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Line produced in Thailand by Benetone Films for QMobile Noir i6i
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Director : Amena Khan
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Tips for filming in Thailand

Original post is from KFTV

Thailand is one of the most popular countries in Asia for filmmakers and not just because of low production costs. The territory has excellent infrastructure especially for production equipment, plus with picturesque views and friendly locals the nation has become a production hotspot.

Dozens of foreign films were shot in Thailand, including Hollywood movies: James Bond 007: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); The Beach (2000); Around the World in 80 days (2004) and Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason (2004) to name a few.

In 1923, Miss Suwanna of Siam, a romantic film, written and directed by Henry MacRae was filmed in Thailand starring Thai actors, making the project Hollywood’s first co-production with the country. After this filmmaking flourished and still continues to attract foreign film producers. In recent years, Bollywood projects have also chosen Thailand as the preferred location for their movies.

So if you are planning to shoot a film in Thailand, here are some helpful tips to keep handy.

• Shooting Permit – Remember shooting without a permit is a violation of law. This permit must be taken from the Thailand Film Office. Filmmakers are required to hire a Thai coordinator that is officially registered with Thailand Film Office, Office of Tourism Development, to help obtain permits as there are procedures to follow both before and after it is granted. They can also help out in contacting local crews you may need for your production.
  
  However, separate permits are issued for specific locations such as, National Parks and Historical Parks; you should arrange this if necessary in advance of shooting dates. You can apply for these permits at One-Stop-Service Centre for other types of productions e.g. Feature Films, Docu-dramas, TV dramas, Mini-Series and Reality Shows. Applications should be made at the Thailand Film Office at least 14 days (10 working days) in advance as script approval must be sought from the Film Board.

• Know the fees – There is no fee for obtaining a filming permit, however after the approval a representative from the Thailand Film Office is required to attend the shoot and all his/her expenses has to be covered by the production company depending upon your kind of permit and location. Location Fees - this fee depends upon the location and the discussion with your Thai coordinator.


• Production Crews – Since Thailand has a good experience with foreign film projects their production costs are very reasonable compared with other countries in the area.They have also established a very good reputation in providing top of the line crews. Your Thai coordinator can help you out on where to find the best crews in town or you can always search ahead of time.


• Language – It is always good to mingle with the local crews in order to learn some words or phrases to have a smoother production workflow.


• Culture – Prior to your arrival in Thailand, we recommend that everyone should at least brief themselves with the do’s and don’ts in the country. Thais have several social customs that you should be aware of:

1. Thais greet one another with a ‘Wai,’ the traditional closed hands and a slight bow of the head, younger people will usually initiate the wai. More recently, western visitors will generally receive a handshake on meeting.
2. Thais consider the head a sacred part of their body. One therefore should not touch anybody’s head. Apologize immediate if you happen to touch anyone’s head by accident.
3. Thais consider the feet lowly and therefore one should not put his feet on a table or chair or point it at people or objects.
4. Expressing sexual feeling in public is unacceptable in the Thai culture.
5. Showing an image of the Thai National Flag on packages or goods is allowed only if done by government’s agencies and for commercial purposes with approval.  
6. Clean water and proper utensils should be used during the Songkran Festival or the Thai New Year and water should not be thrown at those who do not wish to be part of the celebration.

• Weather- Thailand is a tropical country and its climate depends on three seasons. Hot-Dry Season: Feb-May where average temperature may be 34˚c with 75% humidity. Wet Season: June-Oct with average temperature of 29˚c with 87% humidity. Cool Season: Nov-Jan with average temperature of 32˚c to 20˚c and a drop in humidity.

When all is set, welcome to Thailand and enjoy your stay.

Lenskart.com Suzie

Line produced by Benetone Films for Lenskart.com’s new ad.
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Clean & Clear #SeeTheRealMe - Morning Energy

Clean & Clear's #SeeTheRealMe helps in building confidence among teenage girls.

The ad features non-actor teenage girls sharing their stories of what being real means to them. Clean & Clear reaches out to teens encouraging them to be comfortable in their own skin.

