s so big and so spread out.” Kenneth Branagh, director, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Good to know Find a fixer. Without strong local support from an insider, shooting in Russia will present immense logistical and bureaucratic hurdles. On set at Mosfilm studios

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Major film studios The largest and the oldest is Mosfilm in Moscow. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Yes. Russian crews do not generally speak English. Who to contact Roskino’s chief executive Katya Mtsitouridze katya.mtsitouridze@ gmail.com, and Eugene Zykov, founder and president of the nascent, independent Russian Film Commission aimed at attracting international film production to Russia ez@ russianfilm.biz

2014 World of Locations 31

North Africa Alamy

n Morocco n Tunisia

The view over Marrakech, Morocco with the High Atlas beyond

Morocco Deserts, oases, souks and political stability are a winning combination. Melanie Goodfellow reports

orocco is one of the few countries not to have experienced a revolution in the Middle East and North Africa in the last three years. It has seen a corresponding rise in international film and TV shoots as some of its neighbouring countries have become no-go areas for international talent and visiting film crews.

What are the major film studios?

CLA Studios and Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate. In Casablanca, there is Cinedina Studios. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew?

Only heads of department. A pool of experienced, Englishspeaking crew has developed in recent years.

What financial incentives does Morocco offer?

None, but incoming productions are exempt from the 20% VAT rate and there are no taxes or social charges for foreign workers on shoots in Morocco.

First point of contact

Leila Tounzi, chef de service de controle de la production, Moroccan Cinematographic Centre l.tounzi@ccm.ma

Update on Tunisia Tunisia is aiming to reignite its once thriving studio and locations industry. The country, which has housed legendary films including The English Patient, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Star Wars, saw incoming international business dry up after the popular revolution in 2011 — even though it was a relatively peaceful affair. “We’re doing everything we can to make Tunisia a location for foreign shoots again now the situation has stabilised politically and security wise,” says producer Habib Attia of Tunis-based production house Cinetelefilms. Attia has recently worked on two Italian TV films shooting in the country, La Vita Di Oriana Fallaci, produced by Fandango and Rai, and Marco Pontecorvo’s spy thriller Ragion Di Stato, a co-production between Cattleya and Rai. Tunisia’s new National Centre for Cinema is also drawing up a code to lure back international productions. Paris-based Tarak Ben Ammar’s Quinta Communications is relaunching its Tunisian studio facilities, which include Ben Arous Studios near Tunis International Airport, and Empire Studios in Hammamet. Quinta claims shooting in Tunisia now costs 30% less than in Morocco. “In addition to offering the most competitive rates in the region, we also offer film and digital labs in Tunisia,” says Ali Jaafar, executive director of Quinta’s independent film division. “We can potentially offer co-financing for projects that come to Tunisia and we can also prebuy projects shooting in Tunisia for the territories we distribute in, including Italy, the Middle East and other territories on a case-by-case basis.” First point of contact There is no central body for shooting in Tunisia. To shoot in Quinta’s studios, contact Ali Jaafar alijaafar@quintacom.com and Amel Bouchiba bouchibaamel@yahoo.fr

Which films have shot in Morocco recently?

Werner Herzog’s Queen Of The Desert, starring Nicole Kidman as explorer Gertrude Bell, with Robert Pattinson and James Franco, shot in the village of Merzouga as well as Marrakech and Erfoud, and Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of Dave Eggers’ novel A Hologram For The King, starring Tom Hanks. Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in Morocco?

Peter Horton’s Odyssey, starring Peter Facinelli and Anna Friel, for NBC. What are the key locations?

The country boasts picturesque North African deserts, mountains and oases, as well as the towns of Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech. These have souks, white-walled houses and winding streets which often double for Middle Eastern locations some 5,000 miles away. The desert town of Ouarzazate and the surrounding area is also a popular location.

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On the Tunisian set of the original Star Wars film

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Middle East Alamy

n JORDAN n ISRAEL n Gulf States

The facade of the monastery carved into the red rock at Petra

Ancient deserts and modern metropolises provide a backdrop to stories set in this world and in others. Melanie Goodfellow reports

JORDAN

t is all about the locations when it comes to Jordan: Wadi Rum desert, ancient ruins and iconic sites such as Petra and the Dead Sea are all within a short driving distance of each other. Jordan has no incentives or studio facilities. The capital Amman is a modern city with a historic old town and Roman and Islamic ruins. Add a growing pool of English-speaking technicians and the country’s political stability, and it is easy to see why more than 20 international productions shot in Jordan in the last year. They include Jon Stewart’s directorial debut Rosewater, starring Shohreh Aghdashloo and Gael Garcia Bernal, for OddLot Entertainment, Tom Green’s Monsters: Dark Continent for the UK’s Vertigo Films, and Fatih Akin’s The Cut. The Royal Film Commission (RFC) is a one-stop shop for access to Jordan’s locations. Most public locations are free, and RFC offers free security, free street blocking and a liaison officer to each production.

Good to know The website of Jordan’s Royal Film Commission’s has a production directory listing all companies and freelancers working in the Jordanian industry www.film.jo

34 World of Locations 2014

Israel

srael has a thriving local film industry, as evidenced by the four Israeli productions screening at Cannes. But security fears have kept highbudget footloose films away — for example, World War Z shot its modern-day Israel-set scenes in Malta. Now, however, international producers are waking up to Israel’s potential. The country’s tourism, finance and economy ministries and Jerusalem Municipality Natalie Portman

have jointly launched a $6.3m fund to encourage international feature and TV projects to film in Jerusalem. To qualify, productions have to spend $7.1m in Israel and at least $1.4m in Jerusalem. The grant is capped at 25% of the Israeli production costs. The first productions to benefit from the initiative include Israel-born Natalie Portman’s adaptation of Amos Oz’s memoir A Tale Of Love And Darkness, and NBC’s archaeological detective series Dig, a Keshet production for NBC’s USA Network. Portman’s directorial debut, which received about $450,000, shot in the central West Jerusalem neighbourhood of Nachlaot. In a separate initiative last year, the tourism ministry invested $80,000 in the Chinese production The Old Cinderella.

Insider info Israel does not have an official film commission. The best first point of contact is Katriel Schory, executive director at the Israel Film Fund kschory@filmfund.org.il www.filmfund.org.il

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Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol shot near the top of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower

Gulf states

he Emirati state of Abu Dhabi clinched one of the location world’s most prized shoots in Lucasfilm and Disney’s Stars Wars Episode VII, directed by JJ Abrams. It was serviced by local line-production house twofour54. Based at Pinewood Studios in the UK, Star Wars filmed its Tatooine desert

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scenes in Abu Dhabi. Previous films in the series have shot the desert scenes mostly in Tunisia. The new Star Wars is the latest in a handful of high-profile films to shoot in Abu Dhabi since the introduction of a 30% rebate in 2012. Further feature shoots include Screen Gems’ action thriller Deliver Us From Evil, starring Eric Bana, and Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious 7, which shot in April. Abu Dhabi Film Commission is a one-stop shop for incoming productions.

Abu Dhabi is one of seven states comprising the UAE. Its main local rival is Dubai which housed Paramount Pictures’ globe-trotting Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, which shot on the top of the city’s eye-catching Burj Khalifa tower. Dubai Film Commission ( www.filmdubai.gov.ae) offers hospitality and assistance rather than a flat rebate, and Dubai Studio City — a state-of-theart-facility designed by California-based architects Bastien and Associates — opened last year.

