In the last few years when we mentioned the possibility of shooting abroad, we all immediately characterized this option as “runaway production.” Last year, more than 20 percent of American production companies shoot days took place outside the U.S., and it is true that the most frequent reason to go and shoot somewhere else has been costs. Political and economic circumstances have given strong advantages to countries around the globe that can offer very low production costs and, at the same time, decent–and often excellent–structures, crew and equipment.
However, I believe that we should consider the international approach of a production from the creative angle, and not only from the “saving money” perspective. In the last several years, I shot in more than 30 countries on all the continents, and I am sure that in most of cases, the creative impact of the international choice was stronger than the budgetary one.
A location is like a good wine: it has a specific color, a unique taste, a peculiar smell. If these elements can make the idea grow, this is not “runaway,” it is the search for the best, the fight for excellence. Our business is based on these concepts.
Some time ago, we were working on a project. The agency was looking for a European atmosphere, a classical and elegant look, and a nostalgic mood. The example proposed was Paris. Nevertheless, we suggested a different place: Lisbon, Portugal. I don’t think that any other European city can offer the same feeling: the terraces of Alfama, the climbing streets of Barrio Alto, the stones, the tiles, the flowers, the walls. Everything evokes old times, elegance and romanticism. It is not the glamorous, sexy look of Paris, the imperial elegance of Vienna, the flamboyant and charming sensuality of Rome, the mysterious solidity of Prague or the contagious happiness of Seville. It is the dreamy grace of Lisbon, defined by the “Fado” music, the smell of the carnations, the blue color of its tiles, the flavor of an old wine from Porto.
In this same way, the pinkish stones of the palaces of the Knights in la Valletta (Malta), the foggy humidity of Dover (England) or the black crater of the Irazu Volcano (Costa Rica) can make the difference when the camera starts rolling. Or the golden light of the Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai (Thailand), the blue Lake Wakatipu (New Zealand), the yellow dunes of Merzouga (Morocco) and many other places around the globe.
The need for the perfect location goes much further than the quest for a specific type of geographic environment or an appropriate climate. It is a much more delicate, subliminal and creative approach. We shouldn’t look, for instance, for an “ancient European city” because thousands of places fit that description: Pompeii, Bath, Tour, Koblenz, Sigüenza, Budapest, Istanbul, Olympia, etc. We should, on the contrary, concentrate our quest on finding that unique atmosphere, texture, tone of color, type of light or shape that can make the commercial different, memorable, relevant.
Instead of exploring new territories, very often we are moved to go back repeatedly to the same places: if we go to Italy, we shoot in Tuscany, and in France, the spot is La Côte d’Azur. Why not Piedmont, Liguria or Trentino? Why not the Loire region, Provence or Alsace? Why not Spain, Belgium or Luxembourg instead? Why not Costa Rica, which I believe is the best-kept secret in Latin America as a production destination?
Putting the location exclusively on the creative side of the equation will indeed give a more consistent meaning to the international approach of a production. The quest for excellence is in this sense the antithesis of the runaway production concept.
By the way, this hunt for the best works both ways: European clients very often come to shoot in the U.S. After all, where else in the world can you get a place like the Bisti Badland (New Mexico), Ecola Park (Oregon) or Calle Ocho (Florida)?
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More