The Mallorca Film Commission and Palma Pictures Host Location Tour of Mallorca

Palma Pictures supported The Mallorca Film Commission (TMFC) in the organisation of a four-day tour to showcase filming locations across Mallorca to high-profile supervising location managers from the United Kingdom: 

David Pinnington, location supervisor in charge of such important projects as Game of Thrones, Guardians of the Galaxy and Inception, by the recently Oscar-winning Christopher Nolan; Dee Gregson, location supervisor on films such as The Wings of the Dove, Alex Rider and Chloe; Christian McWilliams, who has worked on Gladiator 2, World War Z, Mission Impossible and John Wick, among others; Mick Ratman, with credits such as Welcome to Sarajevo and The Flag; Ben Macgregor, a location manager who has worked on projects such as Once Upon a Time in London, Blitz and RocknRolla; and Kay Pointing Wilson, location manager on Good with Wood, Casualty, SAS Who Dares Wins and Father Brown.

The TMFC, directed by Pedro Barbadillo, supported the event financially while Palma Pictures, lead by Eduardo Rodrigálvarez, head of locations, and assisted by Jaime Cibrián, Location Assistant, organised the experience in collaboration with Miquel Angel Bonnin, an experienced film and TV marine coordinator.

Throughout the tour they visited various public, private and natural settings that have served as locations for audio visual production, and explored the incredible coastline of the island. The group toured Palma and the surrounding areas, as well as locations in the Serra de Tramuntana, Andratx, Calvià, Sóller, Port Pollença, Cala Ratjada, Portocolom, Porto Cristo, Cala Figuera, Playa de Muro, Nus de la Corbata, among others. They also visited maritime locations with boat trips from Port Andratx, Pollença Bay and Porto Cristo to see Mallorca’s stunning coastal landscapes.

This event aimed to promote the development of the Mallorcan audio visual production highlighting the variety of landscapes, the Mallorca-based creative and technical crew and the sustainable environment. 

Mallorca is regarded as one of the best locations for filming in Europe. Being an island with so many bays and coves, with crystal clear waters, dramatic landscapes and sandy beaches, together with a unique setup for marine logistics, it is the perfect location to develop any water (and underwater!) sequences.

Ben McGregor, location manager, commented that, “I was truly honoured to be invited to collaborate with such an amazing team at Palma Pictures. I am grateful for the guidance received, underpinned by the experienced location team. Mallorca can facilitate many looks, from car commercials to the aquatic feature film exposé; it’s easy to get blinded by sandy beaches surrounded by crystal clear waters, sheltered coves, rugged mountains, and picturesque, hidden villages, but Eduardo steered our tour with knowledgeable enthusiasm. 

"Seeing the island fed our imaginations of yet-to-be-filmed sequences - Bond Film options naturally flowed into the conversation, and logistical points as to “where to land the helicopter?” surfaced! Eduardo had all the answers, and so we grew to understand that the island has room to facilitate film crews of all sizes. 

"As a representative from the Commercial world of filming, I was truly blown away by the beauty of Escorca and the meandering, mountainous roads of Nudo de Corbata. It is 'car-commercial heaven' and a location that can work from both the director's and producer's perspective. Despite the increasing wind speeds, I found myself enthusiastically climbing up a mountain on a tempestuous Saturday morning seeking the shot that would sell the location - an experience I would happily return to. 

"In many ways that's the basic ingredient of any successful location manager tour: To find and explore locations that speaks to you; and, that's precisely what this tour did for all of us. It's not often one island can secure precipitous mountains, isolated beaches with aspirational homes, all intertwined with modest fishing villages within proximity by land or sea - but on this occasion, Mallorca continued to surprise us all. 

"I would also like to express my thanks and gratitude to Pedro Barbadillo, director of the TMFC, for their financial support that made this trip a possibility. I am looking forward to passing on my images to the Production houses I work with.”

Mick Ratman, location manager, said, “This trip has been one of the best organised I have ever been on. Eduardo showed us the vastly different aspects of the Island, from the mountain roads to the fabulous coastline and beaches, amazing houses and lovely towns, all of which were film friendly. The hospitality was stunning. Thanks to Palma Pictures and the Mallorca Film Commission - I would recommend filming in Mallorca to the industry without hesitation!”