In real estate, goes the wisdom, the mantra is "location, location, location". The same can be said for film production, especially for those in the fierce business of luring studios and stars to their shores. It is a highly competitive endeavour in Hollywood, with various states and countries eager to reap the financial benefits of large budget productions settling in for long shoots.
With 11 films currently in production or post production in Ireland, the Irish film industry is determined to be as competitive in its appeal as any place in the world. That was the message of Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands Sile de Valera as she arrived in Los Angeles this week for a whirlwind four day schedule of meetings with the behind the scenes Hollywood decision makers.
The world of location scouting has grown over the last few years as communities have taken advantage of expanding Hollywood budgets. And those location scouts - the ones who choose where to film - have more choices. A company called Solidarity4, for example, promotes Iceland as a location. A visit to their website allows scouts to type in the keyword of the kind of location. "Blue lagoon" draws visitors to photos of Iceland's lagoons, as does the word "crater".
American cities, eager to keep film production in the US, are also making strong bids. Scout911.com allows internet visitors to type in any word they choose, and a photo appears. Keywords such as car wash, church, and mountain produces a few photos. The words "shopping mall" produce photos of 22 different shopping mall locations available in Los Angeles.
Not all locales are delighted with the success of attracting the film business. A hit HBO television series called Sex in the City, which regularly films in Manhattan, was recently set up on Perry Street in Greenwich Village for a night-time filming. At 10 p.m., residents stood outside as film trucks and boom microphones and klieg lights took over a previously quiet residential block.
"This is outrageous, and it's happening all the time," complained one resident standing outside her apartment building, munching on sandwiches and cookies supplied to the neighbourhood by film company catering trucks. "But they always bring plenty of food".
By contrast, Ireland is probably some time away from becoming annoyed or blase about too much filming. Making her third visit to Los Angeles, de Valera said that she would be promoting both the Irish film industry and the appeal of Irish locations for shooting. But her mandate will be broad, and will include areas such as script development. "You cannot build a film industry on tax breaks alone," she said, referring to the recently renewed Section 481 tax incentives for film makers. "We'll be having meetings to set up direct lines of communication with the studios."
After meeting with executives from most of the top studios, including 20th Century Fox, Warners, MGM and HBO, de Valera will attend the trade fair called Locations. This event is where hundreds of exhibits are set up from around the world, with various cities and countries flaunting their most attractive plumage to the studios. De Valera and some members of her delegation, which includes Screen Commission chief executive Roger Greene as well as the chiefs of Irish films studios Ardmore and Merlin, will be present at Ireland's booth all weekend.
This week also features the American Film Market in Los Angeles, an event that promotes films for distribution. Ireland has three films seeking distribution. They are Nora, a film about James Joyce's wife; About Adam, a romantic comedy; and Though the Sky Falls, a film about the life and death of journalist Veronica Guerin.
