Business Opportunities – Film Making

Jamaica has had a few films that were filmed here, the most famous of which were the James Bond films Dr.No. and Live and let Die but by and large this area remains untapped despite its significant potential.

Jamaica’s beauty offers the perfect backdrop for use in feature films and although not abundant in number there is a group of well trained actors who can play roles in these movies. There needs to be groups that can assist overseas developers in locating sites, recruiting talent and any other support that is needed. Apart from films being made here there is also the opportunity to make our own. The changes in modern technology have now made the whole process of film making so much easier that it is now possible to produce a movie at a fraction of the cost that it used to take. In addition the computer technology now allows for film editing, sound editing and insertion of background scenery all with a few key strokes. Additionally the digitization of cinema screens means that movie producers can now choose where they want their movies to be shown.

An additional opportunity that has arisen in the film industry is that of computer animation. Today all animated movies use computer animation and many of the action movies use computer animation for the visual effects. Something that is not well known is that the animation for films is often not done in the United States. Instead the work is subcontracted to companies throughout the world who do a lot of the design, a recent example of this is the movie Despicable me where the animation was done in the former eastern block countries. These projects also need large numbers of workers in order to complete the mammoth task on time. Some of these movies have been huge hits despite being primarily targeted towards children. A more recent trend is that of 3D movies which again utilize computer animation in addition to the special lenses used in filming.

Closely linked to the film industry is the television industry which needs locations for its movies, series and documentaries. The television industry, excluding sports, is almost as large as the film industry and has similar needs to the film industry. There will also be opportunities to sell our own local productions to overseas companies. One example of a missed opportunity is that of our music concerts. If these were properly recorded they could be resold throughout the world and given the popularity of our music would bring in much needed foreign exchange earnings. Of course we must not forget about another area of potential that of music videos which could be produced here for showing on MTV, BET or VH-1 for example.

The opportunities are there we simply have to open our eyes in order to see them.

Tags: business, film