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Production Notebook
I spent a couple of hours at Locations Expo today and can hardly keep my eyes above a squint: It”s not the Expo itself that was exhausting, it was the traffic on the 10. (I hate anything that is in Santa Monica.)
Mostly, I spoke with the film commissions from the Mid-Atlantic States. From what I can tell (and this would make sense) the commissions from other countries are primarily interested in snaring larger productions/producers. The states, on the other hand, service everything from student films on up (for free, in case you didn”t know and the knowledge will benefit you), so regardless of where you are shooting in the US you should tap them, especially for their state”s production guide and location assistance as well as information on financial incentives and so forth. Not that other countries don”t work with smaller productions, but you can see why they”d be keen to get things like Narnia and Batman over your 100k indie.
Tax incentives: That is the Great Big Deal at expo. All locations come bearing incentives that will hopefully interest productions. Understandably, taxes are what everyone asks about: The incentive information is topmost on every flyer. I wanted to talk more with Iceland about their terrain and natural exteriors, but they didn”t have much to say beyond the tax incentive information. That might in part be due to a bit of a language barrier. Unsurprisingly, talking with film New Zealand was illuminating: They were friendly and professional”¦ just really know what they”re doing and have an array of useful visual materials and production experience. Despite having drawn quite a bit of studio films since The Lord of the Rings, NZ is still enthused about independent projects. Smart: Those filmmakers are the future of the industry.
They informed me that there are indeed awesome, natural exteriors left in New Zealand that have never been used in film and don”t look one bit like LOTR. I am browsing their still photography CD now and I don”t know if I believe them. That being said, I am looking at mountains. “Fjords” will probably be a different story as fjords have never been filmed with beacons atop them.
Beyond general discussion, the southern states have been very helpful. I had lunch with West Virginia earlier in the week (my contact there is terrific) and South Carolina has beautiful location materials. (Although they did mock me for being from Virginia: “Almost a southern state” my ass! What”s up with that, SC? I thought we were kindred.) Overall, it”s much easier to attend the expo here in Los Angeles for an hour than to chase down information on various locations across the Internet, phones, et cetera. Plus, if you”re currently doing work, it's useful to put faces with the voices you hear over the phone and all without having to go anywhere. Well, except you do have to go to Santa Monica.
Which may as well be another country as far as travel time is concerned.
I realize this is all rather boring unless you work in production (especially when I lack the energy to punch it up), but I know that one day someone will ask me “How did you”¦?” and, fortunately, the answers will already be jotted down in this amazing series.
Perhaps it will be the best JSDC true story ever.
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