The official tour of president Salvador Illa to California landed yesterday, Friday, in the epicenter of the global audiovisual industry, Los Angeles, in an attempt to put Catalonia in the spotlight of the entertainment industry. The head of the Government visited the headquarters of the production companies Disney and Lionsgate and the video game studio Infinity Ward, creator of the successful Call of Duty. Illa and his delegation arrived at these meetings carrying under their arm the dossier of Catalunya Media City, the hub that is being developed in the Tres Chimeneas, with the message that Catalonia is a safe and friendly place not only to be the set of future productions but also as a strategic site to host creative centers.
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“We have conveyed to them that they are an important sector for us, that it is an industry supported by the Government and that Catalunya Media City can offer them a good platform to develop their projects in Catalonia,” explained the president after the meeting at the Infinity Ward headquarters in Woodland Hill. Call of Duty, a war-style game, has sold more than 500 million copies and has generated more than 30 billion dollars, according to specialized portals.
The team of the president of the Generalitat acknowledges that the trip is another step in the process of “sowing” future investments, aiming to consolidate Catalonia as an audiovisual hub, taking advantage of the existing ecosystem of companies whose activity reaches almost 3% of GDP. The president himself recalled that several of these companies already have a presence in Catalonia. Infinity Ward, in fact, has a studio in the Catalan capital, Digital Legends, recalled Mark Grigsby, one of the directors. The meeting between both parties was brief, but the executive assured that he has invited Illa to visit them there once he returns from the trip.
It is not surprising that in the dossier promoting Catalunya Media City, a project currently overseen by the Presidency department, it is highlighted how Barcelona, Tossa de Mar, or Girona have been locations for million-dollar and successful series such as Game of Thrones or The Crown or that the image of the renowned director Juan Antonio Bayona is used. These examples, along with a competitive range of incentives including tax deductions of up to 30%, are two of the arguments with which Illa hopes to attract some of the main players in the audiovisual world.
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“They are interested in learning about it [the hub project], they are satisfied with their experiences in Catalonia, especially in the field of video games, and we will also have the largest set in Spain. All are steps in the right direction that strengthen a sector that is strategic for us,” added the president in a media briefing.
The document with which it is hoped that Lionsgate – responsible for hits such as The Hunger Games, Saw or the Twilight saga – will see Catalonia as a destination for their productions also notes that the Catalan capital is among the five main startup ecosystems in the EU. Furthermore, it states that Catalunya Media City’s main strength is being “an integrated environment that combines talent, infrastructure, incentives, and connectivity.”
At Lionsgate, Illa met with Kevin Beggs, president of the Television Group and creative director, and with Jocelyn Sabo, executive vice president of television development. At Disney, among others, the president met with the president of Television Studios and International Original Content Strategy, Eric Schrier, and with Kristen Finnet, executive vice president of entertainment for international television strategy and operations. Regarding this last meeting, the Government has not wanted to give many details: “It was a very positive meeting,” according to the head of the Executive’s environment.
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