Written by Murray Ashton on Apr 24, 2014. Posted in Interviews

Filming on location in Rome with producer Vittorio Ferrara

Vittorio is a TV producer and reporter with an expert knowledge of Rome and the surrounding area. In the late 90s he started a TV production company and a TV production services company, before going freelance in 2007.

What can you tell us about your production companies?

I won two prizes through the General Confederation of Italian Industry – the Communicate Rome 1st Prize 1995 and 1st Prize again in 1998. After this I opened my TV production company and TV production services company.

I spent more than ten years furnishing services and producing news and shows for Italian and international broadcaster as Mediaset, Rai, BBC, ESPN and Time Warner, as well as commercials for brands like Audi, Nike, Lamborghini and Philipp Morris. In 2007 I started to work as a freelancer.

What can you tell us about the region that you cover?

I am based in Rome and I cover the Rome area and Vatican City - my bag is always ready for a flight! I live and work in the centre of Rome and it's hard to describe what the city of De Sica, Rossellini and Fellini can offer. Should I talk about the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum or Saint Peter’s Cathedral? I don't think so.

For filming infrastructure, I always recommend Cinecitta, the home for names like Fellini and Scorsese - it's impossible to ignore. Today with the Italian Tax Credit and VAT exemption for international production, shooting there is much easier. Cinecittà counts for the largest film studio in Europe, spread over an area of 40 hectares with its 22 stages, two permanent tents, 300 dressing rooms and offices, 21 makeup areas and a 7,000-square-metre outdoor tank.

What locations are most commonly used by film and TV crews when they come from abroad?

Have you seen La Grande Bellezza by Paolo Sorrentino? Do you remember the huge fountain at the beginning of the movie? Well, amid the myriad locations that Rome can offer, these days that fountain is in my thoughts. There is an ‘evergreen’ view of Saint Peter’s Basilica from Gianicolo, there is Piazza del Popolo and there is the Colosseum!

What are the more unusual locations in the Rome area?

One more unusual location in Lazio (the region around Rome) is Giardini di Bomarzo. It’s an incredible, magical place. But also very uncommon is to think that Florence is only an hour from from Rome by train and two hours by car.

What types of production do you work on most and what has been filmed recently in Rome?

I started working in 1995 and I have produced or directed film, TV, commercials, documentaries and a lot of news. Recently I was the field producer for Al Jazeera at the Conclave for the election of Francis Pope in Vatican City. I directed my most recent commercial, a social communication for ONG, in Darfur and Rome with testimonials from George Clooney, Fiorella Mannoia, Negramaro (an Italian pop group) and Monica Guerritore.

Which are the best airports to use to film in Rome?

I can assist you with any permission or costumes clearance in Fiumicino Airport, the biggest Italian hub for all the international flight companies.

What are the most film-friendly hotels in Rome?

I usually propose the Ripa Hotel in Trastevere, near my base. But that may be because it is easy for me!

What is your favourite pre-dinner bar for an aperitif and your favourite restaurant in Rome?

Definitely Bar Marzio in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and then a dinner at Da Armando al Pantheon.

What would you recommend crew and cast do to have fun and relax in Rome?

The new Maxxi Museum (for contemporary art), the Museum Villa Borghese, the Bar del Fico to meet production people, and Felice, a restaurant in Testaccio where many Italian actors go to have typical Roman dishes.

Thank you

To contact Vittorio click here.