Attendees included two PGGB Members, producers Ben Rimmer and Michael Robins, as well as production executives from the likes of AppleTV+ and Sony Pictures Television.
Colombia is beginning to make a name as a filming location, with recent productions including the latest in the Paddington Bear franchise, Warner Bros. series The Big Cigar and Annapurna Television’s The Changeling, but remains off the radar for many filmmakers.
Both Ben and Michael were hugely impressed by the levels of professionalism and infrastructure already present in the country.
“Everywhere we've been and everyone we've met have just been great. And I think that what I've seen professionally has been brilliant” says Michael. “There's a very can-do attitude. And we've been very well looked after. They have been on top of everything.”
For Ben, "We've seen they've got the absolute latest in equipment and they're totally on top of that which is mightily impressive. It's world-class what we've seen the studios are excellent, so you've got the stage space here… It just feels a lot more first world than I was expecting.”
“I'm really impressed that it's all, not just possible here, but it's set up here and the tax break is here and looking very solid” He continues.
Given the nature of the trip, our producers were understandably keen to take in the opportunities for location shooting – and were not disappointed.
“I'm confident in coming here. It would be very interesting because we don't get that look in Europe. It just feels totally different” say Ben.
“The Colombians do have in their essence something very special. Every nation is unique, but you sense a magic about them. There's a beauty about the people underneath and that's been a real delight to me.”
“I think that downtown Bogota as well as the streets and alleyways we saw up on the hill are all interesting. What I've seen of the countryside too” adds Michael. “The kind of urban landscape is interesting because you obviously have quite a lot of wealth and a lot of poverty as well so you could do either.”
“I'm always curious and passionate about seeing the opportunities. I've never been to South America. I've always wanted to come and see what it's like. To find you can really trust what's here, the calibre of people we've met who've looked after us all the way through, it's been extraordinary you know. I mean it's just like being at home” says Ben.
As well as the locations and infrastructure of Colombia, our Members found the networking opportunities of the trip to be hugely beneficial.
“I think it's great to meet these US people and see how they work and how, you know, it's like it's a whole other world, you know, this kind of studio system that they're working in” says Michael. “It's been absolutely fascinating meeting them and hearing the way things are funded and the way things work, in the size of the budget. Basically, we all deal with the same problems but with a different scope.”
Ben agrees: “I think the selection of people has really formed the kind of core of the experience. I think the collection of people is mightily important and you've done that. I'll never forget who I've been with… You can tell the calibre because we're all asking similar questions in the same angle.”
“I've been interested and in seeing the world and have seen the world from a filmmaker's point of view all my working life” says Ben. “Any opportunity to add a serious-minded filming country to one's repertoire, I welcome that with open arms if I'm free.”
Read more about this Colombia FAM trip on the PSN website.
For more information on Production Service Network (PSN) please visit their website.
