If you watch a lot of Hollywood movies or movies in general, you’re more than aware that most of them weren’t filmed in the home of Hollywood, the United States. But this doesn’t mean that Uncle Sam’s views aren’t ideal for filming. It’s just that Hollywood itself is already American, and production isn’t all about that. They also take into consideration how a movie’s geographical setting affects how it delivers its story. Fortunately, people making movies have over a hundred countries to choose from when looking for filming locations.
As a fan of cinema, you look a lot into how your favorite movies come to be, buy copies in different media forms, have your own film memorabilia, and have extensive knowledge of the most prominent directors in the scene. You’re more than likely aware of how filming locations vary based on the movie and Hollywood filmmakers film in different countries. Some movies even use other sites as they progress.
Some love filming in European countries, some in Asia, and some prefer to stay within the confines of movie studios and filming locations in the U.S.
When Hollywood moviemakers go out of the U.S. for filming, they make sure to pick the best ones that are ideal for the message they’re trying to deliver. So, here’s a list of the countries Hollywood loves to make their movies in:
1. Canada
If you didn’t know this yet, you’re most likely a casual viewer. Most movies you watch that are set in New York were filmed in Toronto. This is because it’s cheaper to create films in Canada than it is in the U.S. The labor rates for production crews are lower, which is a huge benefit for films with specific budgets.
Aside from that, the country’s government also encourages filming movies within their boundaries. With cheaper production costs and outstanding sceneries, Canada’s film industry generated a record-breaking $9.32 billion in 2019.
2. United Kingdom
The U.K. as a filming location accounts for about 13 percent of movies in the last ten years. Aside from the country’s vastly different architecture from the home of Hollywood, the country is pulling filmmakers in with attractive tax incentives.
London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, but tax incentives for move production made the British capital cheaper to film movies in than the original place of Hollywood, which is Los Angeles.
2013 was a remarkable year for the U.K., as it became the number one Hollywood filming location outside the U.S. To note, popular films such as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Dark Knight were filmed in the U.K.
3. France
With its remarkable architecture, France is one of the ideal filming locations for movie production teams. It also has its own film industry that isn’t a stranger to movie enthusiasts and is no less than big, but one of the things keeping the country a top choice for filmmakers is the culture and history that can’t be found in the U.S.
The feel of a filming location is essential to creating realistic movies that rely on scenery aside from dialogue to put out a story, making France an ideal choice for films of varying genres. You can see the country as film locations for action, romance, and other film genres.
4. Mexico
Aside from the different feel it provides compared to other filming locations, filmmakers chose to shoot movies in Mexico because films made in the country are tagged as exports. This makes them exempt from value-added tax, saving film production teams a fortune used in marketing campaigns for the movies’ promotion efforts.
A majority of the award-winning James Cameron film Titanic was filmed within Mexico’s borders. Today, Mexico’s film industry encourages film making and provides tax incentives to enrich its own audio and visual effects industry.
5. Italy
Italy’s romantic cityscapes, dramatic islands, and rich history make it one of the most cinematic locations in the European region. If you’ve seen many movies, you’ll realize that some of the most unforgettable ones were filmed there.
Aside from the country’s beauty, creating settings in filming studios doesn’t come cheap. Depending on a movie’s genre, filmmakers opt to film in the country instead of paying millions of dollars in creating a placeholder.
Mainstream popular movies from the past years, such as “Angels & Demons” and “Eat, Pray, Love” were filmed in Italy.
Why not stay within the U.S.?
While some Hollywood filmmakers opt to film within the country, many factors make them choose to shoot in foreign locations. It can be the cost, the movie’s setting, preference, and many others. In the end, Hollywood films are still what they are even if they weren’t filmed in their home country.
