Why So Many Film Professionals are Choosing Cape Town as a Filming Destination
30 October 2020
From commercials to full-length feature films, more and more creative visionaries are choosing to shoot their productions in Cape Town. This has led to an influx of professionals such as videographers, editors, actors and crew, all choosing to spend their time in Cape Town’s sunny summer months each year, complementing the large pool of local talent Cape Town has in this industry already. The city’s appeal stretches far beyond its pristine beaches and famous flat-topped mountain; here are the top advantages that have been attracting production crews from across the globe to the Mother City.
7 Reasons Cape Town’s Film Industry is Growing
Locations: From a choice of beautiful natural and architectural backdrops, to state-of-the-art studios, Cape Town has got it all. Here’s a list of some of the iconic Cape Town filming locations. Cape Town has approximately 5 000 identified filming locations in public spaces, plus a huge variety of privately-owned sites available for commercial production.
Infrastructure: The city offers quick and easy travel from one location to the next, as well as reliable broadband connectivity.
Compatibility: Cape Town and the greater Western Cape region are home to a diverse variety of landscapes. This gives producers the ability to replicate a wide variety of international locations, all while filming at a lower cost than these pricier destinations.
Cost-effectiveness: South Africa has a highly favourable exchange rate for those travelling from the UK, USA and Europe. This is good news for professionals on a budget, who want high production values at affordable rates.
Time zone: Those based in the UK and across the EU will find South Africa’s time zone easy to adapt to; travel to and from these destinations is also relatively quick and easy.
Daylight hours: The summer months in Cape Town offer long hours of daylight, from as early as 5:30 in the morning to as late as 20:00 at night. This creates idyllic shooting conditions for longer durations of time. Shooting in Cape Town in the summer is a great choice for teams working to a tight deadline.
Talent and technical support: The local film industry is thriving. Cape Town is home to a wonderfully diverse talent pool available for filming work, as well as many highly skilled technicians and production crew.
Cape Town is home to many reputable companies and has served as the shooting site of numerous award-winning TV series, blockbuster films, documentaries and commercials. Now that international borders are opening up again, the Cape Town film industry is back in full swing and it’s time to take advantage of everything the city has to offer.
Visit Film Cape Town for more information.
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