Balance of the fifth Bourne chapter shoot

Tenerife was the location, from 7 to 26 September, of the fifth chapter of Bourne, a Hollywood super-production starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass, which brought considerable economic activity to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

© Jasin Boland | Universal Pictures
First day shooting . © Jasin Boland | Universal Pictures

It was possible to shoot the film thanks to the work done by the Cabildo, through Tenerife Film Commission, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Town Council and local production company Sur-Film Production & Services. The filming took place mainly in Santa Cruz, in the neighbourhoods of Valleseco, Cabo Llanos, Salamanca, La Salud and Taco, as well as in the Plaza de España area and Avenida 3 de Mayo. Some scenes were shot in Bebederos (Arona) and at the Tenerife Norte-Los Rodeos Airport.

According to the information the Cabildo has, around 350 people were directly hired for the production while they recruited some 600 extras for the shoot. In addition, around 600 local companies were hired or took part in the film while some 1,200 contracts were signed with private individuals and businesses during the production. The final economic study is currently being produced and will be available in a few months.

Regarding hotel night stays, according to the information provided by Ashotel, there were more than 14,000 in different hotels in Santa Cruz, some of which sold all their available rooms for a few days in September. The hotels in La Laguna also benefitted from the shoot, having a high rate of occupancy. Income for accommodation and breakfast reached one million Euros. To this we must add the extra services hired by the visitors, of medium-high purchasing power, in different establishments.

Apart from the income earned during the shoot, it must be pointed out that during pre-production the crew worked in Santa Cruz and visited restaurants and shops. The public who came to see the shoot increased the sales of restaurants and cafeterias in the area around the film location. These establishments made 20 per cent more than on an average day, according to the information provided by the Canaries Urban Areas Federation.

As for the impact abroad, a wide range of media, both national and international specialised publications as well as general interest press, mentioned the shooting of the Bourne fifth chapter in Tenerife. The media which gave information about it include Der Spiegel, Daily Mail, Hollywood Reporter, The Knowledge, The Location Guide or Variety. In addition, the image of Matt Damon with CD Tenerife T-shirt, had over 22,000 comments on Twitter in 24 hours and 4,500 interactions, spreading the name of the Island internationally.

Tenerife Film Commission

Since it was established in 2000, Tenerife Film Commission (TFC) has helped over a thousand films (including feature and short films), photo shoots, music videos, series, programmes, and commercials. The balance is more than positive: 54 million Euros have been brought to the Island. 36 feature films have been shot in this period including Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans (2010-2011, USA) or Fast and Furious 6 (2012, USA).

Last year Tenerife hosted a total of 68 national and international film productions which brought eight million Euros to the Island.

2015: a new scene

The new Canaries Fiscal Regime (REF), which came into force in January this year, renews the tax advantages for film productions shot in the Archipelago which means an increase of 20 per cent over the rate applicable in the rest of Spain, thus supporting the benefits of shooting on the Island.

So the deduction for national film productions shooting in the Canaries can reach up to 40 per cent of the total amount up to 5.4 million Euros, while foreign productions can have a 35 % deduction, capped at 4.5 million Euros.

In 2015 some productions have already made the most of the scenery and advantages offered by Tenerife. Project Lazarus, by Canaries director Mateo Gil, including actress Oona Chaplin (Charles Chaplin’s granddaughter), or the series Doctor Who for the BBC are just two of them.

Attending festivals and trade fairs is another activity of Tenerife Film Commission. This year, TFC has been to the Berlinale—to inform about the incentives at international level—, the Marché du Film, part of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and Cannes Lions, focused on advertising. Tenerife Film Commission will also attend the American Film Market and Focus, The Production Location Event.

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