Filming in Portugal. See the big picture

With a three-decade career in the media industry, Tony Gonçalves has held key roles at companies such as AT&T and WarnerMedia, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and spearheaded the launch of HBO Max.

Now, as the founder of The Evrose Group, his focus is on strengthening Portugal’s impact in the global market.

In this episode, Tony Gonçalves talks to Martin Dale about his connection to Portugal, the country’s potential to attract international productions, and the challenges facing the audiovisual sector in an increasingly digital world.

From the rise of streaming to the impact of artificial intelligence, this is a conversation about innovation, investment, and the power of stories told in Portuguese.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

The rapid growth of the audiovisual sector has significantly boosted the potential of screen tourism, making it an increasingly valuable segment of the tourism industry. In Spain alone, screen tourism influences 4 in 10 travelers.

This perspective is shared by Ana Alonso, a consultant specializing in screen tourism and founder of The Travelling Set, a project dedicated to collaborating with destinations and tourism companies around the power of film and TV locations.

In this episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the Big Picture”, Ana Alonso is joined by Daniel Louro — first and foremost a cinephile, but also a podcaster and creator of The World is a Set, an online project showcasing locations where films and series were shot.

Having traveled extensively and admitting to being “a little obsessed with locations,” Daniel highlights the example of Crema, the Italian city that was transformed after serving as the backdrop for Call Me by Your Name.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

While it may be impossible for a production to be 100% green, sustainability concerns should be addressed from the moment a project is written.

As “Filming in Portugal: See the Big Picture” begins its second season, the podcast brings together two green consultants for an episode on sustainability in film and audiovisual productions.

In this season opener, journalist Martin Dale speaks with Dörte Schneider Garcia, president of Repensar – the Portuguese Association of Green Consultants, and Andreia Nunes, producer and co-founder of Wonder Maria Filmes.

An episode that explores the industry's contribution to environmental preservation, but also social sustainability and investment in local communities.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

Rita Ataíde Novais, development producer at BBC Studios Productions, joins this episode of “Filming in Portugal. See the big picture” and explains the process of developing a project “from the seed stage, when it is just an idea”.

Keeping in mind that is the human relationship that inspires the production of animated concepts for kids, Rita believes this content may also appeal to families.

There was still time to talk about Chopping Wood Chips, an animated short film by Rita Novais made in laser cut wooden pieces.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

Despite the challenges of a changing world, independent TV producers are thriving.

Susana Gato, executive president of the Portuguese Association of Independent Television Producers (APIT), presents herself as an enthusiast, while pointing out some of the biggest issues faced by the sector: geo-blocking, intellectual property, and artificial intelligence.

In terms of the role of women in the industry, Susana has no doubt: there is still a long way to go for gender equality, on and off screen.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

The Sound of Music and Turn of the Tide might be 58 years apart. But one thing they have in common is the power to bring tourists to Salzburg (Austria) and Rabo de Peixe (in the Azores, Portugal), aiming to visit places they see on screen.

Conducting a PhD research in sustainable screen tourism destination development, Sara Trigo looks on how film tourism has become a popular trend in recent years.

This episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the big picture” travels through the opportunities and challenges that movie induced tourism brings both to the industry and to the local communities.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

The path made by the animation industry over the last years is made of a high-speed
development, namely due to a technical evolution that is boosting production in emerging
countries.

Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, goes through
the changes on the formats, the diversity of the audiences, and how animation students are
bringing new themes into the spotlight.

This episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the big picture” also foresees the next edition of
Annecy Festival, where Portugal is going to be the featured country.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

It may act like an invisible character, but as George Lucas once said, sound is 50% of the movie-going experience.

That is exactly what Nuno Fonseca, CEO at Sound Particles, recalls in this episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the big picture”.

A conversation that goes around the use of virtual particles in sound design, and how some of the most prominent Hollywood studios are using a software developed by a company based in a Portuguese medium-sized city called Leiria.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

For the last years, much has been said about the impact of film and TV series’ production on local communities. But is it possible to measure this impact? Can it be fruitful for both parties?

Filipa Maria Cardoso is the director for communications and digital marketing at Turismo de Portugal, the public entity responsible for managing the Tourism, Cinema and Audiovisual Support Fund together with the Portuguese Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA).

In this episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the big picture”, Filipa looks at the benefits of hosting film and TV productions for the promotion of the country, its locations, and its culture.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.

The competition in the film industry is also made up of who attracts the most promising productions. Different countries offer different incentives, while sharing the same target: to captivate international productions.

But at the end of the day, Carlota Guerrero and Adrian Mitchell, Co-Presidents of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN), believe that cooperation is the key.

In this episode of “Filming in Portugal: See the big picture”, Guerrero and Mitchell look at the first year in charge of the EUFCN, and its role when it comes to strengthening the film and TV sector in Europe.

More information on filming in Portugal and episode transcripts available here.