For different reasons, Darcey Cherubini, senior partner/ executive producer at J. Walter Thompson routinely travels the globe to produce both international and U.S. market spots. Location was a factor in a number of Smirnoff shoots she recently worked on. To film the spots, she headed to places such as Spain and Italy, countries that could provide summer exteriors in the winter. "Northern Australia is tropical all year round," she says, "but the cost to get to remote parts of Australia doesn’t make it worth it, whereas Spain is set up as a back lot for the U.K. and Europe, so it’s very inexpensive to shoot there."
Currently, Cherubini is in Australia working on a Kraft International job that promotes Ritz crackers. There are no location shoots; the project consists solely of CGI animation created by Animal Logic, Sydney. The Ritz job went to Animal Logic for a couple of reasons, she notes, "because of the quality of the work [done at Animal Logic], and the competitive price that they gave us." Cherubini recently worked on a U.S. market ad for EPT, a home pregnancy test, which was shot in Buenos Aires, and an international ad for Smirnoff Red, which was filmed in Budapest. She says both cities offered extremely high production values.
Argentina, which is in financial straits, welcomes the work. "It’s seen as a wonderful opportunity for Argentineans to make some hard currency," Cherubini says. "There is a big difference in the attitude of the crews and the cast [compared to] the crews and the cast in California. In Argentina, it’s not just a job to them. It’s a life saver at the moment."
Indeed, cost is another big reason to send production overseas. John Noble, senior VP/director of broadcast production at Element 79 Partners, Chicago, says shooting abroad can be difficult, but it does save money. "It’s value-driven," says Noble, whose agency has recently shot Gatorade and Propel jobs overseas. "The amount you can get for your dollar [in other countries] goes a long way, but quite frankly, it’s a pain to shoot overseas. It’s much harder on us. However, if there is a substantial savings, we’ve got to do it—we owe it to our clients, and it’s a competitive market out there."
Noble says the problem with shooting in some foreign locations is the lack of support services that are readily available in a place like Los Angeles. "You can’t find a techno crane or a gyrosphere mount like you can in L.A.," he points out. "That is a risk you have to deal with. I hope some day soon the value of shooting in the U.S. will come back."
For David Rolfe, co-head of broadcast production at Crispin Porter+Bogusky (CP+B), Miami, shooting stateside will likely get a great ad, but shooting elsewhere can bring a certain aesthetic to a spot. "The best spots in the world are going to be made in Los Angeles, California," he says, "but there’s such a broad spectrum of talent everywhere, and [filming abroad] quite simply freshens the spot. It’s important to find new artists and different aesthetics."
Rolfe, who recently produced an Ikea campaign in Sweden and London, has an eye on working in the Southern hemisphere. "I’ve always had a strong curiosity about Latin America," he says. "I haven’t shot there yet, but I think you find a diversification in terms of your talent needs, and a strong sense of English. Lately, I’ve aimed for that area more than I have for Europe."
Does Cherubini sense where the next hot spot for shooting will be? "I think Chile will give Argentina a run for its money," she says. "I think those two will be bubbling for a while for the North American market." She also thinks Budapest is becoming quite popular, and that Bucharest, Romania, is also becoming an option.
Grey Advertising is another big shop that regularly films around the globe. "In most cases, the project itself will dictate where you shoot," says Nancy Axthelm, executive VP/director of broadcast production at Grey, New York. "The needs of the creative—we aim to solve that problem first. If the creative is better served offshore, then that’s where we would take it. At Grey, we’re a huge global agency, so we have a lot of global accounts, and that’s one reason [for] a number of shoots.
"Other needs are budgetary," she continues. "Different regions around the world have made themselves very appealing by the quality they can offer for the value they can provide."
Is there a particular place that makes for a better shoot? "If you leave Canada out, the number one place for Americans to shoot is Australia," says David Perry, executive VP/director of broadcast production at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York. "There are two or three cities in Australia that have very sophisticated film communities, and it’s always been a hothouse for creating good directors.
"The actors down there can lose their Australian accents very easily," he continues. "[Some people think] you can’t go out of the country if you have dialogue. That’s not true. Every decent English, Australian, and South African actor who speaks English can lose their accents."
Directors
When shooting outside the U.S., agencies often use directors based stateside, while employing crews and other talent in the host country. Other times, an agency works with a director from a particular country they are shooting in, regardless of whether or not the helmer has stateside representation.
Ugo Pergolotti, VP/group executive producer at Grey, who often shoots abroad, usually works with American helmers. "I don’t care what part of the world I go to. As long as I have a cohesive core team, we can go anywhere in the world and shoot anything," he notes.
Perry has a different take on shooting abroad. "I’m very much in favor of when you leave the country, leaving the country completely," he says. Perry recently oversaw a Crest toothpaste project shot in Rome by Dario Piana of Scream Pictures, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and represents directors who are based in Iceland, Australia, the U.S. and Italy; and a Yoplait yogurt job shot in Buenos Aires by Pucho Mentasti of bicoastal/international Believe Media.
"The thought that American directors are the only people who can do American commercials is fallacious," says Perry. "I think you miss half the experience if you bring a U.S. director abroad. We still bring American directors with us when we travel, but increasingly we are working with indigenous directors."
Perry notes that shooting overseas with a director native to where a spot is being shot has numerous benefits. "Working with local directors is very broadening," he relates. "Those guys are well connected, and they probably have a better shot at getting the best crew than someone who just flies in."
Rolfe recently worked on an Ikea campaign helmed by the Swedish directing collective StyleWar, of bicoastal Smuggler. Six of the spots were shot in Sweden; two were in London. "There were two primary reasons why we went to Stockholm," says Rolfe. "StyleWar has a very distinct aesthetic, and they have postproduction artists they were linked with in Stockholm. I don’t think it would have worked out as well if we were in Los Angeles in this particular situation."
Perry also sometimes posts overseas, but notes that the decision is dependent on specific jobs. "Frequently, it’s how integral post is to the idea," he says. "If it’s just cutting film together, we’ll bring it [back to the U.S.]. When the job has something more complex than just vignettes or performance—when post is an important part of the total commercial—then we’ll leave it with the director."
Location
Shooting overseas can sometimes have little to do with budget or a director’s location—it can be dictated by the spot’s creative. Such was the case with Absolut’s "Mulit," which pays tribute to Bollywood movies out of TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, and was shot in India. Ivan Zacharias of Stink, London, and Smuggler directed the ad, part of Absolut’s ongoing cinema campaign. "The setting was crucial to the story," notes Nathy Aviram, senior producer at the agency. The spot was shot on location in Bombay and Jaipur, India.
Regardless of the reasons for going overseas, agency producers agree that the practice is likely to continue. "I [think it will increase], and I advise it," says Rolfe. "Mostly because I think you’re going to encounter creative thinking that is going to be different. It isn’t better than what you find here; it’s divergent. You’re still trying to accomplish the same thing; you’re just giving a slightly different perspective."
