Overview
Hosting over 7,000 productions a year, Mexico is a long-established international production center. From John Ford, who shot some of his most famous westerns in Durango, to several installments of the James Bond and Fast & Furious franchises. Its capital, Mexico City, is the largest film and television production hub in Latin America.
Over the past few years, all streaming giants, Amazon, Disney+, HBO Max, and Netflix, have ramped up their Mexican operations. Moreover, it is also a sought after alternative to more expensive North American locales for commercials. Some of Red Creek’s clients in Mexico include Amazon’s Kindle, Dish, Nike, Pepsi, P&G, and Reckitt Benckiser.
Locations
Mexico has a vast array of warm weather locations, from big modern cities to historic towns, from deserts that look like Arizona or the Sahara to jungles, volcanos, and paradise beaches (most Corona beer spots are shoot locally). Mexico’s wonders include almost 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the most in any country in the Americas, including some of the most famous archaeological sites on the planet.
In addition to the Mexican Film Commission run by the federal government, many state and local agencies assist productions and help secure locations and permits.
Mexico City is home to some 20 million people, the largest metropolitan area in the Northern Hemisphere. It offers a broad spectrum of historical and modern architecture, from pre-Hispanic and colonial to works of a vast array of local and international starchitects, such as Luis Barragan, Enrique Norten, Juan O’Gorman, Michel Rojkind, and David Chipperfield. Our office is located in the uber-trendy Condesa neighborhood.
Weather
Although Mexico is a large country where latitude and altitude determine climate and where the weather can significantly vary from one destination to another, there are two main seasons: dry and rainy. Most of Mexico’s precipitations take place from roughly May through September.
On both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the weather is generally balmy year-round. It typically rains in the late afternoon or evening during the rainy season, making the landscape lusher and greener. Much of Northern Mexico has either an arid (desert) climate or a semiarid (semi-desert) climate. In Mexico City, the weather tends to be mild or pleasantly warm during the day, while nights are cool or cold, especially during the dry season.
Crew and Equipment
Camera & lighting rental options, featuring the latest equipment, are comparable to those in Los Angeles, New York, or any other central production hub. Mexican crews are well versed and used to working for international productions. Most are bilingual, and it’s not uncommon to find foreign crew members from all over the world living and working as locals. Mexico has many film studios, including Churubusco (with ten stages ranging from 10,000 to 16,000 square feet), Quarry (built on an abandoned shopping center), and Baja Studios (wholly refurbished for the movie Titanic).
Casting and Talent
In addition to an ever-growing local talent pool, the sheer size of Mexico’s film, TV, and advertising industries attracts actors and models from all over the world, including Latin America, the US, Europe, and even Africa. Mexican action stunts have been used in many recent Hollywood super productions.