Everything In One Place

Although 2010 may not match 2009’s heady production levels, there are plenty of substantial international projects already under way. Steven Soderbergh’s political thriller Knockout — featuring mixed martial arts star Gina Carano alongside Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and Channing Tatum — started shooting in Dublin at the beginning of February. It is produced by Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity Media, in association with Parallel Films as local producer.  

Soderbergh’s longtime producing partner Gregory Jacobs was introduced to Parallel’s Alan Moloney by a mutual friend, Warner Bros’ Irish-born international publicity executive Desiree Finnegan, during last September’s Toronto International Film Festival. Moloney urged Jacobs to consider Ireland as a location and the Irish Film Board (IFB) put together a budget for the project that Soderbergh found irresistible.

Fresh location

“We wanted to shoot in a city which hadn’t been seen too often on screens internationally,” says Jacobs. “I thought what a vibrant and beautiful city Dublin was and much less overexposed than, say, London or Paris. When the IFB approached us with their financial incentives, that pushed it all over the edge. The crew base is strong too, and we’ve brought very few crew from Los Angeles. I’d definitely return to film another project.”

Although the IFB’s 2010 budget has been cut, this still leaves the agency with $26.6m (€19.3m) to play with, of which 75% is allocated to production support. Direct IFB investment, combined with the increased Section 481 tax incentive of 28%, can create a potent combination for favoured projects.

One unusual aspect of Section 481 is its availability for qualifying TV production. Showtime’s The Tudors has kept Wicklow-based Ardmore Studios busy, and provided career-development studios for Irish crew and department heads.

Positive response

Douglas Rae, of the UK’s Ecosse Films, has shot two movies — My Boy Jack and Becoming Jane — as well as two TV series in Ireland, and is an enthusiastic advocate of the country as a location.

“People are very passionate about film in Ireland and the culture is very positive towards it,” he says. “Homeowners  are friendly and well disposed to letting their homes be filmed and there are some very talented and inspiring film makers there — people like James Flynn at Octagon, who is a phenomenal authority  on film production, and, of course, DoP Seamus McGarvey.”

However, Andrea Arnold’s new version of Wuthering Heights, which was due to shoot in Ireland this year for Ecosse, will now be filmed mostly in Yorkshire’s “Bronte Country” instead, after the ­director opted for local authenticity.

 Rae also warns that, as sterling approaches parity with the euro, some of the benefit  for UK productions filming in Ireland is being eroded.  

“One of the big advantages about shooting in Ireland was getting the money up front on day one.”

Malcolm Reeve, Scott Free Productions

Nevertheless, there are other intangibles that can attract the right foreign production. Malcolm Reeve of Scott Free Productions worked as a producer on Cracks in Ireland last year, attracted principally by the Section 481 funding.

“We looked at lots of places that might help us fund it, although the final decision for a location is never just about  the equity,” he says. “We had looked at Hungary, but one of the big advantages about shooting in Ireland was getting the money up front on day one from the Irish Film Board.”

Reeve was able to combine Section  481 and IFB funds with benefits from other countries. “Cracks started out as an Anglo-Irish co-production, but became much more complicated with money coming from Germany and France, in addition to what we raised through Section 481.”

Proximity to the film’s UK base also helped. “Dublin is also so much closer to home for the cast and crew, especially where you’re working on a long shoot — it’s nice to be able to nip home for the weekend, which you’re less likely to do from Hungary,” says Reeve. “Labour rates are still cheaper in Eastern Europe, but the IFB offered us so many incentives that when we added it all together it made so much more sense to shoot the film in Ireland.” Spyglass’ romantic comedy Leap Yearqualified for Section 481 funding, and UK TV series Primeval has been reprieved after initial cancellation via a cost-cutting financial package, which included shifting production from the UK to Ireland.

“In spite of the threat to our existence, it’s always been business as usual for us at the Film Board,” says the IFB’s film commissioner Naoise Barry, who is tasked with bringing foreign production into the country. “We have always tried to position ourselves as strong co-producing partners. The Irish tax breaks have played a big part in the success of the Irish film and television industry.”