Thailand Location Series: Beaches

Thailand is famous for its tropical islands. Beautiful white sand beaches and stunning, clear blue seas - all await your exploration. In today's article, we discuss top 7 beaches of Thailand. Notably, these beaches are popular locations for film and commercial shoots. With more than 2,000 miles of coastline and 8,000 islands, it's no wonder why many production companies love to shoot in Thailand.

1. Phi Phi Islands

Made famous by Leonado DiCaprio starrer The Beach (2000) and later devastated by the disastrous Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2004. The island Ko Phi Phi is now almost fully restored and once again seeing an increasing number of shoots thanks to its scenic beauty.

Breathtaking beaches, stunning rock formations and tranquil turquoise waters, Phi Phi Islands presents an exquisite location filled with natural splendour.

2. Nai Harn Beach

One of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, some 18 kilometers from the town, Nai-Harn lies at the southern end with a beautiful stretch of white sand and picturesque views. Nai Harn Beach is a lovely gem for a relaxing and serene experience. It is also famous for romantic getaways, family vacations and backpackers.

Nai Harn Beach is also popular for surfers, which makes it a perfect location for your adventure-sports production..

3. Phang Nga Bay

Known for its limestone rock formations vertically out of the emerald-green water and can be explored in a one-day tour, Phang Nga Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in Thailand.

Made famous in a 1974 James Bond movie, 'The Man with the Golden Gun' where some scenes showed the bay’s splendor. It also offers plenty of great photo opportunities with scenic views of rock formations, hidden lakes, tiny beaches and caves.

Sea canoeing is also a famous activity in Phang Nga Bay, where you get to discover more wonders as you paddle their way around the bay.

4. Kata Noi

Lies at the southwest side of the island of Phuket and just a few minutes’ drive from the Kata Beach. This cozy and beautiful beach is great for soul searching and relaxation. Its quiet location is the main attraction for tourists who want to just admire at this amazing hideout.

Snorkelling, swimming and beach walks are the activities in this beach. Moreover, this island is also very famous for surfers.

5. Railay Beach

The coast is located in the south of Thailand. This isolated peninsula is a heaven on this earth - with crystal clear water, absolutely clean beach with cliff views. These cliffs attract famous rock climbers from different parts of the world. It is accessible only by boat due to high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access.

Railay Beach is a perfect location for adventurous scenes and also makes a scenic place to chill out in paradise.

6. Koh Yao Yai

It means “Big Yao Island”, Koh Yao Yai is a pair of large islands in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. The islands became popular after receiving the World Legacy Award for Destination Stewardship from Conservation International and after being featured in National Geographic Traveler magazine for the friendly home stays offered by the locals.

Koh Yao Yai is often described as one of the last islands in the region to not be overly developed. It is something of a secret among the regular travelers. It is few of the truly finest natural spots in the country with beautiful and pristine beaches. 

7. Phra Nang Beach

Voted as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, this lovely beach, surrounded by limestone cliffs is at the southern end of the Railey peninsula.

  

This is also home to the famous "Princess Cave" or Tham Phra Nang Nok - where local fishermen come and place interesting wood sculptures as offerings. It is believed to be the home of a mythical sea princess. 

Benetone Films have also had line produced many commercials and feature films shot in these beaituiful beches. Notable projects include the Bollywood multi starrer Blue and commercial of Spring Tea from Israel.

For more locations in Thailand, check out our website www.benetonefilms.com. For any specific location needs, feel free to contact us at contact@benetonefilms.com

Benetone Films latest commercial for Yamaha is out of this world!

Marking the first futuristic commercial to be line produced by Benetone Films, the largest, most prolific production servicing company in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia, the Yamaha RevStation commercial brilliantly highlights the world class standard of the arts and sets capabilities available in the country.

Shot in a studio in Bangkok over three days, the work for the Benetone Films team began weeks before on the meticulously crafted present-day and visionary sets for the future.  Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, creativity and a vast assortment of led lights, green and blue screens, rubber, wood, slick and shiny surfaces and more, a total of five unique sets were constructed specifically for the commercial including the Moonstar’s Lab Screen, the Lab Hologram, the Meeting Room and the super smooth Test Tunnel.  The physical building of the sets took 10 days and more than 60 employees to complete.

