Colombia Calling: Why This Latin American Country Is the Industry’s Best-Kept Production Secret

Over the past decade, Colombia has undergone a quiet transformation – one that is increasingly impossible for the global production industry to ignore.

Where once it may have been viewed through the lens of risk or logistics, Colombia now stands tall as a cost-effective, culturally fluent, and highly skilled production powerhouse. Just ask Jose Morales, executive producer at ALTERED.LA, who leads the company’s Colombian-based operations.

With headquarters in Los Angeles, ALTERED.LA has been steadily growing its footprint across Latin America as it fine-tunes a new boutique services offering. The unveiling of ALTERED.SERVICES signifies a seamless blend of global standards and local expertise.

In Colombia, Jose tells me, ALTERED.LA is combining its deep local knowledge with US-grade production standards – a movement that has proven to be a huge hit with international clients.

Beyond Mexico

A Bogotá native, Jose has watched his homeland’s evolution with keen interest, especially when it comes to the development of its production industry.

He informs me the production boom started "ten years ago, when Netflix started to bring work out here,” he says. “But, back then, clients were still hesitant.”

Notable progress has been made since the streaming service’s first foray into the market, with 10 major Colombian productions set to debut on the platform this coming year alone. The reason? One critically-acclaimed drama, it turns out.

“Since ‘Narcos’ became a global hit, there has been a surge in production work,” Jose explains. “The crews that have worked on big budget US productions in Colombia over the years have become really experienced which means that Colombia is now offering skilled bilingual teams of production crews for commercials, music videos, TV shows, and movies.”

In addition to bolstering client confidence, Netflix’s stamp of approval has also strengthened the local economy. The recent ‘One Hundred Years Of Solitude’ Netflix adaptation reportedly injecting $52 million into the country’s economy. In turn, according to Jose, this growing demand has resulted in repeat business from top agencies and brands.

Safe, Streamlined and Centralised

Although for many years Mexico has been viewed as the go-to Latin American destination for North American shoots, Jose believes Colombia now offers a stronger value proposition. “The cost of shooting in Mexico has risen dramatically,” he explains. “In Colombia, clients can get the same production value for up to 30% less.”

While these savings are substantial, Jose is quick to point out that it does not come at the price of compromise. Colombian crews, he insists, are now operating at a similar level as their counterparts in Mexico and the US – something a recent collaboration with production company Felaproves.

Considering ALTERED its go-to production partner in Mexico City, Fela was confident placing its trust in Jose for its first venture into this new shooting location.

“We could not have a better production partner in Colombia,” says managing director and executive producer of Fela, Fuliane Petikyan. “Filming there was an incredibly seamless experience. The country offers a stunning diversity of locations and a highly skilled crew that truly understand the demands of international productions. ALTERED is a great partner that understands the demands of clients, and helps navigate the project to get the best possible outcome.”

For another recent project with LA-based production company, ArtClass, ALTERED surpassed all expectations in regards to local knowledge and reach, "The scope of work we were able to do in Colombia with ALTERED.SERVICES, especially with regards to the art team, was quite spectacular,” Oren Kaplan tells me. “We built a bathroom with a working shower, a corporate elevator with a working door, and an entire high school reunion scene packed with background actors all in one location which allowed us to achieve the scope of a three-day shoot in one day. All-in-all we had a great crew, great talent, and delicious food during our production."

This ability to deliver complex builds and streamlined logistics within condensed timelines is precisely what sets ALTERED apart in Colombia. Clients can relax, safe in the knowledge that their production will achieve big-market scope at a fraction of US costs, all while maintaining the creative integrity and client experience expected from a top-tier Los Angeles production.

Bicultural, Bilingual, and Built for Collaboration

Despite lingering misconceptions, Colombia today is a very different country than the one portrayed in decades past.

Even still, ALTERED goes above and beyond when hosting clients. “We have a big team of producers in Colombia, so we have offices and on-the-ground insights,” Jose says. “We’re extremely careful with location choices, logistics, and safety, like we would be anywhere. The areas which attract negative press are typically rural or politically unstable, and have nothing to do with the locations or cities where we shoot.”

Direct flights from the US and Europe, plus affordable rates at high-end hotels (the Four Seasons in Bogotá runs about $200-300 USD a night, Jose tells me), make Colombia even more attractive.

Coupled with a growing number of modern, competitive production companies, the Colombian ecosystem is thriving. “There’s a sense of creative ambition here, but also real professionalism. Clients notice that,” says Jose.

One of ALTERED.LA’s greatest strengths is its bicultural positioning. ALTERED.LA is committed to replicating high-end, US-style production systems in Colombia, from labour laws to accounting structures. “We operate in a way that makes clients feel at home, even when they’re thousands of miles away,” says Jose. “We don’t just understand how the US and Latin markets differ, we live it. That means smoother communication, smarter planning, and productions that run to global standards without friction.”

Between the cost advantages, skilled crews, rich location diversity, and seamless operational support, for people like Fuliane, it’s hard to imagine a better solution for a production location. “With shrinking budgets, the option of filming in Colombia has given us the ability to maintain the production value on screen,” she adds. “We look forward to our next successful Colombian production with ALTERED!"

For brands and agencies seeking global-calibre work without global-level spend, the country’s production scene might just be the best-kept secret in the Southern Hemisphere. “Colombia’s not the next big thing,” Jose concludes. “There’s a big opportunity there right now.”

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