| Caribbean: From the Beaches to the Big Screen |
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| Written by Carl Hansen | |||||
| Tuesday, 06 May 2008 | |||||
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DOMINICA Anita Bully of the Dominica Film Commission reports that Dominica did not have a long history of location filming prior to being one of the backdrops selected for two Pirates of the Caribbean films: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End. The last movie to film there before the Bruckheimer-produced blockbusters was The Seventh Sign ─ a Tri Star Film starring Demi Moore ─ which was in 1987. Since then, there have been numerous projects shot there, such as Pirate Master, the Mark Burnett 13-episode reality show; The Boiling Lake, an episode of Angry Planet for the Outdoor Life Network, and Around the World for Free, an internet-based reality show.
Bully boasts that the professional way scouts are handled in Dominica and the services offered by the film commission help to attract productions to the country. “Dominica, though the third largest island in the English-speaking Caribbean,” she explains, “is one of the least populated ─ with around 70,000 persons inhabiting its 289.5 square miles ─ which allows filmmakers to go about their business with little interference from the rest of the population. “It is an arcadia of unspoiled nature,” she adds, “and tropical forests coat two-thirds of the island, which nourishes 1,200 plant species. Rivers, lakes, streams, and waterfalls abound, are fed by the island’s high, annual rainfall.” Bully describes the variety of beautiful, scenic, and exotic locations in this tropical paradise as “untouched and unspoiled.” It is identified as “the Nature Island of the Dominica,” offering over 300 cascading rivers, numerous waterfalls and freshwater lakes, including the only boiling lake existing in the world today, as well as jungle and swamp locations, lush virgin rainforests, grasslands, mangroves, reed, mudflats, beautiful black and golden sand beaches with dramatic coastlines, towering mountains, unique Creole architecture, and several other facets that make it a filmmaker's paradise. As a result of recent filming activity, Bully says that Dominca “has developed a pool of hardworking, resourceful, and skilled local persons and artistic talent at competitive rates.
“Filming island-wide poses no threat to filmmakers,” she continues, “[and] there are no poisonous or dangerous animals on the island. There is no threat of terrorism and Dominica boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the region. The cost of filming in Dominica is very low, and the government is extremely film-friendly and provides concessions ─ including duty-free ─ on the temporary import of filming equipment and supplies.” See for yourself why many filmmakers are discovering Dominica as their next filming destination by visiting www.discoverdominica.com/site/filming.cfm. There are many reasons to shoot in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including the absence of fees, licenses, or work permits required for U. S. Film/TV production companies to film in the U.S.V.I. Additionally, the native language on all three islands is English, the climate has been rated among the most comfortable of all destinations in the Caribbean, there is a variety of accommodations ranging from cozy inns to five-star hotels, transportation to each of the islands is very accessible, and shipping your production equipment is free of excise taxes, duties, bonds, or carnets. Most of the basic production equipment is readily available for rent and because the U.S.V.I. is a duty-free port, most European goods are less expensive than on the mainland. Producers can choose from the varied landscapes of St. Thomas, St. Croix, or St. John, with access to the most beautiful beaches and clear waters on the Caribbean. There have been numerous still photo shoots, ranging from Target and designer Stuart Weitzman catalogs, to international magazine print shoots for Vogue China and Numero France. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club), shot last year on Water Island, the least inhabited of the U.S.V.I. chain.
The Department of Tourism has recently completed its Destination DVD to distribute to travel agents and tourism press, and has hired Premier Entertainment Services to help pitch the islands to other production companies, with the hopes of attracting more business.  |
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