India
Locations. India offers a great variety of locations. Southern Beaches, Northern Himalayan peaks, Eastern tea gardens. Taj Mahal. Colorful crowded markets. Rajastan castles and temples. Varanasi. Dense forests. Sand dunes. Lakes. Ganges River. Deserts. Andaman Islands with white sand beaches and azure seas. Goa has Portuguese colonial architecture in Panjim, Goa. British colonial architecture in Mumbai and New Delhi. Mumbai has churches, temples, mosques and synagogues.
Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai are the major production centres for TV commercials. New Delhi is the major production centre for News & TV. Productions shot in New Delhi usually need to be supplemented with Mumbai resources.
Permits. Permits are not very difficult to obtain as long as local customs and traditions are respected. India is known for its red tape. Laws governing filming have many clauses that can be used to shut down a shoot making it impossible for foreign producers to exercise complete control over the production. Even if you have permits, the service producer will still allocate extra public location money in the budget to ensure the project runs smoothly. The best approach for foreign producers is to be content with the bottom line and allow the local producer to do what they need to do to achieve a successful shoot.
When to shoot? India is a large country with a wide range of weather conditions. India hosts six major climatic subtypes, ranging from desert in the west, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the north, to humid tropical regions supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories. Many regions have starkly different microclimates. India has four seasons: winter (January and February), summer (March to May), a monsoon (rainy) season (June to September), and a post-monsoon period (October to December). See here for more information:
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/120/climate/Indian-Subcontinent/India.html
For monthly weather statistics please see: http://www.gaisma.com/en/dir/in-country.html
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. On the whole, India is a cost competitive place to shoot. Crew costs are very low compared to most of the world. Talent is inexpensive. Most equipment is available locally. All post facilities are available locally. Travel inside cities can be a time consuming process. Many of the best locations also require travel outside of major production centres which can add considerably to the cost of a shoot.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Unless it's a celebrity, talent is very inexpensive. East Indian looks are available in abundance. There is also a pool of East European models based locally. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad. There are many good talent agencies in India. Street casting is generally unreliable. For examples of locally available talent looks please see:
Elite - http://www.elitemodelsindia.com/
Ice Models - http://www.icemodelsindia.com/
Inega Models - http://www.inegamodels.com/
Karma Models - http://www.karmamodelsagency.com/
Toabh Models - http://www.toabhmodels.com/
Creative talent. India has a small but good pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews. There are separate unions for different teams. Crew is very hard working, inexpensive and flexible. Key and supporting crews speak English.
In some cases key crew should be brought in from abroad. Indian teams are considerably larger then what is considered normal in the western world. This is the culture. Our service producer makes sure that only the local keys are the points of contact.
Fringes. No hidden extras.
Premiums. We package deals. Typically India works on a 12 hour day with a 1hr lunch break. Extra loadings for holidays. No turnaround applies.
Equipment. All standard equipment is available in India. Some very specific equipment needs to be brought in from abroad.
Art department and set construction. Art department production design is not yet as evolved as in the west. Construction crews are skilled and hard working. Massive sets can be constructed quickly at minimal cost. Large teams with many people on set are the norm.
Studios and backlots. Studios in India are not as established as western studios in terms of infrastructure and facilities. India has many studio spaces available and many of those are booked out for TV shows and Bollywood features. There is a backlot of a South Bombay Street 3 hours drive from Mumbai. See here for some examples:
Famous Studios - http://www.famousstudios.com/
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in India.
Film Stock. Both Fuji and Kodak are available locally.
Post Production. State of the art facilities are available. Both Kodak and fuji have their own labs.
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Indian embassy or representative for more information.
Transportation Infrastructure. Main roads are up to international standards. Several international airlines service flights to India. India is also serviced very well by several lowe cost domestic airlines.
Accommodation. Best options in India include:
Mumbai:
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower - http://www.tajhotels.com/cities/Mumbai/
Oberoi - http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_mumbai/index.asp
Juhu Residency Boutique Hotel - http://juhuresidency.com/
New Delhi:
Shanti Home - http://www.shantihome.com/
Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi - http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/
The Park New Delhi - http://newdelhi.theparkhotels.com/
Chennai:
Taj Coromandel Chennai - http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/
The Park Chennai - http://chennai.theparkhotels.com/
ITC Hotel Park Sheraton & Towers - http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/
Hyderabad:
Taj Krishna Hyderabad - http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/Taj%20Krishna,HYDERABAD/
ITC Kakatiya - http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/
Ista Hyderabad - http://www.istahotels.com/hotels-hyderabad.aspx
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Web posted casting, scouting and videoconferencing. Websites are not censored.
Safety. On the whole India is a safe place for foreign productions to visit. Be mindful of petty theft in the cities. At present Kashmir is a dangerous places for foreigners. If you must shoot in Kashmir appropriate personal security measures are recommended.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in India, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
