Utopia Films: Finding Cinematic Paradise in Brazil

When it comes to stunning locations, Brazil needs little introduction. From the iconic views of Christ the Redeemer looking out beyond Sugarloaf mountain to the extraordinary beauty of Iguazu Falls, the vistas and views across this South American country offer up a veritable playground for producers and filmmakers. 

Yet there’s more to filming in Brazil than sheer beauty alone. That’s something that Justin Bird, the producer, director, and founder of Utopia films has learned over the course of his almost three decades working in the country’s production industry. 

“São Paulo is an increasingly popular destination for production”, he tells LBB. “It’s a cosmopolitan city - both new and old at the same time. Plus, it has a diversity which enables it to double up as New York, Paris, or London”. 

And, crucially, visiting production teams stand to benefit from a wealth of filmmaking expertise across Brazil’s most populous city. “São Paulo is the centre of production in Brazil, with a huge pool of diverse casting talent, well equipped studios, and a new rebate incentive”, explains Justin. 

At the same time, Rio de Janeiro has plenty to offer in its own right. “In many ways, Rio is the postcard of Brazil: Ipanema beach, Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf - whenever a spot needs to say ‘Brazil’, Rio is the choice”, continues Justin. “The Amazon is another obvious destination, but it’s a long distance from the major production centres of São Paulo and Rio. So sometimes we replicate the Amazon in forests and rivers close to those cities”. 

All of that filming infrastructure, talent, and expertise has been put to work on a series of incredible work. Earlier this year, Justin was part of the team setting up a 20-camera live shoot for The Weeknd’s concert in São Paulo, broadcast on YouTube. “We worked in partnership with Contrast Films from NY, and their American director, DOP and producer - and the rest of the crew were local”, recalls Justin. “It was very successful which was incredibly satisfying, which is what you’re aiming for as a team during the long hours of prep and organisation”. 

Above: An aerial view of The Weeknd's epic São Paulo gig. You can check out a clip here. 

Listening to Justin reflect on some other highlights from his time in Brazil, it’s easy to get the sense that this is a country where anything can happen. “We also shot a Chinese action movie in one of the most violent favelas in Rio de Janeiro”, he says. “One scene required a pick up truck mounted with a machine gun to drive hurtling at great speed down the narrow road of the favela, firing thousands of rounds”. 

Making those scenes happen required some out-of-the-box thinking from Justin and the production team. “This was just one of many scenes from the film that required surgical negotiation with the real life gun wielding drug gangsters who run the favela”, he says. “Again, it went flawlessly and the film was a huge success at the box office in Asia”. 

Bang for Your Buck 

For all the highlights and beauty across Brazil, there are many more practical reasons why the country has developed into such a production hub. When asked what the most common misconceptions are about the country, Justin highlight’s the favourable economics for filmmakers. 

“There’s still an idea out there that Brazil requires companies to pay additional taxes for filming. One client recently asked us about a 30% tax applied on all foreign productions filming in Brazil  - but no such tax exists”, he says. “Over the years, there has been confusion and misinformation regarding a tax that is applied to commercials that air only on TV. If you film a commercial that airs on TV in Brazil, and use a foreign director and foreign production company without partnering with a local Brazilian producer and director, then a tax will be applied. But that’s only if the commercial airs on TV in Brazil - the tax does not apply to other countries”. 

What’s more, the tax can be brought much lower simply by partnering with a qualified Brazilian production company - “which is what happens in the majority of cases”, as Justin goes on to explain. Beyond the misconceptions, the reality is that “even high-budget jobs will have savings of 30-50% compared to the USA or Europe, not least with the current exchange rate Brazil providing tremendously good value”.

Added to which, getting into Brazil is becoming easier for a number of countries. “Brazil used to be very bureaucratic, but has improved that aspect considerably over the past years”, notes Justin. “Visas are not required for UK, EU, USA, Canadian, Japanese and Australian passport holders, as well as many other countries - so travel into Brazil is a breeze”.

But, once again, where creative solutions are required, producers like Justin have a habit of finding them. “Of all the countless challenges we’ve faced after more than 20 years in Brazil, the one that remains embedded in my memory is for a commercial we shot for Holland”, he says. “It was an impossible request from the Dutch producer. At the last minute, they decided to cast three American gymnasts to star in the ad. Americans needed visas at that time, which could take weeks. Regardless, the producer had purchased their flights to Brazil for the following day”. 

Everything seemed like it was set up for failure. There was simply no way that the talent could be shepherded through the necessary bureaucracy in time for the shoot. But Justin had an idea. 

“Needless to say when the gymnasts arrived at the airport in America, the airline refused entry as they had no visa for Brazil. I spoke to the airline person handling the check-in by phone, and managed to get them transferred onto flights to a neighbouring country on the same day”, he says. “Our production partner in that country picked them up at the airport, then drove them to the border with Brazil - where they were given instant visas to cross over the bridge. Our driver picked them up on the Brazilian side, and drove them to the local airport to get to the location for the shoot”. 

Somehow, against the odds, the team had pulled it off. “It was an extraordinarily stressful 24 hours of complex coordination and creative problem solving”, says Justin. “But the cast arrived in Rio in time for their costumes to be fitted and adjusted, and the commercial went on to be a great success. Though I doubt whether too many people knew just how close we had come to not filming that spot for reasons beyond our control…” 

Where there’s a will there’s a way - and across the country’s stunning locales, Justin and Utopia are making great productions happen in Brazil.