Also masterfully made-up and impeccable, the final looks for the robots, following a creative collaboration between client, director and Benetone Films.

“Benetone Films is so proud of the Yamaha RevStation commercial,” said Kulthep Narula who co-founded Benetone Films with his brother Rachvin more than a decade ago.  “It is a timely reflection of the timeless results we are able to achieve, either on any one of our countless spectacular locations throughout Southeast Asia or in studio.  It equally demonstrates the tremendous pool of top tier above and below-the-line talent based in Thailand which is necessary to bring a commercial of this magnitude to life.”

Benetone Films, along with Taiyokikaku, the production house based in Japan that served as producer of the commercial, employed a crew of more than 150 people to create the commercial

You can view the Yamaha Rev commercial on Benetone Film's YouTube Channel here.

Thailand Location Series: Central Thailand

Filmmakers around the world are, over the recent years, taking advantage of Thailand’s exotic locations, cheap and hard working labor, and high production values, to shoot many of the movies and other productions; contributing millions to the country’s economy. While, these reasons and more were mentioned in a previous blog, we expanded the location factor, covering each part of the country, in a series of blogs to highlight little known locations with list of the popular movies shot in those parts.  

The series having, previously covered Northern, Western, and North Eastern and Eastern parts of Thailand, now looks at the Central part of Thailand, barring Bangkok, which with its popularity, preference by many filmmakers to shoot, locations capable of doubling up for any place in the world, merits a single blog of its own.   

The Central Thailand covers Bangkok Metropolitan, Chao Phraya Basin, Northern Gulf Coast and West of Bangkok. It is the richest part of Thailand, boasting of the complex irrigation system developed for the wet-rice agriculture that provides the necessary economic support to sustain the country. It is also a focal point of trade and transportation from the ancient times and, in the recent times, industrial activity. Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, Lopburi, and Nakhon Pathom are among the most well known cities in this region.

Due to its historical importance, the area boasts of locations, houses and temples that are influenced by the Burmese reign, establishment of the present Siam kingdom and colonial periods. They have regularly double up for Cambodia, Vietnam and other South East Asian countries.

Selected below are few of the locations from the region.  

Phra Narai Ratchaniwet: A perfect blend of two different architectural styles – French and Khmer. This palace was commissioned by King Narai with the contributions of French architects. It is a beautiful ancient location which can double up for 17^th century European times, or any period of the colonial times in Asia.

Wat Sao Thong Thong: A remarkable, unique and historical importance location of the area. This western style viharn was originally built by King Narai as a church for the Christian envoys. He later ordered the replacement of Thai windows with Western-style windows with Gothic-designs in the secondary chapel.  However, today this viharn is a Buddhist temple with a large seated Buddha image inside, resulting in one of a kind temple inside a church.

Buffalo Village: Most are familiar with the Elephant village up north of Thailand; however the country is home to a large population of water buffalos, an animal very importance to Thailand, culturally and historically. The locations around can also easily double up locations in the South East Asia, many a times set as a village with the buffalos and villages during the Vietnam War.

Bang Namphueng, Damnoen Seduak and Amphawa Floating Markets: The famous floating markets which has been extensively a part of many productions shot in Thailand. They reflect the charm of the canalside lifestyle of the community, in addition to of course the food and drinks. Its beauty has been dubbed, “Venice of the East” by early European visitors.

Atsana Wihan Mae Phra Bangkoet: A beautiful church constructed in French Gothic architectural style built in 1890 by Father Paolo Salmone, a French Missionary; a reminder of the colonial presence in Thailand.

The well known productions to have shot around these areas are Mortal Kombat (1995), Mortal Kombat:Annihilation (1997), The King Maker (2005), Alexander (2004), The Deer Hunter(1978), Casualties of War (1989), The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), BeyondBorders (2003), Bangkok Dangerous (2008), and many more.