New York too expensive to shoot films?

Vikas Bhardwaj

Shooting films in New York

According to filmmaker Woody Allen, New York has become too expensive to shoot films.

The 'Match Point' director is in Spain to promote his last film, 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger' which was filmed in London and stars Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas and Naomi Watts. Woody Allen told reporters in the small Spanish town of Aviles that despite the expense, shooting in Manhattan was easier than in other European cities.

As the global economic recession eases, cities around the world are competing for productions with tax incentives, funding and other services to lure filmmakers to shoot locally.

Allen is shooting his latest movie Midnight in Paris in the French capital, which was the subject of much media attention. Carla Bruni appeared in a cameo and subsequently, husband French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the set to see her perform amidst tight security. Woody Allen is one of the most respected directors in France next to Roman Polanski who fled America in 1977 and recently returned from Switzerland after being under house arrest.

Audiences will wait and see whether Carla Bruni has delivered expectations but many in the media have criticized her appearance in the movie, as it was reported it took her more than 30 takes to get the scene right. Despite this, Woody Allen has praised her professionalism and is keen to reveal her performance.

New York remains an iconic city to shoot it in with vast resources, studios and local talent, but as competition intensifies within America and elsewhere; it is becoming more attractive for productions to shoot internationally. One key example of competition in America is the 40% tax rebate in Michigan, which has lured more productions to shoot in Detroit.

As for shooting in Europe, it would seem that Paris and London remain popular cities to film in, particularly for students wanting to access filmmaker grants and recently it was revealed that Berlin s film industry was booming.