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Film and TV Production services in Israel – tips for the production crews coming to Israel.

Israel is Situated in the center of the middle east, as it is situated in a strategic position it is known as a good place for film and tv productions. Moreover it is a center of many news events, a religious center for the main religions of the world, and a diversified historical center. Israel attracts many television crews and film crews from all around the world.

Here are a few tips for all the production crews before arriving to Israel:

Check out the time of the year – Israel is important to all religions but the main religion there Is Jewish. Before arriving check which Jewish holydays fall on the days of your filming. The main times of Jewish holydays (which are also day offs from work):

September-October – Jewish new year, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth, Simhat Tora.

December – Hanukkah (though people work during Hanukkah)

March – Purim (People work during purim)

April – Passover (if you like eating bread you must know that during Passover week bread isn’t sold in stores – instead you can get the Passover bread called matza)

May – Independence Day

June – Shavuot

July – August – summer vacation

If you are filming or taping in Arab area you should check for the Muslim and Christian holydays.

Check the weather – the Israeli summer is very hot and humid, if you are planning your production in the months June – September you should prepare yourself with proper protection – hats, sunglasses, sun block (very important!) and a lot of drinking water for your whole crew. It is recommended during the summer that each person going under medium physical activity should drink at least 1 liter of water per hour. The Israeli winter isn’t as extreme it is rainy and cool.

Check the region – Israel is a divided country. There are the main areas of Israel, and then there are the Palestinian authority areas – the west bank and the Gaza strip. You shouldn’t access the Palestinian authority territories without proper guidance it isn’t safe. if your production is filmed in The main areas of Israel such as Galilee, Haifa, Tel-Aviv, Eilat, Negev, Jerusalem, Sharon, Netanya or any of the other cities and areas in Israel it is very safe to film there. Some companies offer production services in the Palestinian authority.

The Israeli people – the people in Israel are very helpful and kind. Most of them know English some of them are native English speakers. They will be always happy to help you and give you advice (even if you weren’t interested in receiving their advice).

Production crews and production equipment – there are many companies which supply production equipment for production crews coming to Israel. You should consider hiring a company which supplies you with over all solutions for your production – production crews, production equipment, television studios, satellite services, SNG vehicles, Palestinian authority filming production guidance and services. You should contact the company before you arrive so when you arrive everything will be planned and ready for your production. Some companies even offer to book your hotels.

We hope these tips are helpful and will help you run a smooth and efficient production.

Production services Israel

Satellite Services

Israel Glitters with Its Diamonds

The Israeli Diamond industry has designated India as a strategic target for 2008. Diamonds account for about 70 per cent of the bilateral trade between Israel and India and the volume has been growing rapidly in the recent past.

The Israel Diamond Exchange is the official name of the organisation in Tel Aviv that organises, conducts and manages the industry to the benefit of its members. The building looms large in the Ramat Gan area of the city, and appears disproportionately large in the tourist maps of the city.

But I was hard pressed to explain my destination to my taxi driver. After trying to say the name with different accents, I pulled out the map and pointed it to him. ‘Ah, Borsa,’ he exclaimed. Everybody knows the borsa, or the bourse, where diamonds are traded.

Interesting anomaly.

But diamonds in Israel is itself an interesting anomaly. Early economic theories stressed the need for natural resources on which to base a country’s economic development till countries such as Singapore proved that what you needed was a vision, and hard work to make development happen. Israel is like that. Without diamond mines and without a major market to consume the product, Israel is still a major player in the global diamond industry.

Israel is said to account for roughly half of the rough and polished diamonds traded in the world, and has built this position based on its creativity and technological competence in polishing and designing equipment that is used in the industry.

The Diamond Exchange is a comprehensive centre; a complex of four interconnected buildings with what is reportedly the world’s largest trading floor, offices for the traders, banks, post office, restaurants, a synagogue, and day care facilities for children. You do not need to leave the place! Such a centre, in any place, needs to have high security, and in Israel, which is not at peace with all its neighbours and faces violent attacks, the need for security has the place tightly sewed up. I had to provide my passport particulars a day ahead in order to be cleared to enter the building.

