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Experts op de Costa Rica Media Market schetsen hoe lokale crews, logistiek en mond-tot-mondreclame nu zwaarder wegen dan belastingvoordelen wanneer studio's buitenlandse locaties kiezen.

Nearly three decades after Steven Spielberg filmed parts of “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” in Costa Rica, the Central American nation has built a competitive film sector that now exports award-winning titles to Cannes and Berlin. The shift from a virtually nonexistent industry in the late 1990s to a growing hub for both local and foreign productions stems from sustained government and private investment in infrastructure and talent development.

Talent and Crew Availability Top Studio Priorities

At the latest edition of the Costa Rica Media Market, panelists examined the criteria global studios use when selecting overseas filming sites. Michael Woolston, manager of physical production at The Walt Disney Studios, stressed that crew depth and local talent often decide the outcome when budgets align across competing countries.

You’re looking at all those other variables, and crew and talent are probably one of the biggest. Maybe we’ll bring, obviously, the director, producer, maybe a production designer, but we would love to hire all the local talent that we can.

Woolston added that the studio prefers to draw on established local craftsmen who can deliver the high visual standards required for major features. Sandino Saravia of Cimarrón Cine noted that actors’ preferences for staying near family can also steer projects toward certain territories, sometimes overriding purely financial calculations.

Reliable Local Partners Reduce Risk for Major Studios

Woolston emphasized that large studios require experienced production service companies and film commissioners who can navigate regulations smoothly. With The Walt Disney Company under constant public scrutiny, any compliance issue risks becoming headline news, making trusted on-the-ground partners essential.

Mitigate the risk. We already have so many other risks going on. If you’re comparing several countries, you take the least risk.

Isaac Toussier, vice president of content and development at Mexico’s Lemon Studios, echoed the point, warning that even small delays such as equipment arriving a week late can deter productions. He praised Costa Rica’s young industry for its opportunity to adopt best practices from the outset rather than reforming entrenched systems.

Word-of-Mouth and Regional Synergies Shape Future Bookings

Panelists described the film business as a relationship-driven industry in which positive experiences spread quickly among studio executives. Woolston noted that strong feedback from peers at Netflix, Warner Bros. and other companies can prompt a simple phone call to explore the same location.

Hollywood is kind of small in a way where we talk closely with all the other studios and executives. If somebody has great experiences and we see that they shot here recently, that’s an easy phone call to make.

Toussier pointed to shared cultural dynamics across Latin America as another advantage. Common approaches to problem-solving and collaboration allow teams to move fluidly between countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina and Uruguay without the cultural friction often encountered elsewhere.