2014 World of Locations 35

Australasia & South Africa n New Zealand n Australia n South Africa

New Zealand A stunning, ever-changing natural environment gives New Zealand an edge. By Sandy George

Top Of The Lake

The lowdown on New Zealand

here is something wild, epic and otherworldly about New Zealand’s natural landscape. It can change radically within just a few kilometres, giving a range of different looks that are easily accessible within a small geographic area. The compact nature of the country means cast and crew are never far from the three major film production centres of Auckland, Queenstown and Wellington, limiting travel time and costs. The New Zealand government recently made filming in the country even more attractive by increasing the financial incentives available to international producers. As of April 1, cash grants of 20% of local expenditure are automatically payable providing that expenditure reaches $13.1m (nz$15m), a rise of 15%. There is also more flexibility around the definition of New Zealand films, which can claim 40% grants, while TV projects no longer have to be a certain length or meet minimum per-hour expenditure levels. Film-maker Peter Jackson is also a major draw. He keeps A-list crews in work by pumping out a locally shot blockbuster every two years, on average. His state-of-the-art post and VFX entities, Weta Digital, Weta Workshop and Park Road Post, provide enticing environments for visiting film-makers.

36 World of Locations 2014

What are the available financial incentives? The screen production grant is equivalent to 20% of qualifying New Zealand production expenditure (QNZPE), with an additional 5% available to productions if they pass a pointsbased significant economic benefits test. The 20% is also available for producers undertaking post, digital and visual effects (PDV) in the country. A 40% grant is available to international film-makers who team up with a local producer to make New Zealand-qualifying film and TV projects. The grants are uncapped for non-New Zealand films and capped at $17.5m (nz$20m) for big-budget New Zealand-qualifying films. The latter must meet certain criteria, including sharing income with New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC).

Which films have shot recently in New Zealand? Like Slow West, the post-apocalyptic US thriller Z For Zachariah, directed by Craig Zobel, shot in New Zealand in place of the US.

Is there a minimum expenditure requirement? Yes, QNZPE must be at least $13.1m (nz$15m) for a film to claim either the 20% for non-New Zealand films or the 40% for New Zealand films, and at least $873,000 (nz$1m) for PDV work.

What are the key locations? Rugged mountains, dense forests and wild environments make New Zealand particularly suitable as a backdrop for adventure stories, particularly those set in the US.

Are they easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes in the case of international, non-New Zealand productions. No, when it comes to New Zealand-qualifying co-productions because they have to satisfy a New Zealand content test. The exceptions are official co-productions such John Maclean’s UK-NZ collaboration Slow West, made by UK-Australian outfit See-Saw Films, Michael Fassbender’s UK outfit DMC Films, New Zealand Film Commission and New Zealand-based producer Rachel Gardner. The western shot in the Scottish Highlands and in New Zealand’s South Island, standing in for Colorado. It filmed in the Mackenzie Basin, a landscape of imposing mountains and grasslands of golden tussocks.

What are the major film studios? Studio West and Auckland Film Studios in Auckland and Stone Street Studios in Wellington.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? TV projects, including scripted and unscripted drama, docs, factual programming, children’s content, animation and reality shows can access the 40% incentive, providing QNZPE reaches $3.5m (nz$4m). Commercials are not eligible.

Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in New Zealand? Top Of The Lake, produced by See-Saw Films, Sundance Channel and BBC TV, was made in the Queenstown Lakes District, and Saban’s Power Rangers Megaforce series shoots in Auckland. New Zealand recently stood in for Kentucky for the Jim Beam Make History commercial. Other recent ad spots include Samsung Charge, filmed at Bethels Beach, and Lipton Iced Tea Zorb, filmed mainly in Auckland.

Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, the more local services and personnel used, the higher the QNZPE and the bigger the grant. First point of contact New Zealand Film Commission nzfilm.co.nz administers grants while Film New Zealand enquiries@filmnz.com is the national locations office.

And finally Whatever the season in the northern hemisphere, it is the opposite in New Zealand. This has been the clincher for many productions more than once, as has snow, which can be found from May to September.

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BIGGER SCREEN INCENTIVES

For any size screen and for co-productions New Zealand’s screen production incentives recently increased, making it even more attractive to film there. Co-productions benefit from an increased rebate level for television, and larger budget film and television co-productions are now included. The grant for international film and television productions also increased. To find out more, and why international productions are choosing New Zealand, please get in touch.

nzfilm.co.nz

filmnz.com

NEW ZEALAND

Avatar © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Spartacus: War of the Damned © 2013 Starz Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. Top of the Lake Paradise © See-Saw (Top of the Lake) Holdings Pty Ltd. NZFC0001

WORLD OF LOCATIONS AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA Diverse locations, world-class studios and skilled crew make Australia a standout destination. Sandy George reports Angelina Jolie’s Second World War drama Unbroken

THE LOWDOWN ON AUSTRALIA

ustralia is again proving popular with international film-makers as the US dollar grows in strength against the Australian dollar, ensuring the territory’s uncapped financial incentives are worth more than they have been for the past few years. Angelina Jolie filmed Second World War prisoner-of-war drama Unbroken for Universal Pictures in Australia in late 2013 and the cameras have rolled in 2014 on two highbudget films: the California-set earthquake adventure film San Andreas, starring Dwayne Johnson, and Summit Entertainment’s fantasy epic, Gods Of Egypt, starring Gerard Butler and directed by Alex Proyas. Australia’s appeal lies in its diverse locations, world-class studios, skilled cast and crew and stable economy. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby (pictured below), which has grossed more than $350m worldwide and won a production design Academy Award for turning Sydney into 1920s New York, attests to Australia’s capability.

AND FINALLY Hundreds of artists and technicians from Animal Logic played a part in the look of The Lego Movie. The work of Australia’s top-class VFX suppliers features in Gravity, Prometheus, Thor and Iron Man 3.

38 World of Locations 2014

What financial incentives are available to film-makers? A location offset provides a 16.5% cash rebate on all qualifying Australian production expenditure (QAPE) on completion of a film. There is also a 30% post, digital and visual-effects offset (PDV). In addition, the Australian government has put aside an $18.7m (A$20m) fund to attract big-budget features — 20th Century Fox’s The Wolverine was the first recipient — while the various state governments are also worth approaching. If an international film-maker teams up with Australian key creatives and makes an Australian film, a 40% producer offset applies. Village Roadshow Studios

Is there a minimum expenditure requirement? Yes. QAPE must be at least $28m (A$30m) to be eligible for the fund, $14m (A$15m) to claim the location offset, but only $468,000 (A$500,000) for the PDV and producer offsets. Can you combine the incentives with those in other territories? Yes, for productions accessing the location offset, which is specifically in place for international productions. What’s more, a certain percentage of the total budget no longer has to be spent in Australia to access the location offset. The PDV offset can be claimed irrespective of where the feature was filmed. Part of Focus Features’ The Moon And The Sun, for example, was filmed in France before cast and crew headed to Australia. Combining incentives is more difficult for international producers partnering with Australian producers on Australian films: official co-productions qualify automatically, but it is not easy to meet all the rules, and films made under US-Australia partnerships (there is no co-production treaty between the two countries) have to meet a significant Australian content test, which examines factors including subject and story, the nationalities of those involved and sources of finance.

