Croatia



Locations. Mediterranean looks, coastal roads, white sandy beaches, castles and palaces, cobblestone streets, snowy mountains, undiscovered forests and rivers. Croatia has some extraordinary undiscovered locations.

Zagreb is the main production centre so key crew, equipment and talent need to travel from there. From Zagreb, the closest beaches in Rijeka are around 1.5 hour drive. Dubrovnik is a 6 hour drive (40min flight). The small villages of Istria are around a 2 hour drive.

Permits. No extraordinary restrictions or rules apply. Permitting in Croatia is a very straightforward process. Some locations are possible to permit in as little as 24 hours. Most locations can be controlled for filming. It is more difficult to control the popular tourist locations especially in peak tourist season but it's still possible.

When to shoot? The interior has a moderate continental climate with hot and dry summers and cold and humid winters. The mountainous regions have fresh summers and sharp winters with a large amount of snow. The coastal regions have a Mediterranean climate with hot and very dry summers, and mild but humid winters with hot dry summers and mild winters. Coastal Croatia becomes quite busy with tourists in the July / August holiday break.

For monthly weather statistics please see here: http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/hr-country.html

Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.

Costs. On average Croatia costs 10% less than Czech or Hungary for Old world looks and 20% less than Italy for Mediterranean looks. The Croatian Kuna offers a favorable exchange rate for the international market making it one of the more cost efficient Mediterranean service centres. Croatia is one of the more expensive former Eastern Bloc service centres. The need to travel all from Zagreb can add significantly to costs.

Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable.

Croatia offers a mostly Croatian talent looks but its close proximity to other major European production centres allows you to access those pools of talent should you ever need to look further.

To view an example of the local talent looks please visit:

Basic Model Management - http://www.basic-models.com/
Croatia Model Management - http://www.croatiamodel.com/
Midikenn - http://www.midikenn.com/
Talia Model - http://www.taliamodel.com/

Creative talent. Croatia has a rather limited pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. Its close proximity to other major European production centres allows easy access to those pools of creative talent should you ever need to look further.

Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.

Crew non-union. Rates and hours of work are negotiable and always flexible to budgetary requirements. Crew costs are on average 10% less than Czech or Hungary.

Fringes. No hidden extras.

Premiums. Our producer will package a deal that is fair to all. Typically local crew work a twelve hour day (11+1 hr lunch). Overtime after 12th hour cost calculated individually. There is no surcharge for weekend or night shoots. Turnaround is eleven hours. 

Equipment. All the standard equipment is available locally in Croatia and anything additional can be easily brought in from nearby European production centres such as technocrane from Prague and Wescam from London. For an example of locally available equipment see:

Tuna Film - http://www.tuna-film.hr/rental

Art department and set construction are up to international standards.

Studios. Only basic facilities exist. Please see example:

Jadran - http://www.jadran-film.com/mainpage.htm

Backlots. None at present.

Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign commercials or films shooting in Croatia.

Film Stock. Both Fuji and Kodak are available locally.

Post Production. Jadran has some basic facilities but best to process / post abroad. Budapest and Vienna are the closest centres with established post facilities.

Visas and Work Permits. No formal work permit required. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Croatian embassy / representative for more information.

Transportation Infrastructure is all up to known and expected world standards. Croatia is serviced well by many international airlines and low budget regional carriers.

Accommodation. Recommended hotels include:

Zagreb:
Regent - http://www.theregentzagreb.com/
Westin - http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview

Dubrovnik:
Dubrovnik Palace - http://www.dubrovnikpalace.hr/
Hilton Imperial - http://www.hilton.co.uk/dubrovnik

Please contact us for corporate rates.

For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.

Communication. Web posted casting, scouting and videoconferencing.

Safety. Croatia has seen considerable investment since the end of the Balkans War. Crime rates are low and comparable to the rest of Western Europe. Croatia has a brilliant film heritage playing host to an international list of productions. It is a very safe and reliable place to film.

If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Croatia, please contact us.

We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.