Question about filming in Costa Rica

[Kim LeongMember]

I will start production of an adventure romance film in late July/early August. One of the filming locations will be in South/Central America. We are considering Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or Peru, and the Galápagos Islands. We really want to include the Galápagos Islands in the film. Can someone suggest which place among the ones listed is the best and more convenient for a filmmaker to shoot the film. When I say best and most convenient, I mean…does it provide an easier process to get the permits, are the permits less expensive, do filmmakers have an easier time finding the right people to talk for getting any permission to film, etc. Which place is closest to (or has better access to the) Galapagos Islands? I may hire a film crew local to the location instead of hiring one from the US where I am located.

[Gustavo JimenezMember]

Hello,

Your best location will be Costa Rica. We have experienced professionals that have worked in big and recent projects like “After Earth” and the upcoming movie “Runner Runner” for example. We not only have crew but we also have the equipment you might need.

Regarding permits, its fairly easy to get permits to shoot here.

Regarding proximity to Galapagos Island, either 3 of your locations are far from Galapagos. Closest location to Galapagos is 600 miles in Ecuador, and traveling to Galapagos is limited by the Ecuador Government. We can offer you some other options equally as gorgeous and secluded in Costa Rica.

If you would like to talk more about your project please email us at gustavo@reelaxmedia.com or you can call us in the US at 310-382-2226 or 323 284-7215.

Gustavo

[Shane TohovakaMember]

Hello,
Peru has all the film production needs you are looking for although Galapagos is in Ecuador. If you decide to look into Peru, don’t hesitate to write directly at avzpress@gmail.com Good luck!

[Ariel TownsendMember]

Hi, my understanding is that you want to shoot specifically in Galapagos. If this is the case you will need to work in Ecuador as the Archipelago is entirely located in its waters. We have done a number of shoots in the Galapagos the most recent of which was in Feb of 2012. Permits to shoot in Galapagos are extremely strict and processing needs to be started at least 6 months prior to shooting, however if all the requirements are met and paperwork is handled properly it is a relatively easy process.

If you are looking for alternative options to shooting in Galapagos a good option is the Ballestas Islands in Peru. These small islands are easily accessible from Lima and are renowned for their bird and sea mammal colonies and are often referred to as the mini Galapagos. Permits to shoot at the ballestas islands take 3 weeks to secure and are much cheaper than shooting in the Galapagos.

We specialize in providing production services in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador so am sure will be able to help you find and secure an appropriate location for your shoot. For more information please visit our website http://www.tambofilm.com or contact me directly via email to maxim@tambofilm.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Maxim Holland

[Gary ZylberszacMember]

Hello Merri

I think you have options both in Peru and Ecuador to shoot the island scenes. It would be great to see which scenes you need to shoot and what animals appear on your script. The Galapagos islands are amazing but you need to deal with the permit restrictions and expensive travel costs.

In Peru there are similar island looks which may work as well. Its all about looking at the script to give you some ideas.

We have extensive feature film experience including “Indiana Jone and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and india’s superproduction “Endhiran.” You can check out our website to check our other work.

Best regards,

Bruno Canale
APU Productions
http://www.apuprod.com
bruno@apuprod.com

[Jupe LouhelainenMember]

Hi, we think your best choice is Costa Rica. Manu, our fixer and location manager was the location manager for After Earth from Sony Pictures and other movies and shows for the Heyday, Studiocanal, BBC, VH1, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo, etc.
Costa Rica is very film friendly, permits are not complicated an the crew is the top of the line in Central America. You can check out our projects here: http://www.costaricafilminglocations.com

We´ve never worked in the Galapagos but we believe that as it´s a very protected area the permits would be quite hard to get and with many limitations.

[Susan ReidMember]

Hola Merri:

We can give you all the pros and cons since we are base in Costa Rica but also have offices in Panama and Nicaragua.

If you happen to be attending Cannes Lions you can meet with Gustavo Paris (gparis@lcaproductions.com) my brother from the 19th to 22nd of June (based at Rado Plage) will also be at the AFCI Locations Show 2013 in Los Angeles (booth #711) from the 27th to 29thof June, please let me know so we can meet my name is José Ignacio París (jiparis@lcaproductions.com)

Our company LCA Productions (Costa Rica- Panama-Nicaragua) with 19 years of experience offering production services. We work with companies like from the US Radical Media, Anonymous Content, Film Master, Blink, Skunk and with directors and DP link Tarsem Singh, Sorri Brothers, Gary Lankford, Brian Lee Hughes, David Kellogg, Malcom Venville, Januz Kaminski, Paul Cameron.

Please take a look at some of our latest work at http://www.lcaproductions.com

I am in Nicaragua until the 20th of june, you can also call me at my cell phone 505-83505222

Saludos,

José Ignacio París
Producer/ Partner
LCA Productions (Costa Rica-Panama-Nicaragua)
GPN Member

[Bella SahinMember]

–Hello my name is Xavier Gutierrez from Costa Rica Productions, and as you might expect I will advise you to shoot in Costa Rica.
–One of the main reasons is that we have a variety of locations within a very small territory, very film friendly, and easy going.
–You do need to start as soon as possible, your time frame is shorter than I would recommend for a film project.
–We are used to help find the exact location, and fill in the needs for your story, even if your budget is limited, because we are producers ourselves with +20 year experience.
–We have worked recently in a series for Animal Planet, we have done filming for Travel Channel, Discovery, History, and high end corporates for Panasonic, Japan and US corporations that do not allow us to mention their names.
–We have done a lot of work for European clients. Documentaries for France, Reports for Germany, reality shows for Denmark, and video clips for AXE Paris.
–We can provide more information at http://www.costaricaproductions,com or at my phone number (506) 8382 0572.

[Cale Fernando RodriguezMember]

Hi Merri:

My name is Gigia Jaramillo and I´m Production Manager in Altercine Production Services (http://www.altercine.com.ec). We are located in Quito-Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands are really beautiful but, depending on what is about your history, we would recommend or discard them as location, because the conditions to work there are hard. We can help you with permits and budget. Please, let us know your needs.

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