Office workers often "eat on the run" because they are so busy. Similarly, filmmakers "run and gun," which means to shoot footage quickly. Veteran Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien shot on a train in Japan this way. Not wanting to deal with bureaucracy, he decided to bypass the official channels and shoot the film secretly. Since they had no permits, the crew had to maintain constant vigilance for any police officers. In order to increase mobility, the cameraman had already gotten used to setting up cameras in a few minutes and recording footage as quickly as possible. Luckily, they were able to complete the film without being arrested.
"The police officers in Japan would never have allowed us to shoot a film on the train because of concerns over social order in public transportation," Hou said, recalling the production of his film "Cafe Lumiere." He talked about his experiences of shooting a film in Japan during the "Making of a Cinematic City--Panel of the Film Commissions" seminar in Taipei July 4.
The panel was chaired by three guests, including Busan Film Commission Director Park Kwang-su, the Ile de France Film Commission President Corinne Rufet and Hou. They discussed the feasibility of establishing a film commission in Taipei City and trying to integrate the development of the film industry with the city's resources.
Acknowledging that other countries had more experience in managing and running film commissions, the 9th Taipei Film Festival used the occasion to organize an open discussion on the issue. Park was invited to speak because he took the initiative to create a film commission in South Korea. Founded in December 1999, the Busan Film Commission built up a network with film commissions in several Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. The BFC was responsible for film-related matters like finding locations, contacting customs and purchasing insurance.
"Busan is the second-largest city in South Korea, but there were very few film productions until the launch of the annual film festival in Busan in 1995," Park continued, saying that the authorities concerned started to think about different methods to bring in business for the film industry. "If we establish a film commission to provide information about better locations and offer prompt assistance to filmmakers, Busan will be more lively," he said. After the commission was set up, Park said it became a focal point for the industry and created new business opportunities.
The commission made production more efficient because directors could shoot films in Busan and do post-production work there as well. "Compared with the time before the post-production companies were established, more than 40 movies a year can be finished now, while there was only one film before," Park said. He pointed out the significant increase in output and mentioned that the international cooperation in the Asian Pacific network created around US$55 million in economic benefits.
The business opportunity also solved the crises of the film industry in France in the late 1980s. Shooting in downtown Paris was getting prohibitively expensive, Rufet explained, so the industry was declining. Places like the Ile de France, the area that surrounds Paris, became an alternative. Many filmmakers moved their productions to the outskirts of the city to reduce costs. The film commission came up with strategies to attract directors to the Ile de France.
First, a fund was established to assist companies that decided to stay in Paris and make films there. Then, people organized the film commission to help newcomers who wanted to make movies in the city. For instance, the 2006 U.S. film "Marie Antoinette" was shot in the famous Palace of Versailles in the Ile de France. The commission worked closely with the palace to compose a list of all possible locations available for filming.
Yann Marchet, the marketing manager of the Ile de France Film Commission, explained, "If you come here to shoot, you have a variety of locations where you can find everything you need. To combat international competition, it is so important to provide access and attract more people to come." Rufet added that films often played an active role in promoting the image of a country as well as introducing its culture abroad to international audiences.
The tourism bureau also stressed the connection between tourism and movies. Rufet said that due to the Institut National du Patrimoine, many fine movies could be completed in scenic locations, including Hou's latest work "Flight of the Red Balloon," shot at the Musee d'Orsay and Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" in the Palace of Versailles. Thanks to the latter movie, visitors to the palace increased 6 percent from 2005 to 2006, she claimed. Rufet believed that films were good publicity for cultural and tourism promotion, which is the reason why she worked hard to highlight the appeal of making movies in the Ile de France.
A successful film commission took the responsibility of matching professionals together, according to Rufet. Their list of specialists came from the commission's database. All members of a production had to be prepared to handle the bureaucracy, however, as countless permits had to be obtained for a film to be made. "From costumes to art design to post-production, we need to communicate and let them understand how to cope with requests and demands during the application process," she said. Besides filmmakers, local citizens were their targets. The process of making films might cause disturbances in local communities. The general public should learn how to conduct themselves as well, so as to avoid disrupting the production of a film.
Speaking about local residents, Park recalled his experiences in South Korea. Last year he shot an exterior scene at an apartment at 4 a.m., which created a lot of noise. "But no one came out to complain except a drunk," Park said, adding that the person was too intoxicated to distinguish between the bus used in the film and a real one, so he could not go home. "Before shooting the scenes, we needed to get permission from the residents in the apartment. We appreciated that they did not make any complaints," he said. The assistance from the public was definitely an advantage for filmmakers. The cooperation involved in keeping the street clear of traffic made it possible for the production to go smoothly, Park added.
Directors in Taiwan may encounter more obstacles when they shoot movies outdoors because there is no single agency to take care of the application procedure, according to Hou. "It would be more difficult for new producers, while experienced producers usually have their contacts," he noted. "If there could be a transparent structure, mechanism or channel, everyone will know it better, so that we can attract some investors, too."
Hou pointed out the necessity of setting up an agency to assist filmmakers with the application process for permits and dealing with government regulations. Regarding the issue of establishing a film commission like the one in France or South Korea, he claimed that the work should be carried out gradually, and the government should offer incentives to encourage investment. "Like other Asian countries, we can participate in the Asian Film Commissions Network to collaborate and share the resources together," Hou remarked.
Due to the regulations on public facilities, filmmakers often worked under tight schedules and are supervised by officials. For instance, Hou said he once had to shoot a scene on the subway in France at a certain time of day. When they had difficulty finishing the scene, the government supervisor was kind enough to grant the crew an extra hour.
Looking at his home country, Hou raised the issue that there were too many rules to film on the metro in Taipei. The situation was not a simple thing that could be changed overnight, and Park also agreed that it required cooperation among the city government, citizens and production teams to improve both the film and tourism industries. "In Busan, the city governors are willing to provide a helicopter for those who want to take panorama shots from above. If the Taipei City Government could do the same, there would be ample economic benefits," he said.
Lee Yong-ping, commissioner of the Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs, heard his comment and was ready with a response. She was sitting in the audience, waiting to announce her support for the establishment of a film commission in Taipei. She said that Mayor Hau Lung-bin would be its chairman.
The film commission would serve as the single window to handle most production issues, such as contacting the police station, fire bureau and traffic agencies, Lee explained. Currently, producers would have to navigate through a labyrinth of bureaucracy to film legally. In the future, filmmakers would enjoy a more streamlined process of obtaining the necessary permits from relevant government agencies.
Lee said that there would be a professional group available to scout suitable locations for filmmakers. The next year's budget would be mainly used to set up a database to store information about places to shoot and handle post-production. "Through the platform of a film commission, the film industry chain would be integrated," she noted. Hopefully, there would be many projects in Taipei, and filmmakers would make a movie dedicated to the city, like "Paris, I Love You," Lee said.
Write to Sandra Shih at sandrashih@mail.gio.gov.tw