Written by on Oct 28, 2011. Posted in General Interest

Editor's Weekly

It’s been another busy week for the commercials industry in South Africa, Australia and Spain. Meanwhile, several film commissions are looking for ways to boost their international profiles. In addition we’ve had fascinating insight from West Virginia-based Location Manager Tom Trigo, as well as Rex Baldwin.

In the commercials world, Chicago Bulls basketball star Derrick Rose played the bull in a new spot promoting the launch of his new Adidas footwear. The Bull filmed at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas bullring in Madrid and owes a clear visual debt to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. It’s well shot with an energetic hip hop soundtrack.

Derrick Rose's new Adidas commercial filmed at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas bullring in Madrid and owes a clear visual debt to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. It’s well shot with an energetic hip hop soundtrack.

The roaring crowds and the traditionally-dressed matadors offer a sense of place in this unusual location, but the spot’s mainly about the style so Rose’s court moves get all the attention in super slow-motion.

Hyundai has delivered a new spot filmed on the remote Lake Rebecca in Western Australia. Desert and wilderness environments are a common feature of car commercials, but the highest-profile spots tend to be filmed on the plains of the south-western US.

Hyundai made the more unusual move of working with artist Jim Denevan, who specialises in creating temporary artwork in sand. As a result the environment is more than just a nice backdrop. The link to the actual car is a bit vague though as the spot doesn’t actually highlight any specific features of the vehicle itself. The story of the production is more attention-grabbing and Location Manager David Knight gave us a fascinating insight into the challenges of creating art in a salt lake.

Hyundai made the more unusual move of working with artist Jim Denevan, who specialises in creating temporary artwork in sand. As a result the environment is more than just a nice backdrop.

Elsewhere Indian vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors has filmed a spy parody in the ever-reliable production hub that is South Africa. The Chase, advertising the Tata Aria, has a playful tone, sports a frenetic pace and cleverly has the spy shouting out the vehicle’s various features that are helping him evade his pursuers. Hyundai’s effort is classy, but Tata’s message is clearer and more entertaining.

Ausfilm has been hosting events all this week in Los Angeles to encourage more US productions to film in Australia. Hollywood attention is falling on Oz at the moment, with Baz Luhrmann filming The Great Gatsby, Steven Spielberg’s Terra Nova growing in popularity on US television and Alex Proyas prepping a starry version of Paradise Lost in Sydney.

The Chase, advertising the Tata Aria, has a playful tone, sports a frenetic pace and cleverly has the spy shouting out the vehicle’s various features that are helping him evade his pursuers.

Elsewhere the islands of Guam in the Western Pacific and Antigua in the Caribbean both want a piece of the filmmaking action in their respective regions. A local Senator in Guam is pushing for the creation of a dedicated film office and has gone so far as to suggest the island could attract projects of Avatar’s calibre if they play their cards right. This seems very ambitious, but a film office would be a step in the right direction.

Antigua is rallying Hollywood talent for its first film festival and there’s talk of comprehensive tax relief for visiting productions, with plans set to solidify before the end of 2011. The island could be in a good position to make an impact, especially considering the region is already a favourite playground of the Hollywood elite.

Antigua could be in a good position to make an impact in the film world, especially considering the region is already a favourite playground of the Hollywood elite.

Finally this week, Rex Baldwin gave us his thoughts about the realities of location management and the challenge of being first in and last out on-set. Then Tom Trigo, a Location Manager based in West Virginia, gave us his views on filming in the Mountain State.

As always, The Location Guide’s Film-Friendly Locations database continues to grow and we’re always looking for your input. If you manage a building or a location that you think qualifies as film-friendly, or you’ve filmed somewhere recently that you think should be listed on our website, please contact Ewa.

If you’ve got some great location filming stories to share and you’d like to be part of our profile section (see here), or you have an idea for an article (see here) please contact Murray.

If you've been working on location anywhere in the world and you're looking for some free press coverage, please contact Nick. We’d all be happy to hear from you.