Can TV productions and commercials access incentives? TV movies and series (including live action, animation, reality and documentary) can access the location offset at 20% (rather than the 40% for features) providing the average QAPE is $935,000 (A$1m) per hour. Terra Nova, from 20th Century Fox Television, filmed in 2011 and NBC pilot The Frontier shot in 2012. What are the key locations? Australia’s sheer breadth of locations is what makes it special. It can provide deserts, jungles, big cities and grassland. It would probably not be the first choice for snowy mountains. What are the major film studios? Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, Village Roadshow Studios on Queensland’s Gold Coast and Docklands Studios Melbourne. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No. Australia has highly experienced crews, and the more of them used, the higher the QAPE and the bigger the rebate. First point of contact State governments, studios and service companies are all members of the industry-government partnership Ausfilm ausfilm.com.au

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South Africa World of locations

The lowdown on S Africa

South Africa Hollywood and Bollywood films are heading the charge to South Africa. By Melanie Goodfellow

What financial incentives are available? Films shooting in South Africa are eligible for a 20% rebate on qualifying spend in the country, known as the Foreign Film and Television Production and Post-Production incentive. Projects shooting and doing postproduction get a rebate of between 22.5% and 25%, depending on how much is spent in South Africa. It is administered by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). Is there a minimum spend? Not on the basic 20% incentive but to qualify for the extra post-production allowance, a production needs to spend at least $141,000 (zar1.5m) to qualify for the 22.5% rebate and $280,000 (zar3m) to be eligible for the 25% incentive. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories? Yes, as they are not dependent on a percentage of the total budget.

slew of high-profile Hollywood shoots for films as diverse as 20th Century Fox’s teen superhero thriller Chronicle, Distant Horizon and The Weinstein Company’s biopic Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Walden Media’s The Giver and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age Of Ultron have shot in South Africa in the past five years. And it is not just Hollywood heading south: a number of Bollywood films — including Aankhen 2 and Happy Anniversary — are poised to film in Durban, which is becoming a hub for Indian cinema. Long a favoured location for commercials, film-makers are attracted to South Africa for its impressive landscapes, tax incentives, favourable exchange rate and competitively priced crews and facilities. “International producers will find locations that can mirror pretty much anywhere in the world within a two-hour radius of a major city,” says Terrence Khumalo, a manager at the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), the state-backed body supporting the film and audiovisual industry in South Africa. In addition to African plains, wildlife, mountains, vineyards, beaches and cities offering a wide range of architectural styles, the country’s Cape Town Film Studios is a popular facility. It has hosted more than 20 features including DNA Films and IM Global’s Dredd and Distant Horizon and The Weinstein Company’s Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom since opening in 2010.

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(Above) Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom; (below) Cape Town Film Studios

Hot tip The Cape Town Film Studios has a large digital green-screen studio for visual-effects shoots.

The government is committed to growing the country’s creative industries as a means of fostering economic growth. A study by NFVF in 2013, showed the film industry created more than 25,000 jobs in 2012 and generated $437m for the economy. It is very proactive in terms of welcoming productions and promoting the country as an international location. Alongside NFVF, a network of five film commissions — ranging from Zulu Coast Film Office, covering the sub-tropical north and including iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Cape Film Commission to the west — can all help with logistics, location scouting and permits.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes. They can access the incentives only through a South African special-purpose vehicle. The company they come through should be registered in South Africa and either be wholly South African-owned or the South African ownership be at least 51%. Feature productions are not subject to these rules. Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in South Africa? BBC TV’s Bluestone 42 and Our Girl. Volkswagen Amarok and Sky Vodka ads were shot at Cape Town Film Studios. What are the major film studios in the territory? Cape Town Film Studios has hosted numerous feature productions as well as TV and commercials shoots. Its facilities include four sound stages, dressing rooms, wardrobe facilities, make-up rooms and offices. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Not necessarily. The substantial number of international productions in South Africa over the last 10 years has helped form a pool of English-speaking technical, creative and business expertise in South Africa. Some South African DoP’s are now highly sought after to work on international productions. First point of contact NVFV www.nfvf.co.za, which manages the incentives and other production funding, should be the first port of call. The South African Film Commission, which also oversees a network of regional commissions, is also a useful starting point. Other bodies worth noting are the Independent Producers’ Organisation and Commercials Producers Association.

2014 World of Locations 39

Asia Alamy

n South KoreA n MALAYSIA n THAILAND

South Korea Ancient and modern locations sit side by side — and often with a sea view. Jean Noh reports

hen Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Age Of Ultron revealed it was shooting on location in South Korea, international attention turned to this country of contrasts. Ultramodern architecture and traditional palaces sit against a backdrop of mountains and rivers while luxury apartments with sea views sprout up next to gritty backstreets. Public spaces such as Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Plaza and Cheongyecheon Stream are popular spots for shoots as well as the shopping districts of Myeong-dong and Garosu-gil. Korea’s national and regional governments offer financial incentives to international film and TV productions. Regional commissions also offer in-kind assistance such as help scouting locations in the form of co-ordinators, flights and car rentals, and, in the case of Busan, scriptwriting and pre-production support of up to 10 hotel nights. Individual city administrations will take care of shooting permits and shut down transportation arteries such as Gwangan Bridge in Busan that spans the ocean with mountains and islands in view.

A producer says “South Korea is the perfect location for a movie of this magnitude because it features cutting-edge technology, beautiful landscapes and spectacular architecture.” Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and producer of Avengers: Age Of Ultron Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul

The lowdown on South Korea What financial incentives are available to international productions? The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) offers a 30% rebate on local expenditure to international features, TV series and documentaries. Producers need a partner corporation registered in Korea to apply and a production must have more than 80% of its budget from overseas. Seoul Film Commission (SFC) offers a rebate of up to 25% to foreign or internationally co-produced film and TV productions shot in Seoul. The producer must apply and their nationality does not matter. International producers shooting in Busan can also claim 50% of their accommodation costs up to $29,000 (won30m) from Busan Film Commission (BFC), for a maximum of 25 shooting days. BFC has also launched a $4.6m fund to invest in films that hold at least 70% of their shooting days in Busan. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Productions must spend at least $96,000 (won100m) on Korean goods and services and shoot for at least three days to access KOFIC’s rebate. Features must shoot for at least six days — four for TV productions — to access the SFC rebate.

40 World of Locations 2014

Are they easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes. Avengers: Age Of Ultron is based in the UK. In addition, although there is talk of ending overlapping incentives, productions can combine all the Korean incentives and support on offer. Which international film productions have shot recently in South Korea? Avengers: Age Of Ultron shot on locations including Mapo Grand Bridge on the Han River, Gangnam Boulevard and Sangam Digital Media City. Universal Pictures’ The Bourne Legacy shot in and around Gangnam subway station. What are Korea’s unique geographical traits? Korea is a peninsula with ocean and islands on three sides. Many cities are built around a river or other water with mountains surrounding them. What are the major film studios? Art Service Studios, Busan Cinema Studios, KOFIC Namyangju Studios.

Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Most productions will bring heads of departments, but a production services company can pull together experienced crew. Do crews speak English? Korea has had a recent influx of internationally educated talent returning to the country. A producer probably will not find a whole crew of English-speakers, but an Englishspeaking line producer/co-ordinator with (or without) heads of departments can be enough. First point of contact SFC and BFC have the most experience in dealing with foreign productions and can make recommendations for production services and other organisations. KOFIC has a list of production service companies koreanfilm.or.kr including production houses Zip Cinema and TPS Company that can pull together top-level crew and help with casting. For reality TV shows, AFO Communications has been an oft-used partner — for example by America’s Next Top Model cameronkim60@gmail.com

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Alamy

World of locations Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

The lowdown on Malaysia Is there a minimum spend requirement for the 30% cash rebate? Yes. The minimum spend for foreign productions is $1.5m (rm5m) for features, $118,000 (rm385,000) per hour for TV and $462,000 (rm1.5m) for post-production. For local productions, the minimum spend is $770,000 (rm2.5m) for features, $59,000 (rm193,000) per hour for TV and $154,000 (rm500,000) for post-production. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other territories? In theory this should not be a problem, but the rebate is new so this has not really been tested.

Malaysia New facilities and incentives are making the territory Asia’s latest go-to location. Liz Shackleton reports

alaysia is emerging as Asia’s next hot shooting location, thanks to the introduction of a 30% cash rebate on production and post-production spend, and the opening of Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios (PIMS). The latter was established by Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional through a strategic alliance with the UK’s Pinewood Shepperton Group. Introduced at the beginning of 2013, the Film In Malaysia Incentive (FIMI) is available for international features spending a minimum of $1.5m in the country. Productions to apply so far include Michael Mann’s high-tech thriller Cyber, which shot in Kuala Lumpur (as well as China and the US), and Netflix original series Marco Polo, produced by The Weinstein Company, which is shooting at PIMS. Khazanah has established a subsidiary, Rhizophora Capital, offering loans to cash-flow the rebate. In addition to five sound stages, with a total area of 100,000 sq ft, PIMS also houses two 12,000 sq ft HDequipped TV studios, a green-screen water tank, backlots, digital post-production facilities and support services including production offices, catering, dressing rooms and workshops. Beyond the studios, Malaysia has similar locations terrain to Thailand, including rainforest, beaches, highlands and modern cityscapes.