The security also seems appropriate for a business that has, at higher levels, been shrouded in secrecy, and is an industry that seems to deviate from all the accepted theories of business and management. The official face of DeBeers, the private company that controls the industry, is just innocuously called the Central Selling Organisation (CSO), not wanting to attract attention. Hmm. An organisation that does not want publicity!

Crafted by CSO

The diamond industry is carefully managed by the CSO, which has about 50 per cent of the world’s share of the market. Much like the central planners of the former Soviet Union, it sets the prices at which it will sell its rough diamonds to ‘sight holders’ who are its approved buyers. You take it or decline; there is no negotiation. Even Russia, now a major diamond producer, prefers to let DeBeers take the lead in setting prices, for the company has mastered the art of managing both demand and supply to keep price high. Interestingly enough, in the case of luxury goods such as diamonds, nobody is interested in the prices crashing! It is obvious that the supplier wants high prices, but so does the buyer, for it represents her/his status and luxury.

That same spirit of secrecy and security pervades other aspects of the operations of the diamond exchange. In any other exchange, you will see listings of opening and closing prices and volume of trades in a day. Not here. The Exchange does not keep records of the volume of business conducted on the trading floor. You are not going to see flashing signs listing the going price.

You will see two individuals seated across a small desk, negotiating a price for a small piece of stone wrapped in paper. A trader, who has just made a few millions in profit, will probably shuffle across the floor claiming to his friends that business is bad, so as not to attract attention! A person transporting diamonds is not likely to advertise that fact too for obvious reasons.

SBI in fray

The Israeli Diamond industry has designated India as a strategic target for 2008, signalling that there is going to be increased cooperation between the two countries. The trend has been building for a while. Diamonds account for about 70 per cent of the bilateral trade between Israel and India and the volume has been growing rapidly in the recent past.

If the diamond business is growing, the banks cannot be far behind. And that is where the State Bank of India (SBI) has entered the fray. The bank has been in the diamond business for about 30 years and already operates in other diamond centres such as Antwerp, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, New York and Mumbai.

Ms V. Sasikala, my gracious host during my visit to the Diamond Exchange, is the CEO of SBI’s operations in Tel Aviv and was sent there to get the operations started. She has successfully managed to find a strategic perch for the bank by locating it physically in the bourse in such a manner that the bank can be accessed from the rear by its diamond clients and thus have all the security protection they need At the same time, the bank can be accessed from the front by ‘market’ (or non-diamond) customers without being hassled by the need for security clearances.

‘Cutting-edge’ technology

There are about 35 Indians in the diamond business in the bourse and they have been operating there long before diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1992. One of them, Nimish Modi, who has been operating in Israel for about 30 years, briefed me on the changes he has seen in the business.

One has been the inroads that machines and technology have made, gradually taking over skills that were previously in the domain of human expertise. Israel’s traditional role in the diamond business came from its diamond cutting expertise which, for cost reasons, has now largely shifted to other countries, such as India.

Mr Modi explained that the two fields in which Israel has competence now is in its network of trading and marketing, and in its technological competence in developing many of the machines that have an important role in the industry.

One of the machines in the bourse’s technical centre demonstrated how much of the skill had now been transferred to the machine.

With the rough diamond placed in a compartment, a laser scans it, analyses the data, and provides a report that gives the colour, carat and other characteristics. It then displays what could be the most efficient cut and is also prepared to mark it on the stone as a guide for the cutter. While the standard mass merchandising diamonds go to China, the more creative cuts are done in India.

Ms Sasikala took about nine months since landing in Tel Aviv to start the branch, which began operations in 2007 and was also the first foreign bank in the bourse. Often one thinks of starting operations in a new country as challenging due to the need to understand the environment, which includes the regulations, the local business culture, finding the office space and people, and so on.

But there is another side to it, namely, the need to effectively convey to one’s head office how some of the standard operating procedures and rules will not work in the new environment and secure the necessary permissions to design a new structure and culture. So, a pioneering manager has to manage both ends of the operation while at the same time, setting the right precedents.

Opening up opportunities

The diamonds sector makes up about 90 per cent of SBI’s business there now, but Ms Sasikala sees enough opportunities in other sectors of Israel’s economy that do business with India such as telecommunications, plastics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, to drop the diamonds’ share of her business to about 50 per cent in the near future. Not a small achievement.

