Written by David Lewis on Oct 30, 2009. Posted in On Location

Film Production Service in Israel

Israel is a country that takes its film industry seriously. The Treasury increased its film budget by nearly 16% to USD16 million this year with the money being distributed to Israeli film funds, foundations and institutions by the Israeli Film Council. Films with a planned production expenditure of approximately USD2 million in Israel could also benefit from up to 20% cost reduction on Israeli expenditure through a Tax return on expenditures.

Film aside, the country also has a thriving commercial industry which makes use of a wealth of locations not always associated with the region such as its beaches, wheat and corn fields, orange orchards and fields of sunflowers.

Israeli Production Service Company Ooops Films, has been very busy since it was set up by Avi Karpick and Meirav Vizer in 2007. They have worked on spots for many well known brands including Pepsi, Coca Cola, Minute Maid and Ekzo Ice Cream and have worked with world renowned agencies and production companies.

When working on a spot for Ekzo Ice Cream, with Prague Film Services and Russian creative agency BBDO Moscow, Ooops where able to stay close to home. Vizer explains: "We shot on the Tel Aviv beach for Ekzo as the location described in the board was obviously an urban looking beach."

Tel-Aviv offers most of the country's modern and up-to-date film and video equipment and has studios of up to a thousand square meters.

Vizer continues: " For all table top projects we use a studio and our sfx experienced team, and our in house Director/ DOP Avi Karpick. The studio has enough space to build all the sets for each specific project and our High Speed photo sonic 35mm is based there."

When asked to recommend underused Israeli locations, Vizer becomes animated:
"The most beautiful location in my opinion which is hardly ever used by commercials, only documentaries and feature films, is the Dead Sea."