Locations
in LA pay off in the long term according to Northern Screen
Commissioner Paul Wyngard. He is referring to the annual
Locations exhibition held in Los Angeles, where he has
been representing the North of England.
Held close to the heart of the Hollywood production scene
it attracts thousands of American producers, directors
and location managers every year, but competition for
their attention is tough. "We are competing with
exhibitors from all over the world to prove that our stunning
locations, professional crew, facilities and location
resources are worth considering for their next film project,"
the Commissioner says.
However tough the competition, it is lasting impressions
that bring about business in the end, and that may be
some way down the road from the exhibition that set the
ball rolling for filmmakers and got them thinking about
where they would like to shoot.
The Commissioner explains; "Exhibitions such as this
rarely produce immediate results. They do sow seeds of
ideas though. And when the next project arrives they know
who they can turn to, to deliver world class locations
and resources."
One such project that will not be unveiled to screen audiences
until November this year, is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone, being trailed before UK cinema audiences now,
to grow interest. The Northern Screen Commission helped
win that project for their area, through a familiarisation
visit that took place back in 1996. "We met an American
producer who remembered this region and last year was
responsible for bringing Harry Potter to the North, "
says the Commissioner, relishing the unexpected. "We
never know what to expect in this business, " he
says. "We never know what is around the next corner,
but we are hopeful that 2001 will be a year of more and
more pleasant surprises."
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