Archived News 2007
Report on AFCI Locations Trade Show 2007
12th July 2007
The 2007 annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Locations Trade Show was held again in Santa Monica, California, but with a new Thursday through Saturday (12 – 14 April) schedule supported by the AFCI's multi level marketing and PR campaign. The Trade Show exhibition space was sold out, but not before Film New Zealand secured prime aisle-end space for the New Zealand stand. This is the 10th year for Film New Zealand at Locations as the national film locations office representing New Zealand, its locations and its screen production industry.
The New Zealand team consisted of Susan Ord, Projects Manager Film New Zealand, Queenstown-based location scout and director Dave Comer, line producer Murray Francis, and Peter Avery, Film Venture Taranaki representing the regional film offices. Also attending were Catherine Ragan and Jessica Burns from Investment New Zealand/NZTE, Los Angeles.
Over 3000 entertainment industry visitors and 300 film offices and production resource exhibitors enrolled for the three day event – the largest locations trade show of its kind in the world. In addition there were four seminars connected to the Trade Show that various members of the team attended. "AFCI succeeded in a thorough cross media awareness campaign which saw a larger number of higher calibre attendees," Peter Avery noted on his fourth Locations as regional film office representative.
Visitors to the New Zealand stand included representatives from all of the major US studios plus independent producers, directors, location scouts and managers. Projects in varying stages of development were discussed with particular emphasis on what has now become the most frequently asked question, "What incentives do you have?"
First-time Locations participant Dave Comer summarised his take on the annual Trade Show observing that "to see first hand how competitive the marketplace is internationally brings home to me the importance of having a strong Film NZ identity and presence out there, and that it translates directly into film crews in NZ feeding their families and paying their mortgages (or not)."
Murray Francis observed that New Zealand may now be "off the boil" due to the predominance of interest in incentives and the impact of US dollar exchange rate. This opens the opportunity for New Zealand to "focus on location specific pictures and then offer our unique set of incentives". Balancing that is Dave Comer's concern that based on his discussions "the larger studio projects are swayed by incentives and that decisions seem to be more in the hands of accountants than creatives. This would suggest that the New Zealand locations flagships – large projects that come for specific location reasons despite the cost, might be under threat."
Both Dave Comer and Murray Francis noted that New Zealand is facing stiff competition in the TVC sector from South America where costs are significantly lower. Yet the New Zealand team was not discouraged: "I’m still confident that on a global scale NZ is still a relatively easy and productive place to shoot, with a certain comfort level and reliability that many other countries lack," commented Dave Comer.
Film New Zealand's giveaway materials included Production Guides and the regional film offices' presentation packs. The two plasma screens showcased location images and the Film New Zealand 1 hour compilation DVD played throughout. Onfilm's April issue was also available.
New Zealand companies from across the screen production industry once again supplied marketing materials:
Weta Workshop
Joyride Films
Slater Films
AJ Films
Park Road Post
Teaspoon Films
Cherokee Films Ltd
Studio West
Beachfront Films
Stone Street Studios
Film Factory New Zealand
Rocket Crew
Prodigy
Kelly Park
Heletranz/Tony Monk Films
Cirkus
Photon NZ
Download the full Report on AFCI Locations Trade Show 2007
Back to Archived News 2007