42 World of Locations 2014

Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? The rebate also covers TV series — including game shows and reality shows — documentaries, commercials and short-form animation. What are the key locations? Tropical rainforests; highlands; islands and beaches; historical Malay, Chinese and colonial architecture; modern cityscapes. What are the major film studios? PIMS in Iskandar, KRU Studios in Cyberjaya near Kuala Lumpur. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Yes, because the country is in the process of upskilling. Experienced crew could also be flown in from Australia and Thailand. Do crews speak English? English is spoken widely in Malaysia. First point of contact Film In Malaysia Office (FIMO) under the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS). suzie@finas.gov.my

Although Entrapment (1999) and Anna And The King (1999) both filmed in Malaysia, the country is relatively new to servicing international productions so PIMS and local authorities and universities are running training courses for local crews. Local production services companies include Biscuit Films, which worked on Cyber last year.

Good to know Malaysia has a mixed population of Malays, Chinese and Indians, so there is no problem finding actors, extras and TV audiences of different ethnicities.

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Alamy

Thailand World of locations

River Kwai

Thailand Stunning natural locations are attracting many independent productions. By Liz Shackleton

The lowdown on Thailand

hailand’s legacy as a locations provider stretches back to the 1970s and films such as The Deer Hunter and The Man With The Golden Gun, More recent productions have included The Impossible, The Railway Man and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives. Major draws are the country’s low costs, spectacular locations and high service standards. The country has a large supply of reliable fixers, equipment hire companies, post-production facilities and English-speaking crew. Thailand is also versatile — it doubled for India in Oliver Stone’s Alexander and has stood in for countries as diverse as Austria, Japan and Taiwan. On the downside, Thailand does not have any production incentives. The result is that Thailand’s low costs make it popular with independent productions, but the lack of incentives deters large-scale studio pictures looking for substantial rebates and economies of scale. Meanwhile, the political protests in Bangkok have so far been confined to small areas and not really hit any visiting productions, although it is more important than ever to find an experienced production services company that can navigate potential problems such as blocked roads. Thailand Film Office (TFO) can recommend a local fixer and will work with them to arrange shooting permits, visas and other paperwork. It will also appoint an officer to ensure productions keep within regulations, which include not being critical of Buddhism or the king. TFO also organises the annual Thailand International Film Destination Festival to showcase the country’s locations and expertise.

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What financial incentives are available? Apart from waiving tax for visiting actors in 2011, Thailand does not have production incentives and the situation is unlikely to change in the short term due to political turmoil. Which international productions have recently shot in the territory? According to Thailand Film Office, some 67 features filmed in Thailand in 2013. Films to shoot last year and in early 2014 include Bold Films’ The Coup, starring Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan, Millennium Films’ Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear, Akan Satayev’s Hacker, Peter Fudakowski’s Secret Sharer and NBC Universal’s Man With The Iron Fists 2. Many Asian productions have also recently filmed in Thailand including Hong Kong action drama The White Storm and India’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

What are the major film studios? Thailand has several studio facilities, of which Kantana Group is the best known internationally, but most visiting productions tend to shoot on location rather than on sound stages. Bangkok has also emerged as the post-production hub for the region, although some of the larger facilities with high overheads, such as Technicolor, closed when their labs became redundant with the transition to digital. Local companies such as Kantana and boutique operations Spice Shop and Whitelight have taken up the slack. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? In theory you can find almost everyone you need in Thailand, including heads of department, although the best people are likely to be busy. Millennium Films’ 2011 action movie Elephant White was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, marking the first time a foreign movie used a Thai director.

Which international TV productions and commercials have filmed recently in Thailand? In total, 717 productions filmed in Thailand in 2013, including 150 documentaries, 107 TV series and 346 commercials. Recent big TV productions include UK military drama Strike Back, co-produced by Sky and Cinemax, which filmed part of its fifth season in Bangkok and Krabi.

Do crews speak English? Thailand has a large pool of English-speaking crew with experience of working on international features. However, TV crews do not speak much English, so visiting TV productions may need to hire feature film crews, which will push up costs.

What are the key locations? Tropical islands and beaches in the south; Bangkok and national parks in the centre and mountains in the north; rainforest and temples throughout the country.

First point of contact Thailand Film Office (TFO) can help with permits and connect visiting productions to local fixers. film@thailandfilmoffice.org

A producer says

Good to know

“The crews are top notch for the sums paid and the locations are stunning. Thailand can double for almost anywhere, depending on where you shoot. The bureaucracy tends to get in the way at times as there are some things you cannot get permission from the government to shoot.”

Thailand has a huge number of production services companies working across features, TV, music videos and commercials, so producers can find the one most appropriate for their type of work. Some of the best-known companies with film experience include Grand Elephant (Only God Forgives), De Warrenne Pictures (Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear), Living Films (The Coup) and Santa International (The Impossible).

Frank DeMartini, producer, Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear

2014 World of Locations 43

Latin america Alamy

n Brazil n Mexico

The lowdown on Brazil

brazil From Rio’s beaches to the Amazon rainforest, Brazil has everything to offer. Geoffrey Macnab reports

What financial incentives are available? Film policy is firmly aimed at supporting local producers. There is no tax incentive or soft money initiatives aimed at attracting incoming productions. Instead, producers must work with an ANCINE-registered local production company and set up an official co-production to access the various state and regional financing pots. For example, the internationally savvy RioFilme is a regular co-producer of and investor in projects such as Summit Entertainment’s Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1, which shot in the city in 2010. Are they easy to combine with international incentives? Brazil has a strong tradition of co-production. The UK-Brazil co-production treaty is expected to be ratified this year. US producers can work with Canadian partners and utilise the Brazil-Canada treaty. Stephen Daldry’s thriller Trash, written by Richard Curtis, was shot in Rio at the end of 2013. It was set up as a UK-Germany-Brazil coproduction, through local partner 02 Filmes, Universal Pictures’ German office and the UK’s Working Title Films. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes. TV projects such as Netflix’s Lilyhammer have accessed funding under the same terms as feature productions. There are no incentives available to commercials.

s Brazil plays host to two global events — the football World Cup earlier this year and the Olympic Games in 2016 — the Brazilian government has invested heavily in the country’s media infrastructure. In addition to building a new studio in Rio de Janiero called Rio Polo de Audiovisual, the government is ploughing $169.3m into the local film industry to help realise its aim of transforming Brazil into one of the world’s leading audio-visual hubs. The investment will be overseen by the national film agency, Agencia Nacional do Cinema (ANCINE), the body responsible for promoting and regulating the Brazilian film and video industries. Brazil has several bilateral co-production treaties, including with Germany and Canada, and is looking to work closely with further international partners. Such is the territory’s ambition that Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, has offered to finance a new Woody Allen film — if the director shoots it in Rio. The

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What are the key locations? Most international producers come to Rio for the tropical city’s beaches, iconic skyline and landmarks such as Sugarloaf Mountain and the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. Others go further afield, exploring the wilderness and beauty of the Amazon. (Top) Brazil’s rainforests attract film-makers; (above) Fast & Furious 5 in Rio de Janeiro

key message for international producers is to work with a local production company registered with ANCINE in order to access the country’s variety of state and federal incentive schemes. Big-budget blockbusters such as Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Fast & Furious 5 (aka Fast Five) have shot in Brazil.

