On Screen Manitoba has defended the role of its filming incentive. Nearly CAD15 million was paid out to production companies in 2011/12 by the Canadian province famous for its polar bears and one organisation argues the programme should be looked at more carefully.
Filming professionals in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan have called for a renewed filming incentive following a report highlighting its benefits. The province’s Chamber of Commerce found that the incentive more than justified its cost through local services spending.
International location filming in Australia fell sharply in 2011/12, with no big-budget productions shooting in the country. Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby qualified as an Australian production and may have had to film elsewhere without the Producer Offset.
London plays a major role in Skyfall but the project also filmed internationally. In the best traditions of the franchise, exotic locales in Turkey coloured the on-screen drama. Bond veteran Callum McDougall was Executive Producer on Skyfall and spoke to TLG.
Mexico has lowered its spending threshold for its commercial filming incentive. Up until a few weeks ago commercial producers had to spend 70 million pesos (USD5.3 million) to qualify for the rebate, but this has now been reduced to 40 million pesos (USD3 million).
New York City’s halt of all location filming throughout its five boroughs will last at least another 24 hours in the aftermath of storm Sandy. Studio filming is allowed, but location shoots will not be officially permitted until at least Friday (2nd November 2012).
St Albans in Hertfordshire in the UK has made a film-friendly agreement with Creative England. The market town near London will promote new filming locations in the area, in partnership with Creative England's regional team at Hertfordshire’s Elstree Studios.
Filmmaker Ben Affleck recreated Iran on location in the Californian cities of Los Angeles and Ontario for his new movie Argo. Set in 1979, Affleck’s film tells the true story of a team of CIA agents who posed as sci-fi moviemakers as they set out to rescue US diplomats caught in the Iranian revolution.