Location, location, location
In photography, as in real
estate, the three most important
words are...location, location,
location. And ever since
Jamaica was first described by
Christopher Columbus as "the
fairest isle I ever did see" the
word Jamaica has been synonymous
with romance, tropical
passion and beautiful
scenery. It is therefore no surprise
that in recent years it has
become a highly desirable
location for film and print photography
as productions
including fashion shoots, commercials,
documentaries,
music videos, feature films and
recently reality tv shows, have
been flocking to the island.
Three decades ago, the
Jamaican government recognized
the benefits of supporting
the country's burgeoning
film industry. The math was
simple. Film productions have
the ability to make a substantial
contribution to the economic
prosperity of a small
country. They provide jobs for
the skilled laborers, training
and experience for the lessskilled
and generate substantial
revenue for many ancillary
businesses ranging from lodging
and catering for the oftensizeable
cast and crew to transport
services for equipment
and personnel. In addition to
this direct revenue, the product
of their work, whether it is
scenes from a major motion
picture, a video or a fashion
shoot serves to further promote
Jamaica as a vacation
destination.
The Jamaica Film
Commission was established in
the 1980s within Jampro
(Jamaica Promotions
Organization) as a one-stopshop
to address the requirements
of film producers, simplifying
the process and
enhancing Jamaica's attractiveness
as a location. The
process is straightforward. In
the case of commercial films,
scripts must be submitted to
the Film Commissioner, Mrs.
Dell Crooks, for approval
before shooting can commence-
Jamaica is naturally
very protective of its brand.
Local liaisons are then recommended
and approved by the
Film Commission. The
Commission then assists with
clearing any red-tape related to
work permits, licenses, duty
exemptions and access to public
buildings and support systems
including helicopters
from the Jamaica Defense
Force.
The success of this cooperative
effort coupled with
Jampro's direct role in promoting
"location Jamaica" to the
Hollywood studios and international
production houses,
has been evident in the
large
number of overseas productions
using Jamaica as a primary
location. Jamaica offers a
great variety of terrain from
white-sand beaches to lush
rainforests to waterfalls and
mountain peaks. This allows
for geographically disparate
scenes to be shot in a single
location saving time and
money. Areas of Jamaica have
been shot for Africa, Southeast
Asia, the U.S., England and, of
course, the greater Caribbean.
Jamaica has been a principal
location for a number of
Hollywood features over the
years including: Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the
Sea, Dr. No, The Harder They
Come, Papillon, Live and Let
Die, Return to Treasure Island,
Cocktail, Mighty Quinn, Cool
Runnings and How Stella Got
Her Groove Back. Taxi drivers
and other guides are generally
eager to point out locations
from past film shoots, so just
ask.
Many major fashion houses
and magazines use Jamaica for
their cruise and summer catalogs
and editorial spreads
including Brooks Brothers,
Teen Vogue, Ann Taylor, Self
Magazine, Glamour UK, and
Madame. Recent commercials
filmed in Jamaica include uma,
Slimfast, Carnival Cruise
Lines, Clairol and Herbal
Essences.
In recent years, competition
within the Caribbean has
intensified, particularly for
Hollywood projects, with several
islands prepared to pay
cash incentives for the privilege
of hosting a big-budget
production. Just this past summer
Jampro announced that
they would be reorienting
their effort towards wooing
more tv and commercials business,
in addition to the feature
films. These smaller productions
have the ability to provide
a steady stream of business
for the local film industry
and the strategy has already
yielded some recent successes.
Maxine Walters is a line
producer promoting Jamaica
as a location from her U.S.-base.
Contact: maxinew@cwjamaica.com.
The Jamaica Film Commission
website is located at
www.filmjamaica.com.
Contact: (876) 978-7755 or
email dcrooks@cwjamaica.com
Location, Location, Location
**for more information visit www.jam-boree.com, Jamaica's visitor website, the complete source for travel and tourism information featuring hand-picked deals on vacation packages, hotels, villas, flights and car rentals**
About the Author
Jam-boree.com, Jamaica's visitor website
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