A producer says “The soft money and local support is there. The wheels grind quite slowly and the bureaucracy is quite onerous but you get there in the end.” Mike Downey, UK producer, Rio 50 Degrees and Streetkids United II

What are the major studios? A big new studio, Rio Polo de Audiovisual, is up for tender and should be at least partly complete in time for the 2016 Olympics. There are also studio facilities in Sao Paulo. Should incoming productions bring their own crew? No. With a thriving film and TV sector, skilled technicians are readily available. But do bring your own heads of department as the crews tend to speak Portuguese rather than English. First point of contact Steve Solot, president, Rio Film Commission steve.solot@cultura.rj.gov.br

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ARGENTINA//BRAZIL//CHILE//COLOMBIA//COSTA RICA//ECUADOR//PERU//URUGUAY//USA//VENEZUELA// SWITZERLAND

Lucy Nieto

WORLD OF LOCATIONS MEXICO

MEXICO Varied locations and hard-working local crews are putting Mexico on the map. Geoffrey Macnab reports On the set of Eisenstein In Guanajuato

he reality of shooting on location in Mexico is far from the edgy onscreen depiction of the country often favoured by its arthouse film-makers. Instead, Mexico is a location with strong studio facilities, generous incentives and highly trained crews who can cope with everything from huge Hollywood movies such as Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium to low-budget features from European auteurs such as Peter Greenaway’s Eisenstein In Guanajuato, which shot in Guanajuato earlier this year. Mexico City is the hub of the film and TV industry and Mexico City’s Film Commission has become increasingly active in processing applications for TV dramas, commercials, documentaries and feature-length films.s

A PRODUCER SAYS “Shooting in Mexico was a positive experience. We had a local coproducer and the local crews were amazing, enthusiastic, professional and willing to work hard. We had a mixed crew, Mexican and Dutch.” Femke Wolting, producer, Eisenstein In Guanajuato

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THE LOWDOWN ON MEXICO What financial incentives are aimed at international producers? The ProAudiovisual Fund (ProAV) incentive gives a 7.5% cash rebate of all expenses incurred in Mexico and, combined with relief on VAT, it can reach up to 17.5% of the production budget. There are various government funds, including Eficine 226, Fidecinem and Foprocine, aimed at stimulating the local industry that international producers can access if they work with a Mexican co-producer. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes. To access ProAV, productions must spent at least $3.05m (PESO40m) during production and $760,000 (PESO10m) during post-production in Mexico. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with those in other territories? Yes. Greenaway’s Eisenstein In Guanajuato was shot in Mexico using Eficine but was still able to access tax-shelter financing in Belgium.

Are TV productions and commercials eligible for the financial incentives? Yes, TV productions can access ProAv and the VAT rebate. Commercials can apply for ProAV. All international production companies must register their projects through a Mexican production company. Which international features have shot recently in Mexico? JC Chandor’s All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford, which shot partly in Baja California, and Diego Luna’s biopic Cesar Chavez, for Participant Media, Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Lionsgate. Which international TV projects have shot recently in Mexico? A&E’s Texas Rising, Sony Pictures Television’s El Mariachi. What are Mexico’s key physical and geographical locations? Everything from empty desert landscapes to crowded urban sprawl, from colonial-era ranches and palaces to skyscrapers. Film-makers can find

all types of ecosystems, architecture, ancient ruins, magical towns, jungle, deserts, forests and beaches, in this hugely varied territory. What are the major film studios? Mexico has two major studios: Churubusco — Azteca Studios in Mexico City and Baja Film Studios in Rosarito, Baja California, which housed All Is Lost. Guanajuato International Film Festival plans to build a $16m facility in San Miguel de Allende called Fabrica GIFF, which will offer production studios, workshops and post-production facilities and will be open to foreign producers. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No, Mexico’s bi-lingual Spanish and English-language crews have a long tradition in film production. First point of contact Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) www.imcine.gob.mx or the Mexican Film Commission (COMEFILM) www.comefilm.gob.mx

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Caribbean

Trinidad & Tobago Once a go-to destination for Hollywood, Trinidad & Tobago continues to attract international shoots. Melanie Goodfellow reports

ccording to local legend, the late Hollywood star Mickey Rooney considered building a film studio on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1950s. At the time, the twin island republic was a popular destination for Hollywood productions including Fire Down Below and Swiss Family Robinson. These days few crews are making the trip from Los Angeles but the destination remains popular for shoots attracted to its diverse landscapes and tax rebates. “What positions Trinidad and Tobago as a film location at the moment is the robust and aggressive cash rebate, which is up to 55% with a ceiling of $8m in spending, and the fact it is cash and not tax,” says Carla Foderingham, head of Trinidad & Tobago Film Company (TTFC) which administers the rebate. The islands’ other big plus, adds Foderingham, is the diversity of its landscapes. “We’re a tropical country — the Tobago rainforest is one of the oldest in the western hemisphere. You can move from swamps and mangroves to landscapes that don’t look unlike southern Miami. The country could double up for Africa, India or even Cuba; certain elements lend themselves to the old world Caribbean. A film set in Vietnam was scouting here recently.” Aside from promoting Trinidad and Tobago to international productions, TTFC is also active in supporting the local industry. “We are producing our own films so some production services and equipment can be sourced locally and we can also provide crew,” says Foderingham. There are also a number of line producers on the island, led by producer and TV personality Lisa Wickham of Imagine Media.

Girlfriends’ Getaway

The Lowdown on Trinidad & Tobago What are the financial incentives available to international productions? Trinidad & Tobago Film Company (TTFC) runs a straight cash rebate programme, providing cash rebates of up to 55%. This is split between 20% on expenses related to the use of local cast and crew and a sliding scale of 12.5% to 35% on qualifying expenditure generated by the actual shoot. Is there a minimum spend requirement? The minimum spend is $100,000 to a maximum of $8m. The maximum cash rebate is $1.5m.

Jennifer Holness, Hungry Eyes Film & Television

Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other territories? Yes. Jennifer Holness and Sudz Sutherland combined incentives on Canadian feature Home Again, about three Jamaican deportees from Canada coping with life back home. Produced by their Toronto-based company Hungry Eyes, the film was backed by the National Film Board of Canada, Telefilm Canada and Ontario Media Development Corporation and also tapped into the islands’ rebate. Hungry Eyes spent $1.1m in Trinidad and qualified for a 35% rebate. European productions to have used the rebate include documentary Calypso Rose, The Lioness Of The Jungle, a French co-production with Trinidad and Tobago.

Good to know

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes. The UK’s Silverback Films recently shot wildlife series The Hunt in Tobago’s waters.

Don’t pitch up during carnival season (February 16-17, 2015) unless it’s a backdrop to your film.

Which films have shot in Trinidad & Tobago recently? Trinidad doubled up as Jamaica in Home Again in 2012.

A producer says “I’d go back again and not just because of the tax breaks. What really made it was the people on the ground who did everything they could to accommodate us. That’s essential when you’re shooting in a place you don’t know.”

