Los Angeles-Beijing Studios (LABS) has been formed as a way of increasing US production interests in China. Launched by former marketing executive Al Ovadia, the company will be based in Los Angeles with offices in Shanghai, Taipei and Beijing.
Production Service Network (PSN) has been a regular partner of The Location Guide at Cannes Lions and will be joining us again this year for our annual Soiree fringe event. Camino Media launched PSN in March 2014 and the organisation has exclusive partners around the world.
New TV drama Blood & Oil is to become the first network series in nearly a decade to film on location in Utah. The western US state is not known as a production hub but in recent years has hosted movies like survival drama 127 Hours and Disney’s sci-fi epic John Carter.
Authorities in Jordan are working towards offering stronger filming incentives to help the country compete with its international rivals. Ridley Scott’s upcoming sci-fi movie The Martian used Jordan as a stand-in for Mars and features Matt Damon as a stranded cosmonaut.
Gustavo Productions turned an industrial site in Kiev, Ukraine, into an improvised water park for a spot promoting soft drink Sprite. The campaign follows a group of skaters hooking a hose to a high crane and creating a refreshing waterfall as they unwind in the summer heat.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is pushing for strong international trade agreements to boost the distribution of US film and TV. In turn this could help stimulate filming in America and in states like New York which hosted 277 films in 2013 and 2014.
Docudrama The Making of the Mob: New York filmed on location in West Virginia. The series is executive produced by Stephen David, who has filmed several docudrama projects in West Virginia including The World Wars and American Genius.
Visual effects house Double Negative (Dneg) and Prime Focus World are to open a new facility in Mumbai. Dneg’s recent major productions have included Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and the Wachowski siblings’ Jupiter Ascending.