23/10/2024 - A clutch of film commissioners and location professionals offer their perspectives on this year’s event in Valladolid

The Shooting Locations Marketplace, dedicated to filming locations, held its fourth edition on 15 and 16 October in Valladolid. Organised by Feria de Valladolid and the Spain Film Commission, the event attracted a diverse array of participants from 21 countries. Over 50 filming destinations were represented (64 in total, including film commissions and private companies) alongside 69 location scouts, producers and creative directors. More than 1,300 meetings were held over the course of two days. On this occasion, Cineuropa approached several film commissioners and location professionals to discuss their observations of this year’s event and how it has helped them address some of the challenges they face in their line of work.

Angeliki-Lina Milonaki, head of the Film Office Central Macedonia in Greece, articulated the advantages of the event’s structured format involving pre-arranged interviews, which facilitated focused networking with international film professionals, including major film companies, studios, location scouts and service providers. She elaborated, “Some of the current challenges we face in Central Macedonia are [capitalising on] the extroversion we have gained over the past four years, with more than 100 audiovisual projects shot in our region, and further improving our visibility in the international audiovisual market as a competitive filming destination. Our participation in the Shooting Locations Marketplace event in Valladolid was an important and targeted step in that direction.” Apart from offering a free public service “with the scope of supporting all types of productions interested in shooting in the region”, Milonaki said that promoting Central Macedonia “as a film hub” and positioning the region “as a competitive film destination” are primary objectives, alongside serving as “an effective tool” that encourages local film professionals to adopt a more outward-looking approach and collaborate with the international film industry. Ultimately, the film sector’s impact on the region’s economy, tourism and culture is far-reaching, the commissioner explained. “When you promote a highly [outward-facing] sector like the film industry, you promote them all – or you create an incentive to promote them.”

Attending the Shooting Locations Marketplace for the second time, Laurie Ades, of Film France, a department of the CNC (France’s National Centre for Cinema), observed the trend of “a growing interest in learning more about Europe” in terms of filming locations. Working for Film France, which has designated itself as “the one-stop shop for foreign productions preparing to film in France”, Ades said, “We are in charge of increasing the attractivity of France, and we also run the tax rebate for international productions (with tax rebates reaching up to 40%). Events like these [present a prime opportunity], as they bring together producers, location managers and production designers, including those from the USA and the UK, which are among our key targets.” Reflecting on the efforts to establish France as a leader in Europe in terms of filming, Ades also drew attention to the La Grande Fabrique de l'image (lit. “The Great Image Factory”) initiative. The initiative, endowed with €350 million as part of the France 2030 plan, is implemented by the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), and is operated on behalf of the French government by the CNC and Caisse des Dépôts, with the goal of doubling studio production capacity as well as the number of training courses in the film and audiovisual professions.

Film commissioner Jurate Pazikaite, of the Vilnius Film Office, who was at the Shooting Locations Marketplace for the first time, discussed various challenges encountered daily, with the competition among regions to attract film productions being perhaps the most daunting: “The competition for foreign film projects among countries is intensely influenced by several key factors, such as financial incentives, infrastructure, resources and location diversity. To succeed in this competitive landscape, countries need to effectively market their advantages and build strong relationships with the industry players.” The Shooting Locations Marketplace thus provided “valuable opportunities” to meet with international professionals tête-à-tête, the film commissioner stated, adding, “We had 25 meetings planned, with a few extra, all within just two days. This was our first attendance at the event in Valladolid, where we presented Vilnius locations and Lithuanian film tax incentives to industry players from the USA, Spain, Germany, Finland and the UK.” Pazikaite affirmed that Lithuania has “the necessary pillars to attract foreign productions, such as location variety, a well-functioning tax-incentive scheme and professional crews”, with a few high-profile productions already under its belt, including Stranger Things (season 4 was shot in Vilnius), HBO’s productions Chernobyl and Catherine the Great, and the German TV series Sisi.

Advisor to the chairman of the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) Hany Aboul Hassan also discussed the challenges in promoting his country’s filming locations, particularly the need to overcome the longstanding perception that filming in Egypt is difficult. He noted, “Another [hurdle] has been convincing international film production companies to meet and discuss the opportunities offered by the Egyptian government to facilitate foreign filming.” Progress has been made in this regard after meetings with major production companies – especially in Hollywood – and the successful hosting of large productions in Egypt in the last two years. Hassan, representing the EMPC – considered “the largest media and production entity in the Middle East”, which spans two million square metres and includes 80 studios, 16 outdoor shooting locations and post-production facilities – described the Shooting Locations Marketplace as “useful” in addressing some of the challenges, particularly through its B2B meetings.

Returning to the event for the fourth time, Markus Bensch, the production executive responsible for locations at Studio Babelsberg, offered his perspective as a location professional. He noted how the Shooting Locations Marketplace has evolved, highlighting the well-curated profiles of participants and the access to local knowledge. “It is also reassuring to know that location professionals, no matter where they come from, face the same issues, such as slow bureaucracy, unruly film crews and declining budgets. Meeting with location owners, film commissions and individuals enthusiastic about hosting film crews is extremely helpful, as it demonstrates that there are alternatives to [popular filming destinations], which have been [overutilised],” elaborated Bensch. Studio Babelsberg, the world’s oldest large-scale studio complex, dating back to 1912, handles many international big-budget films and co-productions. “It's beneficial to attend this event and explore the offerings from various European regions,” Bensch explained, adding, “The more I see, the more precisely I can advise on the locations for projects.” Discussing future prospects for Germany as a shooting location, he remarked that the country is facing a considerable hurdle: the incentive. “Germany had effective incentives for 10-15 years, but in the past five years, many big projects have been bypassing Germany, opting instead to shoot in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria,” he said. “There is a limited number of projects coming to Germany, and we obviously want to change that, but the incentive has to change.”

Another location manager at the Shooting Locations Marketplace, Michael Campbell, also observed how the event in Valladolid is more centred on location managers than other large-scale industry gatherings that typically cater to producers. He also pointed out that the presence of film offices and service companies from diverse countries at the event lent it “a truly global perspective”, with representatives from Austria, Macedonia and Portugal – to name a few – making compelling cases for shooting in their regions. Notably, their proposals were inclusive, seeking to collaborate on future projects that demand a specific look, regardless of their location. Delving into the hurdles of working on ambitious, large-scale projects, Campbell noted that one main challenge is often “convincing a producer that it would be money well spent to venture slightly further afield to secure the best location to fit the script”. He detailed, “Ultimately, right now, I am more concerned with finding the perfect image to marry with the practical logistics of offering up challenging but rewarding locations.”

A location scout from Los Angeles, Lori Balton, visited the Shooting Locations Marketplace for the fourth time, acknowledging its continuous improvement and response to feedback. As the business “has become global”, Balton has lately focused on international locations in her work. Beyond general information gathering, her participation in the event aided “efficient scouting” for the project she is researching. She shared, “On the first day, I had the most successful scouting day of my 35-year-long career [...]. It was invaluable to sit face to face with colleagues, envisioning possibilities for a current Paramount film I am researching.” Touching on the problem-solving aspect, Balton remarked, “I have come up with creative solutions to a problem through conversations with the film commissioners. They know their regions well and provided me with some great ideas.”