Fam Tour of Portugal Is an Eye-Opening Adventure
for LMGI Location Professionals
In November of 2022, LMGI business partner Production Service Network (PSN) hosted half a dozen filmmakers for a tour of Portugal, introducing them to the many potential filming opportunities in this southwestern European country. From Lisbon to the island of Madeira, guests were awed by the breadth of stunning sites and captivated by the people and their culture.
“Lisbon was quite a nice surprise,” enthuses LMGI German location professional Sabine Schulmeyer/LMGI. “It’s very cinematographic. Very different and very unique at the same time. It wasn’t on the radar that much, so it was good to come and have a look.”
Schulmeyer, along with LMGI location managers Harriet Lawrence from the UK, Klaus Darrelmann from Germany and Canadian John Rakich (President) spent the first few days exploring the capital city and surrounding areas.
“I hadn’t realized how close all sorts of other exciting bits were to Lisbon,” commented Lawrence after the group was shown the wonders of Belém, Alfama, Sintra, Quinta da Regaleira, Monserrate Palace, Azenhas do Mar, Guincho, Cascais, Marvila, Parque das Nações and Portinho da Arrábida.
A flight to the nearby island of Madeira for three adventure-packed days followed. They traversed diverse landscapes that were never that far from the administrative capital of Funchal— a logistical bonus not lost on the location professionals. “Going to Madeira was quite a revelation because it is such a condensed mass of locations that you find in a very small place,” noted Darrelmann. “You only have to travel an hour, or a bit and you have the whole island at your disposal.”
“We did a lot of walking in forests and going up mountains and things,” said Lawrence, “whereas, we were shown very different stuff, so it’s broadened my horizons by coming here.”
“The Pico do Arieiro is the third highest observation peak on Madeira,” recalled Rakich. “We watched the sunset above the clouds at 1,818 meters above sea level. It’s one of the most remarkable things I’ve been able to witness. I was staring at a landscape that my mind was having a hard time comprehending. I couldn’t stop looking away. It was hard not to dart my eyes in every direction while I was there.”
The tour also took them to Cais do Carvão, Doca do Cavacas, Praia Formosa, Câmara de Lobos, Forte São Tiago, Quinta das Vinhas, Jardim do Mar, Paúl do Mar, Anjos Waterfall, Ponta do Sol, Seixal, Chão da Ribeira, Levada dos Cedros, Fanal, Fajã dos Padres, Ponta de São Lourenço, Quinta do Lorde, Miradouro do Guindaste, Quinta do Furão, São Jorge, Porto da Cruz, Ponta do Rosto and Água de Pena.
“The mountain roads, they could be like the Alps of Austria, they could be Spain, could be Mallorca or South Europe,” observed Schulmeyer. “Could be Croatia if you think about a castle. It feels Californian, you know, outdoors. You immediately think healthy food, a lot of outdoor activities, you have the ocean, I can see you have palm trees and lush vegetation.”observed Schulmeyer. “
Klaus Darrelmann feels that Portugal offers beautiful locations and also makes logistical sense for production. “Modern architecture has been added to the landscape, which is always a big plus, so it kind of ticks more boxes. It is in hitting distance to a lot of film hubs so it’s not like out of the world. That’s a big plus.”
The PSN’s PSN co-founders Michael Moffett and Cristina Mateo, with a Portugal service partner, led this ambitious. led this ambitious and informative tour. Accompanying the international band of location professionals were producer Mark Foligno from the UK and LA producer Bruce Hendricks.
Concludes Rakich: “From black sand beaches, lush forests and a chance to sit above the clouds, it was a week that we’ll soon not forget. The LMGI thanks the Production Service Network for putting this tour together, and for their hospitality and generosity.”
For more information on The Production Service Network please visit www.productionservicenetwork.com