10. United States
Granted, an unusual choice given the strong USD’s purchasing power abroad. That said, there’s no place like home. From crews, to talent, to equipment, to locations, the United States has a wealth of everything. Working with your favourite local crew, saving on travel costs, avoiding timezone changes, and getting to sleep in your own bed do have a certain appeal.
9. Guyana
This rarely-travelled country is trending among intrepid productions looking to film its spectacular undiscovered biodiversity and remote locations. Recently discovered oil and gas resources will have an impact. Go film Guyana while it’s still untouched.
8. Japan
Japan saw considerable popularity among global travellers in 2018. This is expected to continue into the new year. As hosts of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics Japan can expect to see even more productions coming to film throughout the country in 2019.
7. Pakistan
Rarely travelled by filmmakers, Pakistan is a country of great unmet potential that offers the world an impressive diversity of landscapes as well as a rich cultural and architectural heritage. The purchasing power of the USD to the Pakistani Rupee is the strongest it’s ever been.
6. Lesotho
A little known country entirely contained within South Africa, the Kingdom of Lesotho has many undiscovered locations and local stories and a dedicated group of young entrepreneurial filmmakers who are eager to share them with the world. The capital Maseru is a short 5hr drive from Johannesburg, where you have access to some of the most experienced crews and sophisticated equipment in Africa. Lesotho’s currency is pegged to the South African Rand, which remains very weak against the USD dollar.
5. Rwanda
The Land of a Thousand Hills is famous for mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and the spectacular Volcanoes National Park. Since banning plastic bags and packaging Rwanda has become one of the cleanest nations in Africa. Support Rwanda’s efforts. Go film there.
4. Argentina
Argentina has long been a popular destination for US and European productions. Buenos Aires doubles well for Europe. Talent options are some of the best in South America. Visiting productions can rent a range of standard and specialised equipment locally. Argentina offers opposite-season looks such as summer in the city in January, or snowy mountains in July. A strong depreciation in its currency has made it a very cost competitive option for travelling productions.
3. Greenland
The canary in the coal mine. As climate change continues to accelerate, Greenland is going to see some of the most pronounced changes. Go raise awareness.
2. England
Brexit uncertainty continues to help keep the GBP relatively weak against the USD, making filming in England a good cost-creative choice. In 2019, England will host the Cricket World Cup, with over 1.5 billion people expected to watch. An uptick in visiting productions is expected.
1. Romania
Romania has long been a promising film destination offering an impressive diversity of locations at some of the most competitive costs in Europe. To sweeten the deal, Romania is now offering qualifying productions a rebate of up to 45%, making it an even better place to film a lot for very little. Expect to see some big productions travelling to Romania in 2019.
Global Production Support & Camera Crews
Feel free to contact us if you are planning to film in any of these countries and are looking for locally based production service support including producers and fixers. We are also able to refer directors, DP’s, videographers, VR 360 shooters, and photographers if you are looking to hire locally.
