Palma Pictures is not only one of the most important audio-visual production companies in Mallorca but also in Spain in general. As it celebrates its 32nd anniversary, Londoner Mike Day who holds the reins of the company as CEO, told the Bulletin this week that business is very healthy and the future is looking very exciting.
Its projects are today spread across various parts of Spain and the globe at large, having been responsible for some of the biggest productions that Mallorca has hosted over the past few years, with a number of major projects going to be filmed on the island and across the country this year. “The industry has changed a great deal over the past few decades, especially with the platforms such as Netflix, Amazon MGM and Apple. In response to that we’ve branched out into five specialist areas from our mother ship here in Mallorca where we have the main studio in Marratxi.
“Our five business segments are scripted drama, unscripted entertainment such as Love Island, the photo, print and digital camp, TV documentaries and more recently co-productions. They all stand alone under the Palma Pictures umbrella” he explained. “There are obviously ebbs and flows. For example, the industry strikes in the United States a few years ago had an impact on scripted productions, but they didn’t hit the unscripted sector.
"And now, with the crisis in the Middle East and other geopolitical issues, consumer confidence is low; that has a negative impact on the commercial market. Leading car brands, for example, are not going to launch new advertising campaigns if people are thinking twice about buying a new car. So there are a lot of external factors which can influence our industry, but we diversified and are able to respond to market changes,” he said.
“While Mallorca continues to be an extremely attractive location to film, we have been and are extremely busy and active across Spain. “We’ve been in Andalusia shooting Young Sherlock for Amazon MGM. The first series, produced by Guy Ritchie, was number one in over 40 countries, with the second series coming soon.
“It is creativity which is the main driving force influencing where we shoot. Young Sherlock, for example, was set in Constantinople and Paris and the architecture of Seville and Jerez made them the perfect locations. But we’ve also used Almeria for Cairo and locations in the Canary Islands when large desert and more arid locations are required. That said, they are also quite tropical so that is another plus for us and the Spanish production industry.
“Here in Mallorca, as most people will be aware, we’ve shot The Night Manager, The Crown, Hustle with Adam Sandler, and more recently we’ve been in Ibiza with Charles Dance and Sacha Baron Cohen. We shot the period drama The Lady, a four-part British television drama mini series that is partly fictionalised but based on true events, depicting former royal dresser Jane Andrews who was convicted of murder in 2001 and The Last Sunrise for Amazon MGM Studios, with a cast led by Maia Reficco, Fernando Lindez and Eva Longoria. That was filmed entirely on the island and we’ve got a major period drama scheduled on the island for May plus a host of projects across Spain,” Mike said. “And Special Ops: Lioness starring Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldana and Morgan Freeman filmed in Mallorca,” he added.
“Mallorca has become increasingly popular because of its alluring combination of world-class crews, an incredible tapestry of locations, strong government-backed tax incentives, experienced local production partners, great weather and Spanish hospitality; it’s caught the eyes of the global industry. We’ve worked with Bollywood and we’re going to be working with a South Korean production in various locations around Spain this year.
Mallorca has doubled for a myriad of locations including Greece, France, the Caribbean, the US, Croatia, Italy and many more destinations. 90% of the scripts we receive want Mallorca and Spain to double for another territory. “Apart from what Mallorca has to offer the industry, the same goes for Spain.
Main location in Europe
“Yes, the financial incentives, tax breaks are far greater in the Canary Islands because of the distance - they need to offset the costs in transporting equipment, cast and crew. But here in the Balearics, the breaks are the same as on the mainland, so it’s a fairly level playing field in that sense. You could say that Spain is becoming the main filming location in Europe and not only for the international sector of the industry.
“Spanish production houses have become very good, especially when it comes to storytelling, hence why all of the main production companies now have bases in Spain. This is great for us because, due to our reputation and extremely professional technicians and crews, we tend to be one of the first points of call.
“Moreover, there’s a great legacy of people trained in this country for film shoots throughout the history of cinema. Spain has been making films and hosting international productions for decades, so the depth of the talent is second to none. And that is why companies are looking to make studio investments because that is probably the only gap in the Spanish market.
“We have ours here in Mallorca but outside of Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante the options are limited, so when anyone asks for my opinion, I advise them to go ahead. I think we will see more studios being built in Spain further down the line. In the meantime, we want to continue deepening our relationships with the world-leading creative teams we are currently collaborating with. While we have no current plans to expand our studio footprint we are always open to opportunities to expand our footprint on the island.
“From our perspective, a water tank in Mallorca would be a very appealing proposition to our production partners and we are happy to be involved with any such plans as they present themselves,” Mike said. “At a national level, the industry is in very good health. And pitching filming in Spain to A-list actors and actresses is relatively easy. We’ve recently been working with Gerard Butler, for example. Why wouldn’t he want to come and spend a few weeks or a month filming in Spain?
“For production companies it’s equally attractive, whether it’s Mallorca or the mainland. We’ve got great locations, amazing landscapes, wonderful weather, the infrastructure, airports, railways, hotels - all the ingredients for creating and shooting world-class productions. Plus it’s a safe destination, extremely well connected to all European cities and now the United States. The authorities, film commissions and the general public are very welcoming and encouraging, which also makes life so much easier,” Mike added.