Film benefit

‘Tremendous growth’ reported for shoots on island

Barbados is benefiting from location shooting.

That’s according to Annette Nias, Film Commissioner, Barbados Film Commission (BFC), Barbados Cultural Industries Development Authority, who says that the island’s attraction as a destination for film shoots is on the rise. The Film Commissioner spoke to that in an interview with The Barbados Advocate yesterday morning, on the sidelines of the first day of a two-day workshop on lighting for film and video, hosted by the BFC and the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation at Building #2, Harbour Industrial Estate, as she disclosed that there has been “tremendous growth” in this area.

“One of the main aspects of my job is marketing Barbados as a place for foreign companies to come and do their shoots, encouraging economic growth in the island and encouraging jobs. I would say that last year there was a 60 per cent growth in shoots that came forward to be serviced,” Nias disclosed.

She acknowledged that the average Barbadian may not know that such is happening in Barbados, because the filming process is private and not open to the public. But, she made it clear that it is not a new source of revenue and foreign exchange for the country, which has been used in this regard since the 1950s. Nias went on to suggest that as the local film industry further develops, practitioners in the field are also benefiting from location shooting, as it presents opportunities for people to be employed, thereby earning an income while also giving them an outlet to practise and hone their skills.

Her comments came as she reflected on this weekend’s workshop, the latest to be held in the area of film, to assist persons in the field whether practicing or emerging, to have the necessary skills to be successful. She explained that the previous workshops, which also lasted two days in each instance, looked at audio production and screenwriting, with the latter being oversubscribed when it was held at the end of March.

“In viewing a lot of the Barbadian products, we looked at where the weaknesses were and these three topics were deemed to be ones to be further explored and so we found experts in the field to assist. The response to today’s workshop has been good, as has been the case with the other workshops, and we are pleased to see the technicians and the people behind the scenes coming out to enhance their knowledge,” she said.

Nias added, “The fact is, the technology especially in audio and lighting changes fast, so you have to be willing to learn if you want to stay in the game, because as soon as you get used to one thing, it changes. So folks are going to have to be willing to learn all the time, as the bedrock of any industry is the talent. Unfortunately, when people say talent they mean performance, but there is another side to talent, because when you view any film there is a lot more at work than the person on the screen – there is lighting at work, there is sound at work, there is camera at work – so talent speaks to all of that.”

The Film Commissioner’s remarks came as she noted that the local film industry is more than fiction films, noting that many practitioners are involved in producing documentaries and advertisements. She explained that that aspect of the industry can be quite lucrative, and thus she contended that ensuring that practitioners in the field are well trained can go a long way in guaranteeing a quality product at the end of the day. (JRT)

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