Top Production Pros cite tax incentives as key draw for filming internationally

"I don’t know if I’d be able to persuade my leadership [to shoot] in a place that didn’t offer robust incentive and resources."

By Gabriella Geisinger 4 Apr 2023

Top Production Pros cite tax incentives as key draw for filming internationally
Hollywood: Cr: SA 4.0

At a recent event sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter, top film and TV production executives shared their insights on critical filmmaking topics, including the importance of tax incentives and credits for international productions. 

Panel speakers were Janet Graham-Borba, executive vice president of production for HBO; Marcy Kaplan, physical production principal at MGM Television and MGM+; and Herb Gains, executive vice president of production for Legendary. 

Each was very clear about the key role of a country's film and TV incentives when choosing a place for their production to shoot. This is especially important given the contemporary procedure of being given a budget up front, rather than coming up with a budget after reading a script.

"I don’t know if I’d be able to persuade my leadership [to shoot] in a place that didn’t offer robust incentive and resources," Graham-Borba said.

The production executives also touched on the international reach of the entertainment industry. Gains added: "It's become a global business. "There used to be Hollywood, London — and nobody went to Australia until The Matrix went there, but now look at it."

Graham-Borba offered her “extraordinary experience” shooting True Detective: Night Country in Iceland as anecdotal evidence for the importance of local crew. She explained that the local crew had to film “outdoors in the cold and dark for long stretches” and navigated the elements with "startling ease." 

The year of filming had included a multitude of weather surprises including "hurricanes, unexpected snow, wind or temperature drops, and heavy rains.

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