The Taipei Film Commission spearheads Taiwan’s burgeoning production industry. Taiwan lies east of the Chinese mainland and while the country already offers filming incentives, it wants to expand its international experience.
Originally from Germany, Anna joined National Trust for Scotland (NTS) as a freelance videographer before becoming the organisation’s Filming Manager in 2012. Her first phone call was from the producers of the James Bond franchise seeking to bring Skyfall to Glen Etive in the Highlands.
Christian got his first taste of the film industry as an apprentice on a German TV channel in 2000. Additional TV and film experiences led him to study unit and location management at Cologne’s Koelner Filmhaus. He’s been a location manager and scout in Luxembourg for the past five years.
Dubai set up a film and TV commission in mid-2012 and the city plans to establish itself as the Middle East's central production hub. The emirate lacks a formal filming incentive but has faith in an informal and fully customisable programme with rebates of up to 20%.
Expedition and Production Management (EPM) Asia Ltd has launched the first in a planned series of fact sheets offering technical production advice for location filming. Steven Ballantyne started EPM Asia in London before moving to Hong Kong in 2010 and he specialises in Asian filming.
Sian has been based on the Isle of Man since the age of eight and entered the production industry first as a featured extra and then as a runner and a Unit Manager. Her initiative and fast learning soon progressed her to Location Manager and she’s worked on some 40 projects over 13 years.
Fanny joined the Loire Valley Film Commission in central France as a student and assistant, and her interest in architecture and landscape photography carried her to the role of commissioner. She’s now been with the organisation for five years.
Becky Brake first worked with filmmaker JJ Abrams on his action TV drama Alias. She's since become a regular locations collaborator and talks to The Location Guide about big-budget location filming, the Mission: Impossible franchise and working on Star Trek Into Darkness.