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Roger Bobb’s comedy Girlfriends’ Getaway about four old, now out-of-touch friends who decide to reunite for a holiday, shot at a number of the islands’ beach resorts over the summer. What are the key locations? Situated close to South America, the islands are renowned for the diversity of their landscapes that range from typical white-sand Caribbean beaches and palm-fringed bays to tropical forest and mountain terrain. In the towns, there is a mixture of old colonial-style buildings, brightly coloured wooden houses and modern buildings. Not exactly a landscape as such but the vibrant nightlife and annual carnival is also a draw as a backdrop. What are the major film studios? There are no film studios on the islands although it is home to a number of smaller recording and post-production facilities as well as the Full Circle Animation Studio, which does outsourced work for a number of film clients, based mainly in Canada. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? Productions can draw on the islands’ small TV and film production community but key crew tend to be flown in. Do crews speak English? Yes, it is an English-speaking country. First point of contact? TTFC is based in the Port of Spain. The organisation administers the rebate and can also connect producers with services www.trinidadandtobagofilm.com Production services company Imagine Media should also be an early port of call www.imaginemediatt.com

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Producers are discovering

Tulare County

From Giant Sequoias and a Second World War airport to facilitating urban car chases at two days’ notice, Tulare County is impressing feature, commercial and music video directors from all over the world

y name, Tulare County, California is not a film location that rolls off most location managers’ tongues when pitching visuals to their clients. But frame the scene visually — in terms of where to shoot within the scenic majesty of Giant Sequoia groves, amid the rural splendour of winding roads that thread through rolling foothills, or rows of grapevines and fruit orchards bursting with spring blossoms — and they begin to place the area located just three hours up Highway 99 from Burbank in the Golden State’s Central Valley. “By far, our biggest location draw is the Giant Sequoias,” says Tulare County film commissioner Eric Coyne. “Productions can choose from filming in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, within the Giant Sequoia National Monument or on US Forest Service lands, or we tell them about Balch Park.” Located in southeast Tulare County, Balch Park is a large county-owned park with hundreds of the biggest Giant Sequoias that grow anywhere in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. While filming in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks requires a federal permit — something Coyne can help arrange with his federal colleagues — filming in Balch is a comparatively simple process. Filming anywhere within Tulare County is comparatively simple — officials don’t even charge for the required county film permit. “Our permit application is a one page form, a simple description of your film activ-

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ity, and verification of your production insurance,” Coyne says. “We like to have a week to review applications but often our approvals take just a business day or less if your insurance is in order.” Home to more than 3,400 miles of public roads, and with half its land mass taken up by national parks, forests and other public lands, Tulare County is very popular with producers who want to film scenic road shots for features or automobile, motorcycle and tyre commercials. “We still have a military-style airport from the Second World War — they shot flight scenes from one of the Bond movies there at Sequoia Field,” Coyne adds. “We have had people come to film Super Bowl commercials here because there was too much snow in Montana at the time and they could just drive a couple trucks up the highway from one of the studios. We also get a lot of creatives from the Bay Area because we are just four hours from San Francisco. But mostly, I think it helps that our towns are film friendly.” ‘The co-operation was amazing’ When directors Ian and Eshom Nelms decided they wanted to film a 100-mile-perhour street race for their movie Lost On Purpose right in front of Visalia’s City Hall, on two days notice, Coyne set up a meeting with city hall officials and city staff made it happen. “We shot 34 days on location all over Tulare County,” Nelms says. “We were on a dairy, at a rodeo-roping arena, in St John’s

‘By far, our biggest location draw is the Giant Sequoias… But mostly, I think it helps that our towns are film friendly’ Eric Coyne, Tulare County film commissioner

River for rafting scenes and in dive bars. The people and business owners were awesome to work with. I was expecting some big hassles when we wanted to shoot inside a major hospital and in the heart of downtown, but the co-operation we received was amazing! It made the film look great and cut our budget down considerably shooting there.” While agriculture and farm scenes are a big draw — Tulare County grows and exports more dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables than any other region in the world — Coyne says the big trees are definitely the most popular film-location magnet in his county. And while the film office sees its share of commercial and feature projects, music video production is way up. At least three prominent recording artists filmed music videos in the midst of Balch Park’s Giant Sequoias this year. ZEDD filmed his music video of Miriam Bryant’s song ‘Find You’ during light snowfall on Super Bowl Sunday — a song highlighted in the film Divergent. Venezuelan house music crooner Oscarcito filmed his video ‘Tumbaye’ in Balch in mid-summer to debut at the Latin Grammys. Then in August, Dutch electronic music artist R3hab flew into Tulare County from Luxembourg to film a video with collaborator Trevor Guthrie. “This is a dream job for our film office staff,” Coyne says. “We are making friends from Korea, Japan, all over Europe as well as our domestic film production work. We’ve even welcomed that Aflac duck this year!”

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North America n GEORGIA n LOUISIANA n MASSACHUSETTS n MICHIGAN n New York n California n Oklahoma n Canada

United STATES States with prime urban, historic and natural locations are providing globally competitive production incentives. By John Hazelton

Filming The Walking Dead in Georgia

GEORGIA

hanks largely to a boom in TV shoots, Georgia is fast becoming one of the busiest production centres in the US, with spending of $933.9m in fiscal 2013. The state is popular because of its tax credit, which applies to Georgia and out-of-state labour, crews (the state has more than 5,000 union and non-union professionals), transportation infrastructure (Atlanta is one of the biggest transportation hubs in North America), growing list of studios and year-round moderate climate. Georgia is also known for a favourable business environment though the recent death of a crew member in an accident on the set of Randall Miller’s Midnight Rider has raised questions about safety regulations.

Good to know There are 26 flights a day between Atlanta and Los Angeles, minimising travel time.

The lowdown on Georgia What financial incentives are available? A transferable 20% tax credit on qualified production and post-production costs, with no limits or caps on Georgia spend and no sunset clause. An additional 10% tax credit for including the Georgia promotional logo in credits. The state also offers a point of purchase sales tax exemption. Is there a minimum spend requirement? A minimum of $500,000 must be spent on qualified production and post-production costs within the state. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with those in other states or countries? Yes.

Million Dollar Arm and Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 Which TV productions have shot recently in Georgia? AMC’s The Walking Dead (West Central Prison, Zebulon and the town of Senoia) and Warner Bros Television’s The Vampire Diaries (historic Castleberry Hill district, Atlanta). What are Georgia’s key locations? Modern Atlanta, historic Savannah, antebellum architecture, mountains, swamps, beaches.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes.

What are the major film studios? Atlanta Film Studios Paulding County, EUE/Screen Gems Studios Atlanta, Pinewood Atlanta Studios, Raleigh Studios Atlanta, Tyler Perry Studios.

Which films have shot recently in Georgia? Imagine Entertainment’s The Good Lie, Warner Bros’ romantic comedy Blended, Walt Disney’s sports drama

First point of contact Lee Thomas, Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office lthomas@georgia.org »

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Movie Magic Made Real

World of locations NORTH AMERICA

LOUISIANA

ouisiana’s tax incentives for film and TV production are the longest established in the US — they were introduced in 2002 — and are considered the most reliable in the country. As a result, the state attracted more films from US studios and larger independents than any other in 2013. The popularity of the incentives has led to rapid growth of the state’s crew base — which has quadrupled in size over the past 12 years — and its film infrastructure, which now includes state-of-the-art sound stages and post-production facilities. The state’s distinctive locations have become important features of television shows such as True Detective and Treme and films including The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

Good to know Though best known for its distinctive French Quarter, the city of New Orleans has also doubled for modern metropolises such as Los Angeles and New York.

True Detective

MASSACHUSETTS

assachusetts’ payroll tax credit covers aboveand below-the-line expenses, with no project or annual caps. In addition, the credits can be cashed out with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at 90% of their face value, or transferred at market rate. The Commonwealth offers historic locations and, in Boston, a modern city that can stand in for New York and other metropolises. The local workforce includes more than 3,500 film professionals and 2,200 SAG/AFTRA members. The filming infrastructure includes more than 50 post-production facilities.

A PRoducer says “We were looking at North Carolina and Massachusetts. We could have made the film for a little bit less money in North Carolina. And then Steve Carell, who lives in Massachusetts for the summer, was only available if we were able to shoot it there. We were able to keep the cast we wanted and we ended up getting a great rebate.” Tom Rice, producer, The Way Way Back

The lowdown on LOUISIANA What financial incentives are available? A 30% tax credit on Louisiana production expenditure, with an additional 5% for payroll expenditure to Louisiana residents. Tax credits can be used to offset income tax liability (corporate or personal) in the state, sold on the open market or back to the state for 85% of face value. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes, $300,000. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other territories and states? Yes. Romantic drama Refugio, starring Demian Bichir, shot half in Louisiana, easily taking it over the minimum spend for the state incentive, and half in Mexico with a Mexican crew, qualifying it for one of that country’s incentives too. Doing post-production in Mexico will allow the film to qualify for a second Mexican break. Can TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes.

