Written by new-contact on Aug 2, 2012. Posted in Production News

TFC Japan films Kirin Tea commercial on location in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is the setting for a commercial for Kirin Tea, showing its journey from raw crop to the consumer. Made by TFC of Japan, it shows all the various workers laughing amongst themselves, which was a deliberate move away from more sombre TV content in the Japanese market.

Production costs are lower in Sri Lanka than in other parts of the Indian Ocean region. The country was ripped apart by civil war for a full quarter of a century, but military hostilities officially ended in 2009 and rebuilding has been underway since.

For Kirin Tea a 16mm camera was brought over from India and two separate Location Managers worked on getting filming clearances from local police forces, Customs and the regional Port Authority at the Colombo Commercial Harbour. Otherwise the occasional tropical rain shower was the only issue.

Sri Lanka generally attracts cost-conscious productions looking for tea plantations, beaches and colonial looks.

Remi Morawski, Emerge Film Solutions

Remi Morawski is with Emerge Film Solutions, which facilitated the shoot by connecting TFC with servicing company Crew For Shoots: “Sri Lanka generally attracts cost-conscious productions looking for tea plantations, beaches and colonial looks. Key crew and equipment usually need to be brought in but local costs are very low so when you add it all up Sri Lanka typically offers a better bottom line than other countries in the region.

“Sri Lanka has had an image problem in the past as an unsafe place to film but the decisive end to hostilities has put an end to that. At no stage did our clients feel uneasy.”

Priyanga T Kumarasiri is a Producer with Crew For Shoots in Sri Lanka: “These locations we chosen be course these are real locations for the client. Kiren Tea get's their raw materials to make ice tea from Sri Lanka and from the tea plantation we shot.”

Sri Lanka has attracted major film shoots in the past and will be looking to appeal internationally once again over the coming years.

Credits:
Client: Kirin Tea
Agency: Dentsu
Copywriters: Kazuhide Adachi and Kuniho Mishima
Production Company: TFC (Japan)
Producer: Yoshikatsu Higuchi
Production Service Company: Crew For Shoots, Sri Lanka
Producer: Priyanga T Kumarasiri
Director of Photography: Nobushige Fujimoto
Director: Mika Kakiuchi
Fixer/Service Support: Emerge Film Solutions