Cinematic Creativity- Film Production in Iceland

The entertainment industry has come a long way from what it was a few decades ago. The shooting of films has moved away from the studios to exotic locations. European countries, with their wealth of natural beauty, have recognised the opportunity the industry offers and have made a few moves. Iceland, for example, offers many incentives to filmmakers from Hollywood and other countries. Films such as “Thor: The Dark World” and “Prometheus” have been shot here, not to mention the hugely popular TV series “Game of Thrones”. One of the many advantages of film production in Iceland is the availability of staff. There are many jobs in film production and you can easily hire local staff. Professional recruitment companies can also help you with this.

Iceland has been one of the Early Movers

As film production companies in Hollywood and other countries began to explore the possibilities of filming outside the traditional locations, countries like Ireland took the initiative. Tax breaks were offered and many facilities were created to allow film crews to come with their equipment and start filming. Special arrangements were also made for the crew and their equipment to stay and commute. The Icelandic government set up a film commission to look after this space. One of the tasks of this commission was to market the country as an ideal destination for film productions.

The trick here is that the government pays the film production companies back some of the money they have spent during the production of their films in the country.

Some Advantages Iceland Enjoys are Natural

You have to accept that Iceland offers certain advantages that the film crew would die for in other places. There are periods of the year when there are up to 22 hours of daylight. This helps to complete filming faster and save a lot of money.

Another advantage that experts point out is the preference for the twilight-like background that is usually associated with sunset and sunrise. They call this the “golden hour”. In Iceland, there are up to three hours of this weak sunlight during the day. This is seen as a great advantage for film production. You have to realise this when you consider that such a natural backdrop is only available for 15 minutes or less in Hollywood.

Control on Costs and Time Overruns

If you are familiar with the film production business, most of them would complain that the film’s budget has been exceeded or delayed. If you opt for film production in Iceland, these problems are virtually eliminated as you don’t have to take your entire crew there. The specialized staff available here would help you with the production tasks and you would have little else to do but focus on the work at hand. If you complete the production on time, you will have your costs under control.

If you plan the schedule in advance, you can also negotiate better rates for accommodation and catering. With so many films and other programmes being shot there, service providers in Iceland are willing to offer discounts to win business. In this way, hotels and other travel agencies deal with large clients such as film production crews instead of individual tourists and make more money.

You have to remember that Iceland is a popular tourist destination in Europe.

The government's encouragement to promote film production in Iceland is another ace up the sleeve for the film production companies.

Hire Local Talent for Different Activities

Another side effect of these developments over the years has been a healthy growth in local talent familiar with the various aspects of film production. Swapp Agency is a service provider based in Iceland and they can provide the skilled staff for film production activities.

Contact Swapp Agency for further inquiries.