Ireland offers many incentives to film-makers for making their films here. So what exactly does this mean for producers who are the decision-makers and navigators? Ned Dowd talks about filming in Ireland from a producer's perspective.
"To attract foreign productions you have to present more than just studio space. In essence, a studio is just a building, it could be anywhere." Explains Ned, "Ireland has a lot going for it in terms of tax incentives such as section 481 and the UK sale and leaseback initiative as well as less rigid labour and union laws. The Studio is in a great position, it's in the zone, there is an amazing range of locations available and its proximity to the city is a huge advantage."
All of these elements play an important part in the decision of where to locate your production and what you can get for your money. Ned Dowd was Vice President of Production for Spyglass Entertainment (whose recent hits included The Sixth Sense and The Insider) when the script for The Count of Monte Cristo was being developed. He had heard about the advantages of Ireland as a location through the industry grapevine and was keen to investigate for himself.
The period setting and locations required for The Count Of Monte Cristo made me inquire about Ireland in more detail. I talked to some people who had made films here recently like Pat McCormack who made Everlasting Piece. He had had a very good experience of working at the studio, with the IFB and the government. All the pieces fit together and worked.
Morgan O'Sullivan of World 2000 was also pivotal with regard to interpreting the logistics and incentives when I had an exploratory meeting with him in NYC. Based on our own research and what feedback we had received about the studio, we embarked on a two week survey with the Director Kevin Reynolds and the eventual Production Designer Mark Gereghty."
The survey involved looking at locations and studio facilities as well as examining how to benefit from the various incentives available. "Morgan was especially helpful in terms of expediting the red tape and had the expertise to answer all our questions. We had a real sense of the movie when we finished our survey and knew we had found the ideal set-up."
Spyglass Entertainment started making Alexandre Dumas's classic story of The Count of Monte Cristo in August 2000, a $35 million production. Ardmore Studios became home to elaborate construction including the Chateau D'If staircase, the interior of Mondego's lavish townhouse and the forbidding innards of Chateau D'If. The splendid opulence of Mondego's chateau was duly replicated in all its magnificent Parisian detail on the set at Ardmore Studios.
"We wanted to get an authentic feel while being fiscally prudent," adds Producer Gary Barber about the locations. "Ireland gave us both of those elements in a location where we got great support from the local people. "
For The Count of Monte Cristo cast and crew, attention to period detail was the central compass point. Feedback on the film's progress was so good that Spyglass decided to research the feasibility of locating another production in Ardmore. Ned Dowd was on the ground at Ardmore this time.
"I was halfway through shooting The Count Of Monte Cristo when Reign Of Fire was greenlit. Reign Of Fire was an enormous production set in a post apocalyptic world and would be the biggest film ever made in Ireland with a budget of $90 million. Director Rob Bowman and Production designer Wolf Kroeger came over for the scout with a very detailed and definite vision of what was required.
Reign Of Fire was very much a production design film so it was really up to Rob and Wolf to ensure that the locations and facilities matched their vision. As soon as they saw all the big open spaces available in the Wicklow hills only minutes from the studio, they knew this was the spot. "
Reign Of Fire went into pre-production in January 2001 with The Count of Monte Cristo just wrapping its thirteen-week shoot. Reign Of Fire involved a huge amount of preparation as Ned explains.
"Because of the nature of the film, everything had to be built from scratch. This was a very different film to The Count of Monte Cristo which was a classic story in a period setting. Reign Of Fire is an all out sci-fi action thriller, set in the year 2024 in a futuristic, distressed and burnt out world. All the elements were big, the dragon was 350ft long, the size of a 747. We needed big open spaces to create this world and when I took Rob and Wolf into the Wicklow Hills, the images required by the film came to life. We built a huge castle, which was the film's main location, out in the hills - it looked so real that even locals were doing a double take wondering if it has always been there!
The fact that these locations were only a few minutes from the studio was a big selling point for us. We started shooting in April 2001 but construction started back in January with us using every square inch of Ardmore - even the parking lot! At Ardmore, Kevin Moriarty (MD, Ardmore Studios) and his team were very helpful - nothing was a problem because they were in the business of creating solutions."
It is the people surrounding the studio and working in the Irish film industry which combine to give Ardmore that extra edge, bringing all the elements together to create a very high standard of service. Ned Dowd was especially impressed with the crews.
"The quality of feature film crews here in Ireland is superb and any class A director would be happy to have them. They display a level of skill and complexity rarely found in other film production centres - there are at least four really strong feature film crews available here. The depth of their experience is testament to the amount of film and indeed commercial work made here.
There is a wealth of talent to be found and what separates the abilities of the Irish crews from the rest is a sense of informality. This allows people to cross over; they are much less rigid than the US unions. These crews have an incredible myriad of knowledge, an active sense of intelligence and make useful and helpful suggestions. Directors and producers identify that quality in people immediately.
Production people here are also very well versed, the local producers really know the lay of the land and everyone will cross over the lines to get the job done no matter what. You don't have that sensation of your feet being held over the fire everyday! There is a real esprit de corps, a real team effort. The crews appreciate and understand what we try to achieve and have a solid interest above and beyond the day to day work. That sense of appreciation goes both ways."
Ned Dowd's experience of working at Ardmore, the many advantages available to productions here and the kind of people he met and worked with had a strong impact. He decided to move to Ireland and work as a freelance producer and currently has eight projects in development.
He sums up by saying, "Ardmore has all the materials available to really make things happen - great crews, terrific locations, excellent tax incentives and government support. You get a lot for your money here. The level of service is superb, people are smart and sharp and everyone will go out of their way to make things work."
The Count of Monte Cristo is now showing in the US where it cleared $15 million on its opening weekend and is scheduled for release in Ireland May 2002. Reign of Fire will be released in the US on July 12 and opening in Ireland in August 2002.
This interview is also available on the Ardmore Studios website.
