Who's Got Your Back?
The production of film, television, and commercials takes a village. Each and every department depends on the foreign producer’s choice of local shoot support. Reliable production service companies (PSCs) protect a production from disaster. They have a hard-earned reputation of delivering peace of mind on set.
“Without our support Superpower would’ve collapsed,” surmises Sasha Cherniavsky, PSN Ukraine Partner also servicing Georgia and Poland. “Our team worked 24/7 months in advance with the studios, talent, and politicians. We brainstormed and made possible many of the scenes and interviews. We managed last-minute logistics and security in order to film Sean Penn on the frontlines and politicians during Biden’s visit to Poland.”
Production Partnership
“The commissioning company and its people are just guests in the eyes of Thai law,” notes PSN Thailand Partner, Fred Turchetti. “The local contracts are made in the name of the production service company. Actual project execution depends on our good standing within the local film industry and government.”
“We do offer reputation, scale, and connection. People know us and tend to answer our calls, which is always nice,” adds Andrew Wareham, EP at PSN Australia.
Deep roots in the film industry down under equip Wareham to field a purpose-built team to meet the individual demands of each project. Instinctually, his approach to film and television is to employ the best freelance line producer available to work within the structure of his production service company. “These little ingredients come together to give us a competitive edge that not all production offerings have.”
Reputation also opens doors for PSN Canada EP, Mathieu Dumont. “Local crew know we pay promptly. So when we call the best, we know they’ll say yes if they’re available.” This approach works well in countries like Canada and Australia where there is a deep pool of crew well-versed in the ways of Hollywood.
Less so in Malaysia where PSN Partner and EP, Pete Singh, relies on a trusted in-house team. “I have a group of line producers and production assistants working under me 24/7. Our turn around time is much faster than hiring a freelancer who might be busy on another project. Having a whole in-house production service team is more effective.”
The connections under one roof can deliver where an individual line producer may come up short. They made the impossible possible for the filming of the feature, Fair Game, in Kuala Lumpur.
“There are many restrictions to filming in downtown KL,” explains Pete Singh, EP and Partner at PSN Malaysia. “One of my partners is well connected with the royal family in Malaysia. We pulled a lot of strings to shoot around the Twin Towers.”
And it is a local company, underlines Singh, that can shoulder the legal responsibilities of filmmaking in Malaysia where an individual cannot.
In Uruguay, EP and PSN Partner Nico Aznárez affirms that it takes a reputed company to gain local government trust to secure special permits and streamline customs. “At the end of the day, our company is accountable to execute physical production to plan. No excuses.”
Choosing The Right Local Partner
Care must be taken to not underestimate the task at hand, cautions PSN Spain Film & TV Head, Yousaf Bohkari, a veteran producer whose service credits include The Crown, Den of Thieves: Pantera, and The Counselor.
“There are people who’ve made mistakes because they’re inexperienced. They’re at an age when they think ‘I can handle anything. I’m, raring to go.’ And if a studio job comes along they say, ‘Right, this is my opportunity. I’m taking off.’ What happens is that you fall on your face.”
One line producer’s failure can damage a reputation of film friendliness in far-flung film hubs.
PSN Jordan Partner and EP, Johnny Dabeet recalls an unscripted show that came to shoot across his country. “When I met with them, they were telling me how they have done this all over the world for many years. So imagine how puzzled I was when they chose a local fixer who was ill-prepared to manage their multiple units in a like-live format. What a disaster they had! I don’t think they aired the show. Of course, they left with a super bad impression of Jordan,” concludes Johnny.
“What can we do if a foreign producer chooses to put all his eggs in the hands of an individual line producer,” ponders PSN Romania EP and Partner, Giuliano Doman. “I’m not saying he’ll run away with the money, but if he screws up he’s just one guy. He’s not going to sell his apartment to pay for an extra shooting day caused by his poor handling. Reputation and structure provided by the production service company make all the difference.”
Client Bureaucracy, Insurance
PSCs bring a whole different level of accountability to film projects. One that is essential in order to meet local insurance requirements that protect the foreign client. It is a common misconception for foreign producers to think that the global insurance policies of their studio, brand, agency, or production company are sufficient when filming abroad.
“They often tell us that they will have their own insurance,” says PSN Mexico Partner and EP, Ari Garza. “No matter, we still need to cover the Mexican crew and equipment. It’s very important. Suppliers won’t rent us any gear if it’s not locally insured.”
“Those blanket worldwide policies can’t cover the local producers indemnity insurance,” continues PSN Czech Republic EP and Partner, Nick Saward. “Say I’m shooting on a street in the old town Malá Strana of Prague. Imagine a light falls off a stand and kills someone or breaks something. I have to be covered locally for that.”
“If you want a permit to shoot in Paris, you have to demonstrate French insurance coverage,” concurs EP Nico Betráncourt, PSN Partner in France. “Sometimes the foreign producer doesn’t understand that that’s a French law. They say they have their big insurance. But we must comply with the local laws in order to not jeopardize a foreign film project.”
PSN Partners are equally adept at adjusting their local coverage to meet the expectations of major streamers and studios.
“The compulsory coverage for our jobs with U.S. clients is quite high, well beyond the norms in Turkey,” acknowledges PSN Turkey Partner and EP, Chad Ozturk. “We work through an insurance broker on a case-by-case basis to secure the needed insurance from reputed global carriers, themselves structured to insure companies.”
Talent Requires Trust
Foreign producers can tap into the trusted reputation of production service companies when securing local celebrity talent. Recalling the documentary they produced with Rugby hero Siya Kolisi, PSN South Africa EP Vivian Esterhuyse says that working under the banner of a local production company is “invaluable at opening doors and establishing confidence with talent and agents about the project they’re submitting talent to.”
PSN Norway Service Producer Eirik Vaage capitalized on his local know-how to street cast real people for a Hyundai campaign that penetrated the depths of Norwegian winter with pure joy.
“It was a complicated brief. In their portrayal of how to beat the winter blues, the director and brand aimed to film people suffering a seasonal disorder in the darkest corners of Norway,” recalls Eirik. “But we managed quite well. The reward came in seeing their smiles while at the wheel.”
An added layer of trust is critical to work with minors. No matter how high profile a brand or studio, local authorities expect to engage with a reputed PSC when approving permits to film with children.
Peace of Mind
“There is no fixer or independent line producer who can possibly match what a service company can give you,” asserts Turchetti at PSN Thailand. “Without the clout of a big local company you’ll run into tax problems, government relationship problems, crew problems, location problems, and more.”
“Properly implemented production service companies have government contacts at multiple levels,” concludes the Bangkok-based EP. “At the metropolitan level, they know the police. They know the whole chain of supply and command.”
This prepares PSCs to pivot to overcome potential catastrophe, maintaining outward serenity while navigating crises.
“I try to buffer my clients from local issues and only inform them on a need-to-know basis,” explains PSN Egypt Partner and EP, Amin El Masri.
During filming of The Agency for Paramount+, unanticipated circumstances denied his company a key location to film a riot scene set in Sudan.
“We’re connected. We pulled major strings at the last minute to secure government approval of an alternative location in Cairo to film the scene featuring 400 Sudanese. It’s all about how you communicate,” relates El Masri. “The client was understanding because they’ve shot all over the world. They know the timing was complicated. We still managed to take slates in the original location and comp some buildings in the background, so that the scene looks great on the screen.”
Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming installment, number 4 in our series about why foreign producers trust production service companies to deliver when filming abroad. In case you missed prior articles, here are links to check them out:
PSCs Cut The Friction When Filming Abroad
Line Producer or PSC – A Rethink (from the UK perspective)