Which features have shot recently in Louisiana 20th Century Fox’s 12 Years A Slave and Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, and Voltage Pictures’ Dallas Buyers Club. Which TV productions have shot recently in Louisiana? Fox Television’s American Horror Story, Sony Pictures Television’s Bonnie & Clyde (Donaldsonville historic district, Baton Rouge), HBO’s True Detective (Oak Alley plantation). What are the key locations? New Orleans, Mississippi river, plantations, swampland. What are the major film studios? Celtic Media Centre, Second Line Stages, Big Easy Studios, Moonbot Studios, StageWorks, Millennium Studios. First point of contact Chris Stelly, executive director, Louisiana Entertainment chris.stelly@la.gov

Director Steve McQueen on the set of 12 Years A Slave

The lowdown on MASSACHUSETTS What financial incentives are available? A 25% production credit that applies to in-state and out-of-state expenses, a 25% payroll credit that applies to both above- and below-the-line labour and a sales tax exemption.

Which films have shot recently in Massachusetts? Echo Films and Bron Studios’ Tumbledown, Columbia Pictures’ American Hustle and Captain Phillips, Paramount Pictures’ Labor Day, and Antoine Fuqua’s The Equalizer, also for Columbia.

Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes, $50,000 must be spent in Massachusetts to qualify for the payroll credit. To qualify for the production credit and sales tax exemption, a project must spend more than 50% of its budget in Massachusetts or hold at least 50% of its principal photography days in the state. Multiple episodes of a TV series or multiple commercials for the same client can be aggregated to reach the minimum.

Which TV productions have shot recently in Massachusetts? NBC’s TV movie Odyssey, starring Anna Friel; ABC’s Hatfields & McCoys; Lionsgate TV’s Chasing Life. What are the key locations? The city of Boston and more than 350 other cities and towns, period settings from the 1600s to the present, quaint countryside and beach towns.

Are the financial incentives easy to combine with those in other states and territories? Yes. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes, though TV series cannot be longer than 27 episodes and single episodes of a series are excluded.

What are the major film studios? New England Studios. First point of contact Lisa Strout, director, Massachusetts Film Office mafilminfo@state.ma.us »

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World of locations NORTH AMERICA

NEW YORK state

lways a draw because of its iconic locations, New York State dramatically increased its appeal to producers in the early 2000s by launching an aggressive incentive programme. The state currently offers a competitive 30% production credit, set to be boosted next year by an additional 10% on labour expenses in

certain counties. The incentives programme will become even more appealing with an allocation of $420m a year from 2015-19. New York also has an abundance of crews and sound stages that have helped the state secure dozens of TV series as well as big-budget films including Sony Pictures Entertainment’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The lowdown on NEW YORK state What are the financial incentives available in New York? A 30% refundable tax credit on production and post-production expenses incurred in New York State by projects that hold a substantial proportion of their shoot there. Projects that do not qualify for the production credit can qualify for a 30%35% credit on post-production expenses incurred in the state, 5% on qualified production expenses for commercials and a 20% annual growth credit. Low Winter Sun

MICHIGAN

ichigan became a magnet for film and TV production in 2008 when it introduced what was then the most generous incentive in the US. But in 2011 political pressure resulted in the incentive being cut from 42% to a maximum of 32%, causing productions including Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 to move elsewhere. And some of the percentages in the state’s incentive pro-

gramme are due to decrease further in coming years. The state remains competitive, however, and has recently secured such major productions as Warner Bros’ upcoming Batman Vs Superman. Michigan has locations including the city of Detroit and Lake Michigan and, thanks to its boom years before the turn of the decade, has a solid crew base capable of handling two or three major projects at a time.

Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes. For projects with budgets more than $15m, at least 75% of production facilities spend must be on state facilities and 10% of principal photography shooting days must be done at a state facility. Projects with budgets less than $15m must meet the 75% minimum but not the 10% minimum. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other states and territories? Yes.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? TV movies, mini-series, episodic series and pilots can, but not commercials. Which films have shot recently in New York State? Inside Llewyn Davis, The Wolf Of Wall Street, GreeneStreet Films’ All Is Bright. Which TV productions have shot recently in New York State? The Good Wife, Girls, Boardwalk Empire. What are the key locations? New York City, Niagara Falls, Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, farmland and lakes. What are the major film studios? Broadway Stages, CBS Broadcast Center, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silvercup Studios, Steiner Studios. First point of contact Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development nyfilm@esd.ny.gov

The lowdown on MICHIGAN What financial incentives are available? Cash rebates of between 20% and 32%; 27% on Michigan production expenditures with an extra 3% for expenditures at a qualified facility or post-production facility; 32% on Michigan personnel expenditures; 15% on crew personnel expenditures; 27% on non-resident above-the-line talent. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes, $100,000 must be spent in Michigan. Are the incentives easy to combine with those in other states and territories? Yes. Projects that shot here and in other countries include Only Lovers Left Alive and indie thriller Division 19. Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? TV productions can, but not commercials

Which films have shot recently in Michigan? Errol Morris’s Holland, Michigan; DreamWorks’ Need For Speed, Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age Of Extinction. Which TV productions have shot recently in Michigan? AMC’s Low Winter Sun, Atlas Entertainment and Syfy’s 12 Monkeys. What are the key locations? Lake Michigan, Ann Arbor, downtown Detroit, suburbia, farmland country. What are the major film studios? Michigan Motion Picture Studios, Studio Center Realty, 10 West Studios. First point of contact Margaret O’Riley, director, Michigan Film Office mfo@michigan.org Inside Llewyn Davis

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World of locations NORTH AMERICA

California

ith its vast production infrastructure, iconic locations and shoot-friendly weather, California has been a pull for US and international producers (travel budgets allowing) since the dawn of the industry. But since the start of the tax incentive era, the state has been losing film and TV production work to other US states, Canada and, on occasion, Europe. The California tax incentive programme finally introduced in 2009 helped slow the tide of runaway production, but its limited funding and lottery allocation system still left the state at a disadvantage. A new incentive programme, which starts accepting applications in May, will have three times as much funding and will make credits available to a wider range of film and TV projects. It is expected to lead to a new influx of production into a state long considered the centre of the US industry.

Good to know A record 497 projects (30% up on the prior year) applied for California tax credits in the most recent lottery, with 26 being selected. After a final lottery next April, the state’s new programme will come into effect with more than double the annual funding and a new selection process. Nightcrawler shot in more than 75 locations

Oklahoma

generous and easy to use 35% rebate is the big attraction for producers shooting in Oklahoma, and it is often a big enough draw to outweigh factors such as the state’s limited film-making infrastructure and relatively small labour base. Though it was nearly killed off by the state government earlier this year, the rebate programme was eventually extended up to 2024. Total annual rebates, though, are still capped at $5m, meaning a single production can absorb most of the available funding for an entire year. Oklahoma attracts productions that are either set there (such as August: Osage County) or that are looking for the range of locations offered by the south central US state, which straddles several cultural and geographical regions.

Good to know Oklahoma has more than 2,000 ghost towns, some of which still have small populations.

The lowdown on Oklahoma What financial incentives are available? A base 35% rebate on qualified Oklahoma expenditures, which include above and below-the-line payments to state residents and above-the-line payments to non-residents made via companies registered to do business in the state. An additional 2% is added to the total rebate if at least $20,000 is spent on music recorded in the state. Total rebates made by the state are capped at $5m a year. Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes. A project must have minimum budget of $50,000 and spend at least $25,000 in Oklahoma. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other states or territories? Yes. In 2010, crime thriller The Killer Inside Me did the bulk of its principal photography in Oklahoma (even though the story is set in Texas) and accessed the state’s rebate. But it also did four days of shooting in New Mexico (where there is no minimum spend requirement), accessing that state’s incentive as well.

