Written by Kianna Best on May 6, 2025. Posted in Interviews

Spain and Portugal through the eyes of Palma Pictures

Whether it's a Netflix drama, a luxury car commercial, or a big-budget feature film, Spain and Portugal offer the perfect blend of creativity, infrastructure, and value. With offices strategically based in Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca and Lisbon, Palma Pictures find themselves as a central force. We spoke with head of locations Edu Rodrigalvarez on how these two nations are growing to be not just backdrops, but strategic production powerhouses through the versatility of locations and logistical prowess.

 

 

Palma Pictures, a leading production service company operating since 1993 has had a hand in some of the most notable projects over the past years from Netflix’s The Crown to HBO’s Industry, as well as a host of commercial projects for brands like Malibu, Very and Facebook. In combination with the boom of production in Spain and Portugal, the experience and expertise of the company continue to boost the countries in the global screen sphere.

 

Have you seen any shifts in genre or style that are influencing the kinds of locations being requested right now?

We’ve seen a pivot from grand, postcard-pretty to “elevated gritty.” Neo-noir, climate anxiety films, and Euro-thrillers want muted palettes, architectural decay, and brutalist urban zones. Even commercials are leaning into texture and realism. Hyper-curated over wide-open beauty.

 

On the technological front we shot the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs with plates last year shot in the Canary Islands, particularly in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.  When we got this project we were asking, are we going to shoot actually dinosaurs, but it was just a team of 10-15 people, a drone operator and a stick that was supposed to be the dinosaur as it moved through the space, so it was a lot easier than having to navigate moving with 400 people and go through all the permit hoops that could impede production.

 

Location hidden gem: Las Médulas in Castilla y León — ancient Roman gold-mining terrain that looks like something out of Dune or Apocalypse Now. Red earth, surreal formations, untouched by modernity. It’s ripe for an existential sci-fi or post-collapse drama.

 

 

What has been a logistically rewarding project you’ve worked on recently?

For Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue (MGM+) we shot everything in the Canary Islands with a mix of La Palma and Gran Canaria to double for South America. With the stages in Gran Canaria we built part of a plane there which was supposed to crash in a forest, certain scenes of such filmed in La Palma.

 

Do you think the demand for practical locations is increasing or declining in today’s hybrid production world?

Hybrid productions are here to stay, but demand for practical is not declining — in fact, it's becoming more selective. When you do go real, it has to be perfect, because expectations are higher. Authenticity and depth can’t be fully faked yet — especially for performances and camera interaction.

 

In Spain, Extremadura is criminally underused — ancient towns, vast plains, and amazing light. In Portugal, the Alentejo region is a gem — sparse, cinematic, haunting. These places offer authenticity, space, and less red tape.”

 

 

How does sustainability shape your approach to choosing and managing locations?

Sustainability is a top priority for us. We’re proud to be at the forefront of green filmmaking practices in the region. On shoots, we enforce eco-friendly measures: using LED lighting and ensuring proper recycling and waste management on set. We also plan shoots to minimise travel (shooting multiple scenes in one area before moving), and we offset carbon by investing in local sustainability projects.

 

How do you work with local governments or communities to ensure filming creates a positive impact, especially in tourist-heavy or rural areas?

We engage early, listen to local concerns, and offer economic returns — local crew, suppliers, hospitality. In tourist-heavy zones, we time shoots to avoid peak season. In rural areas, we leave things better than we found them. We also keep cultural sensitivity high: what works for the script must also work for the community.

 

 

Palma Pictures’ key points for filming in Spain and Portugal

Strong financial incentives:

Spain offers a nationwide 30% tax incentive (with additional regional top-ups) while Portugal’s new PIC Portugal scheme provides a cash rebate of 25-30%.

“Recent increases to Spain’s incentives (effective 2023) have “turbo‑charged” the influx of international shoots.”

 

Diverse locations:

Snowy peaks (Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada), Mediterranean beaches (Costa Brava, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, , Mallorca, Algarve), historic cities (Madrid, Lisbon, Seville, Toledo, Salamanca), dry deserts (Tabernas in Andalusia, Los Monegros in Aragon), lush forests (Galicia, La Palma, Navarra, northern Portugal), vineyards (Douro Valley, La Rioja), and more.

 

Experienced crews and services: 

Our local teams frequently speak English and even specialise in things like underwater filming. This means international producers can integrate smoothly with local professionals, speeding up shoots.

 

Infrastructure and logistics:

High-quality studios (like Madrid’s Netflix hub, Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante), extensive road and rail networks, and about 50 airports across the mainland, plus convenient ferries to the islands let crews travel easily around Spain’s 506,000 km² and to the Balearics/Canaries. Between modern airports in Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Madrid and many regional cities, plus good highways and rail, it’s easy to move equipment and people.