With its remarkable value, cultural and natural diversity, friendly people, and untouched landscapes, Colombia is a dream destination for any brand, agency or production company looking to create a unique visual project. However, the logistics of filming in Colombia can be a challenge at the best of times. At WhereNext, we have over a decade of experience working as a Colombia-based production company. Below are our top tips for film production in Colombia, as told by our fearless Executive Producer, Sandra Eichmann Perret.

Understand Regional Cultural Differences

Colombia is an extremely heterogeneous country, made up of diverse and distinct regions with their own unique cultures and belief systems. Understanding and respecting the particularity of each region goes a long way towards producing a successful project in this country.

For instance, during the production of ‘The Birders’, we filmed in the coastal desert of La Guajira, a region populated by the Indigenous Wayuu people. We needed to shoot on Indigenous resguardos (‘reservations’), so obtaining the trust of the locals was paramount to the success of the shoot. This is a process that requires time and patience. Understanding Wayuu culture was a massive part of that process, and the positive relationships that we forged during that production have since allowed us to return to La Guajira for a production with Autel Robotics.

Support Communities in Which You Film

Building on the previous point, it is equally important to tell people’s stories responsibly and to give back to the communities in which you shoot. “The Birders” is an excellent example of this idea. Rather than solely producing a documentary about birding in Colombia, our Colombia production company partnered with organizations like eBird and The National Audubon Society to help to grow birding tourism in the regions where we filmed. By thinking beyond the project, we bond with local communities and guides, building trust and positive relationships which pave the way for successful future productions.

Confirm All Plans, Schedules, and Commitments

WhereNext’s Executive Producer Sandra Eichmann is adamant about the importance of triple checking everything. After purchasing services in Colombia for a production – whether it is a driver, local guide, catering, etc. – make sure to reconfirm at least twice in the pre-production process and even during the production itself. Make a confirmation call in the week building up to the shoot, the day before, and also on the same day: things can be quite laid-back in Colombia, so it’s always a good idea to reconfirm.

Scout, and Hire Experienced Fixers

Never underestimate the importance of scouting during the pre-production process in Colombia. In many regions of the country, you can’t just Google the name of a good driver or local guide: you need to have done your homework and found reliable local fixers and assistants through proper scouting. As well as finding the right people, scouting is also essential for the logistics of filming in hard-to-access regions of the country, which often have poor infrastructure. In order to execute a successful production in a region like the Pacific coast, thorough scouting is a must.

Our process for ‘The Birders’ led us to several of our main protagonists, who we would never have found if we had just looked up “Colombian bird guides” on the internet. Our research was extensive: we met with all of our potential protagonists and collaborators prior to shooting. This also allowed us to build a more effective strategy when it came to actually filming birds in the field.

File All Required Permits

Filming in Colombia involves a lot of paperwork, so a thorough understanding of what is required to shoot here is the mark of an experienced Colombia-based production company. Bringing international gear and crew into Colombia requires several different permits. There are other permits that are necessary to allow foreign production crews to work here legally. For ‘The Birders,’ our international protagonists Morgan Heim and Keith Ladzinski brought their camera gear to Colombia, and our clients at Autel Robotics traveled with their drones. Our knowledge of these complicated permits meant that they had zero issues when they arrived in the country.

In addition, understanding internal labor laws is paramount. All of your local staff and suppliers need to be fully insured, tax-paying employees, from your local camera crew to all of your drivers, security guards, and even local guides. At WhereNext, we ensure that all of these things are in place in a country where informal employment is common and it can often be hard to find people with the appropriate paperwork.

Make Multiple Back-Up Plans

Working as a producer in Colombia isn’t just about having a Plan A and B. You need a plan C, D, E, and F in mind! Sandra tells an excellent cautionary tale about planning a shoot in the isolated Amazonian jungle region of Vaupes:

Things rarely go entirely smoothly during a Colombian film production unless you have all of your plans in place, so having multiple back-up plans ready to be executed at the drop of a hat is not only essential, but it’s also the mark of a top Colombian production company. The weather in Colombia can also be extremely inconsistent, and it’s good to have multiple options in place in case of the weather having a negative impact on your production schedule.

Have Foreign Accounting and Payment Systems in Place

Know When and Where Cash is King

In many parts of Colombia, cash is still king, and you cannot pay with a credit card. Understanding when and where to carry cash is vital for the success of a video production in Colombia. At WhereNext, our production and financial departments are experts in cash-flow planning from big cities like Bogota to remote regions like the Pacific jungles of the Choco or the Amazon rainforest.

Budget and Manage Your Project in One Currency

The knowledge to be able to manage a budget effectively during a Colombian production is hard won and specialized. Working with a company that has Colombian and global experience, pays dividends in all of the aforementioned aspects of planning and shooting a Colombian film project. WhereNext offers foreign brands, agencies and producers the option to manage payments through our US-based C Corporation—while we manage all Colombian project distributions by the book through our Bogota-based production company, Bomba Studio SAS.

Prepare in Advance for Bureaucratic Red Tape

There can often be a labyrinth of red-tape to deal with on shoots in Colombia, and having a clear picture of the time scales involved in dealing with different public entities is essential. For instance, if you are planning to shoot in a Colombian National Park, you are required to apply for a filming permit. But try and apply for this permit without the appropriate notice, and you can say goodbye to those spectacular landscape shots on your storyboard! Additionally, every town and city in Colombia asks for different paperwork and permits. Knowing who you need to speak to and which entities to approach will save your production a great deal of time and money.

Understand the Regional Climates and Geography

Colombia’s diverse geography and landscapes are one of the things that make the country so appealing for production: snow-capped Andean peaks, lush cloud forests, dense jungles, two oceans, even deserts, and tundra moorlands; Colombia has it all. However, it can also make filming in Colombia logistically complicated.

Planning a route through Colombia on Google Maps is a recipe for delays and missed deadlines, as a winding road through the Andes mountains becomes a one-lane congestion-fest or the wet season rains causes hours-long delays. A Colombia-based production company with a good understating of the geographic and climatic complexity of the country will be able to plan for all of these eventualities.

At WhereNext we are experts in conducting productions in these harsh and varied conditions. Whether it’s managing a full team in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by mosquitoes and 40-degree (100+ ℉) heat, or shooting in the driving rain for Columbia Sportswear in the Andean moorlands surrounding Bogota, when it comes to filming in Colombia, we’ve got your back.

Learn More About Our Colombia-Based Production Company