The first in a series of training courses in film production, organised by the Malta Film Commission, drew a good number of film enthusiasts, including professionals in the field and film students.

...you are thrown in at the deep end and this involves a lot of courage and determination...- Justin Camilleri

The three-day course on location scouting and management gave those present a good insight into what this particular pre-production stage involves. Conducting the seminar were international and local professionals who shared their experiences and knowledge of what the job entails, including responsibilities, and discussed common problems that may arise.

For example, when one finds a particular house that would perfectly suit a director’s film brief, he/she would then have to try to persuade the owners to lend their property for filming purposes. Obviously, this is not an easy task. If one succeeds in getting permission, then the location team has to be careful to leave the place in the same condition as they found it or better.

Christian McWilliams, who has worked on major big-budget films such as Syriana, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Babel, Rendition and, more recently, World War Z, which was partly filmed in Malta, said: “More often than not, when you are working as a location scout, you are thrown in at the deep end and this involves a lot of courage and determination”.

Joseph Farrugia Randon, who has worked on a large number of feature films and foreign TV series shot locally, talked about the months of planning needed for major films. Through video clips, Mr Farrugia Randon showed how Maltese localities are often transformed to resemble other countries such as making Piazza Regina in Valletta and Rabat parish square look like squares in Rome for Steven Spielberg’s Munich.

Location manager Pierre Agius explained how locations were chosen to build particular film sets such as for Alejandro Amenábar’s Agora in Marsaxlokk and gave attendees an idea of the logistics involved in constructing such a set.

The afternoon sessions were made up of practical workshops such as recces in the lower part of St Elmo and Valletta.

On the second day of the seminar, the 80 participants were divided into groups and were each given a different brief such as possible locations in Valletta for a car crash sequence, a murder, a romantic scene and an assassination attempt. They had to take a number of photos from different angles to then present at the seminar the following day.

Participants were also given an overview of the importance of the Land’s Department for location scouting, including how to obtain the necessary permits to film in government and vacant property.

On the last day of the seminar participants visited Fort Ricasoli and were given a tour of the Mediterranean Film Studios in Kalkara where water scenes in Moby Dick, Asterix and Obelix, Sinbad, Raise the Titanic, Troy and U-571, among other films, were shot.

The next major project for this facility is Tom Hanks’s Captain Phillips which is due to start filming in April.

For more information visit www.mfc.com.mt.

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