Captivating advertising and videos become more critical each year for marketing on the internet regardless of the type of business or industry. Hawaii offers incredible environments for filming for local residents and location shooting. Business owners can capitalize on Hawaii’s incredible beaches, surfing culture and big-budget films like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Regardless of the type of business or industry, there are key benefits available from choosing a local Hawaii Production company. [1]
The Benefits of Knowing the Lay of the Land
Plenty of people feel like they know Hawaii because of all the publicity, films and fictional settings that appear in the media. Many out-of-town production companies have worked in Hawaii before and think they know how things work. However, it’s a different story when scouting locations for the perfect shot for a particular business instead of a top site for a major film. Locals know the best shooting locations, how to save money on the film budget and seasonal tips that offer time-sensitive shooting benefits.
A local company will be aware of tax incentives for filming in Hawaii. Tax credits can be very persuasive because companies might prefer shooting in Hawaii, but the bottom line usually decides what actually happens. Hawaii now offers a break on taxes up to 20% of the amount spent shooting in Oahu and 25% for all the other islands. [2]
A Gateway Between Asian and American Cultures
Often overlooked because Hawaii tourism is so popular, films capitalizing on the relationships between Asian and American cultures offer many promising areas for filming in exotic settings. The tropical climate is cooled by trade winds with average temperatures between 68- and 73-degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s the perfect environment for filming drones, sports matches, local myths, songs and chants.
Signature Benefits of Hiring Local Production Services in Hawaii
Hiring a local production team in Hawaii can shave transportation costs, enable a 20% to 25% tax incentive and provide a team of local experts who has many years of experience scouting locations, using local filmmaker infrastructure and knowing where to find dramatic mountain views, astonishing volcanoes, beautiful beaches and towering cliffs. Local filmmakers and advertisers get the advantages of a reliable and experienced American crew and the knowledge of local rumors, Hawaiian myths, hidden beaches, real-world events and spiritual beliefs.
That adds up to a winning team for almost any video, film or advertising project. Hawaii’s tax incentive for filming locally is 20%, and a 5% bonus applies to filming in communities with a population under 700,000. [3] Further details about Hawaii’s tax incentive include:
- Organizations must register with the Hawaii Film Office and Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism at least five days prior to shooting.
- The total spend on local shooting must total $200,000 or more.
- Companies must make a verifiable effort to hire local talent, crews and production companies.
- Evidence must be shown that efforts were made to hire locally before hiring out-of-state resources.
- The incentive is limited to the appropriate percentage of $50 million spent annually, and there’s a $15 million limit per production, which makes it a perfect incentive for advertising films and videos.
Some of the top films shot in Hawaii include feature films and television series that include “Hawaii 5-0,” “Kong: Skull Island,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Lost,” “Inhumans,” “Magnum PI,” “Snatched” and many others.
Local Expertise for Your Next Shoot
Hiring a Hawaii production company eliminates many of the logistical problems that bedevil video and film production. These problems include finding production coordinating services, choosing world-class locations from the wealth of available choices, managing local fashion shoots, choosing an ideal venue for a wedding or getting the specialized equipment to shoot underwater at night. Hiring a local team lets the cast and crew enjoy their time in Hawaii without putting out fires all the time, which can be quite literal when dealing with a trek across lava fields at Kilauea, Maunaloa, Hualalai and Maunakea. Mauna Loa erupted in 1984, and Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. [4] Hawaii beckons for your next video or advertisement with astonishing scenery, local film expertise and infrastructure and a substantial tax incentive.
References:
[1] https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/38604335/as-hawaiis-film-industry-thrives-some-fear-tax-credit-ceiling-could-put-it-in-jeopardy/
[2] https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/hawaii-production-incentives-3-1202677431/
[3] https://filmoffice.hawaii.gov/incentives-tax-credits/
[4] https://www.gohawaii.com/experiences/sightseeing/Volcanoes