South Africa's beautiful Mother City, Cape Town has become increasingly popular as a film location in recent years. The unmistakable Cape scenery can be seen as backdrops for advertisements, movies and television programs the world over.
It is becoming quite usual for local Capetonians to spot Hollywood stars out and about at the Cape's luxury hotels, funky cocktail bars and cafes and even relaxing on the exquisite white beaches of the uber-trendy Atlantic Seaboard. Many feature films have been shot in Cape Town over the past years - most notably Lord of War (starring Nicolas Cage) which was released in late 2005.
On any given day, especially in the summer season (November to February) one can spot numerous sign boards for a range of production companies on location on the roads of the Cape.
Numerous local casting agencies and production houses have sprung up all over Cape Town. One of the big draw-cards for international film crews is the excellent and affordable local talent available for everything from feature length movies to clothing catalogues. Many of Cape Town's men, women and children earn extra income by featuring in big and small productions being filmed in and around the city.
So we took leave of cape Cod and its inhabitants. We liked the manners of the last, what little we saw of them, very much. They were particularly downright and good-humored. The old people appeared remarkably well preserved, as if by the saltness of the atmosphere, and after having once mistaken, we could never be certain whether we were talking to a coeval of our grandparents, or to one of our own age. They are said to be more purely the descendants of the Pilgrims than the inhabitants of any other part of the State. We were told that “sometimes, when the court comes together at Barnstable, they have not a single criminal to try, and the jail is shut up.” It was “to let” when we were there. Until quite recently there was no regular lawyer below Orleans. Who, then, will complain of a few regular man-eating sharks along the Back Side?
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
The exchange rate is favorable to most incoming production crews, which is another key motive for them choosing Cape Town as a location.
In addition many international passport holders are not required to obtain visas prior to entering South Africa, which means less paperwork and red tape for visiting production teams.
Cape Town offers a huge diversity of locations. From 5 star resorts and hotels and luxury beachfront mansions to bustling inner city streets; from majestic mountains to wide open beaches to shady forests - it's all here. The cameramen who come to Cape Town always exclaim on the great natural light that bathes the city.
Many of the sites can also double as well-known but more expensive locations in other parts of the world.
We here overtook two Italian boys, who had waded thus far down the cape through the sand, with their organs on their backs, and were going on to Provincetown. What a hard lot, we thought, if the Provincetown people should shut their doors against them! Whose yard would they go to next? Yet we concluded that they had chosen wisely to come here, where other music than that of the surf must be rare. Thus the great civilizer sends out his emissaries, sooner or later, to every sandy cape and lighthouse of the New World which the census-taker visits, and summons the savage there to surrender.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
There are also plenty of historical touches found in the variety of architecture and décor of certain quarters, as well as a rich cultural diversity which adds texture and color to many productions and shoots.
Francois specializes on Cape Town tourism. He has written many articles on Cape Town accommodation and car rental South Africa. For more tips visit his website.