A PRoducer says “On the one hand, the writers of Rudderless are from Oklahoma and these locations were their backyard. On the other, the Oklahoma incentive made it easy for us not to consider going elsewhere — as one normally would when producing an independent film and chasing the most attractive way to set up the financial plan.”  Keith Kjarval, producer, Rudderless

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Yes. What features have shot in Oklahoma recently? You Can’t Win, August: Osage County, To the Wonder. What TV productions have shot in Oklahoma recently? Richard Hammond’s Big Weather (international; path of the 2013 Moore tornado), The Pioneer Woman (international; Tall Grass Prairies), American Idol (US; Oklahoma City). What are the key locations? The state has 11 different ecological regions, with terrain including flat plains, sand dunes, high mesas, dense forests, cypress swamps, rolling hills and rock or treecovered mountains. What are the major film studios in the territory? Chaotic Studios, Cloud Nine, Freestyle Productions, Garman Productions, Producers Playhouse, StapleGun, Toy Gun Films. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? They may do, though the state’s own workforce is two crews deep and members are usually available. First point of contact? Yousef Kazemi, film and locations co-ordinator, Oklahoma Film & Music Office yousef.kazemi@travelok.com

Rudderless

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The lowdown on California What financial incentives are available? Currently, California offers a 20% tax credit for feature films with production budgets of up to $75m and some TV productions, and a 25% credit for independent features — defined as films made by companies that are not publicly traded or more than 25% owned by a publicly traded company — and TV series relocating to California. Tax credit programme funding of $100m annually is allocated by lottery. Under a new programme that will take effect next May, budget caps will be eliminated, although credits will apply only to the first $100m in qualified spending by a studio film and the first $10m by an independent film. A 5% ‘uplift’ credit will be added for productions that film outside the 30-mile zone around Los Angeles and for in-state VFX and music scoring and recording. Funding for the new programme will be $230m in the first year and $330m in each of the following four years. Instead of the lottery, projects will be selected based on a ‘jobs ratio’ formula.

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Is there a minimum spend requirement? Yes. Features must have production budgets of at least $1m and either film 75% of principal photography days in California or spend 75% of total budget in the state. Are the financial incentives easy to combine with incentives in other states or territories? Yes, as long as the production meets California’s 75% of principal photography or 75% of budget requirement.

miniseries (with budgets of at least $500,000) and one-hour basic cable series (with budgets of at least $1m an episode) are eligible for the 20% credit. TV series of any episode length that shot all previous seasons outside California are eligible for the 25% credit. Under the new programme, eligibility for the 20% credit will be extended to one-hour TV series for any outlet and TV pilots. Eligibility for the 25% credit will be extended to series that shot their prior season outside California.

Can incoming TV productions and commercials access the incentives? Currently, movies of the week and

Which features have recently shot in California? Blue Jasmine, The Purge: Anarchy.

A PRoducer says “It was important to us to shoot in California because Nightcrawler explores the nocturnal world of LA freelance news photographers. We shot in more than 75

locations. In California we had easy access to the highest-level film craftspeople in the world. And we were lucky recipients of the California tax lottery and it truly made filming in Los Angeles possible.”  Jennifer Fox, producer, Nightcrawler

Which TV productions and commercials have shot recently in California? Doll & Em (international; Los Angeles), Justified (US), Murder In The First (US; Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island, San Francisco), Teen Wolf (US). What are the key locations? The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, Pacific Ocean beaches and coastline, Death Valley and Mojave Desert, Yosemite National Park and Sierra Nevada mountain range. What are the major film studios? The Culver Studios, Fox Studios, Raleigh Studios, Santa Clarita Studios, Sony Pictures Studios, The Studios at Paramount, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros Studio Facilities, Universal Studio Stages. Do incoming productions need to bring their own crew? No. First point of contact California Film Commission www.film.ca.gov

2014 World of Locations 59

Alamy

World of locations Canada

ith its well-established federal and provincial incentives, extensive crew base, varied locations, modern infrastructure and proximity to the US, Canada has long been one of the world’s most active film and TV production hubs. Though commercials do not qualify for federal incentives, scripted TV series do and in a number of provinces the majority of production activity is for television (more than 500 series, TV movies and mini-series have shot over the past decade in Ontario alone). Most incoming productions are from the US, but many projects coming into the country are dual-nationality productions made under Canada’s 50-plus co-production treaties with other countries. Of Canada’s two federal incentives, the more generous CPTC credit is designed for Canadian or official co-production projects, while the less generous PSTC is geared towards international projects. Most of the country’s 10 provinces and three territories have their own incentives that mirror the two categories of the federal incentives and can be combined — or ‘stacked’ — with them. British Columbia, for example, offers a 33% refundable credit on local labour costs and 17.5% for spending on digital animation and visual effects. Ontario has a 25% refundable credit on costs including labour, non-labour and post-production. And Quebec offers breaks including 25% cashback on expenses and a 20% bonus on applicable CGI and green-screen shots.

Beaufort Sea in Arctic Canada

Canada

A producer says

Locations from Arctic tundra to major cities are a magnet for major productions. By John Hazelton

“We had to find a location that represented period San Francisco as closely as possible. Vancouver had the best combination of having the location and the most aggressive credit. It’s also one of the more stable credits and there’s no problem with caps.” Lynette Howell, producer, Big Eyes

The lowdown on Canada What financial incentives are on offer? The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) for official co-productions is a 25% refundable credit on qualifying Canadian labour spend (net of provincial incentives) on projects that pass Canadian content tests. Qualified labour spend must not be more than 60% of total production costs. The Canadian Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit (PSTC) for co-venture projects is a refundable credit of 16% of the qualifying Canadian labour spend (net of provincial incentives). There are no incentives for commercials. Is there a minimum spend requirement? For CPTC, 75% of production services costs must be paid to Canadian individuals and 75% of production costs must be for services provided in Canada. For PSTC, features must have budgets of more than $910,000 (c$1m) and TV series must have budgets of more than $91,000 (c$100,000) per episode if episodes are less than 30 minutes each, more than $181,800 (c$200,000) per episode if episodes are longer.

60 World of Locations 2014

Are they easy to combine with those in other territories? The federal credits cannot be combined but both can be combined with provincial incentives and, depending on whether a project is a co-venture or an official co-production, with incentives from other territories. Recent official co-productions have included David Cronenberg’s Cannes Competition title Maps To The Stars, Mika Kaurismaki’s The Girl King and Deepa Mehta’s 2012 title Midnight’s Children.

What are the key locations? Toronto, European-style city of Montreal, wilderness, Arctic tundra, mountains, rugged Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.

Which films have shot recently in Canada? Paul W S Anderson’s Pompeii, Brad Bird’s sci-fi mystery Tomorrowland for Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton’s Big Eyes for The Weinstein Company, and Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar for Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.

First point of contact Telefilm Canada info@telefilm.ca

Which TV productions have shot recently in Canada? NBC’s Hannibal (Dunlap Observatory, Royal Ontario Museum), Netflix’s Hemlock Grove (Parkwood Estate, Casa Loma), and The Movie Network’s Transporter (Devil’s Punch Bowl, Hamilton airport).

What are the major film studios? Toronto Pinewood Toronto Studios, Cinespace Film Studios, Revival 629, Showline Studios. Vancouver Vancouver Film Studios, North Shore Studios, Bridge Studios, Mammoth Studios.

Good to know Besides doubling for US cities including New York, Chicago, Boston and Washington, Toronto and other parts of Ontario have stood in for locations including Moscow, Afghanistan, Morocco, Egypt and the Antarctic.

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The Black Cuillin hills on the Isle of Skye from the road to Glen Brittle, Inner Hebrides. Photo: Ian Paterson/Scottish Viewpoint.