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International Film Production Incentives

By Sean F. Kane

Given the ever-increasing expense of filmmaking in the United States, and particularly in California, many filmmakers have looked for alternatives to the traditional Hollywood-based production. While this trend originally was for smaller-budget and independent films, more and more producers and large studios have sought alternate locations in which to film. While certain U.S. states like Hawaii, New Mexico and New York provide tax incentives and other ancillary location benefits, these states haven't generally been as successful in luring so called “runaway production” as have countries with incentives that may be available.

Various international destinations are attracting productions away from Hollywood for, among other reasons, a particular nation's economic realities. Many international destinations enable a filmmaker to provide food, lodging, filming locations, acting and other creative services at a much lower rate than available in Hollywood. If a filmmaker is able to shoot in a location that is economically depressed compared to the United States, a film's ancillary production costs may be reduced by 50% or more. While there may be certain inherent risks to personnel and equipment in filming in some of these less-accessible locations, the benefits in terms of production-cost savings may greatly outweigh potential difficulties.

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