Here is an interesting example of the kinds of opportunities that have shown up on her door. Since religious strictures prevent orthodox Jews from receiving interest from other Jews, they shun Jewish banks and are looking at SBI with great interest!

Israel is thriving and it will be wonderful if it can share some of that prosperity with its poorer cousins, the Palestinians. SBI can even play a role here with India having good relations with both sides of the disputed territories. SBI’s expertise in lending to small businesses, weaker sections, and priority sectors is applicable in the West Bank. Maybe we will see an office there too very soon.

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If you are a first time parent to-be, there are numerous tasks that must be accomplished before your new baby’s arrival. One important and fun “labor of love” is purchasing baby clothing. However, with such a large selection of baby clothing, you may be asking yourself which of these adorable little items are essentials. This is crucial information to know, as well as their proper care.

“Onesies” are basically baby t-shirts and are a necessary baby clothing purchase. To keep the onesie from creeping up and exposing your baby’s belly, most onesies have easy close snaps. They can be worn alone or as an undergarment. Onesies, also known as rompers, come in basic white, for more details visit to www.baby-care-book.com colored or patterned varieties. For your basics, you should have between 5 to 10 onesies.

Sleepers are one-piece items with long legs and long or short sleeves. They usually have snaps down the legs for easy accessibility for late night diaper changes.

When preparing your basics, you should have between 5 to 8 baby sleepers. These are necessary as it is recommended that a newborn not sleep with thick blankets. This could inadvertently cause suffocation. The best material for both your baby’s warmth and comfort are cotton or fleece sleepers.

For your baby’s requirements, you should purchase between 6 to 8 pairs of baby socks. Although socks are not required in warmer weather, for more details visit to www.create-super-baby.com they should be worn if taking your little one outside in chilly temperatures. They are also indispensable at night if your baby is wearing a sleeper without feet.

Baby socks are made of either thick or thin weaves. You should purchase a combination of both, as thin socks are better if your baby is to wear shoes.

Hats are baby clothing essentials for your little bundle. When taking care of your newborn, it is important to keep them adequately warm. Newborns often have difficulty regulating their body temperature and much of their heat escapes through their head.

It is recommended that your newborn wear a hat through his or her first month of life. After that, it is not as important unless you are taking them outside on a chilly or cold day. For this purpose, you should have 1 or 2 fairly snug, hats for your baby.
When caring for baby clothing, there are two schools of thought. The first is that your little bundle of joy’s clothes should be washed in special detergents to alleviate the risk of skin allergies. There are numerous varieties of mild laundry soaps that are scent and dye-free. Many of these detergents are aimed at the baby market, such as Dreft that boasts “A gentle clean. Just for baby”.

The other school of thought does not believe that “gentle” laundry soaps are required for baby clothing. If your baby’s skin does not react adversely to certain detergents, then a special detergent is not necessary.

Your bundle of pink or blue will not think twice about staining their cutest outfits. Certain formulas, baby food and stains caused by leaking diapers are often difficult to remove from baby clothing. If pretreated before washing, some of the most stubborn stains can be eliminated, leaving the clothing both clean and in pristine condition. One tried and true stain remover is Oxi-Clean. You may want to “audition” or try different stain removers to find the one best suited for your laundry needs.

Before dressing your baby in new clothes, it is essential that you wash them first. Although baby clothing may look fresh and clean on department store hangers, many have come into contact with dirt, little four legged creatures and bugs during the shipping and packaging process.

Minor skin irritations may occur from sizing placed on many pieces of baby clothing. Sizing is used to keep items looking nice until they are purchased.

Getting prepared for your little one’s new arrival is both a joyous and stressful time. Knowing what baby clothing is essential in your little one’s layette and how to properly care for their clothing is one of the many tasks that lay before you. Knowledge is power and being prepared is half the battle.

As a producer and provider of production services in Israel, I am always on the lookout for that one ultimate shoot that captures the breathtaking beauty of Jerusalem. No crew leaves Israel without filming in Jerusalem, and through all the years that I have been providing professional production services in Israel, no crew has left untouched by the city’s history, monumental architecture and eternal spirit.

I have compiled a list of locations across the city of Jerusalem, which offers you the best panoramic shots. I regard this list as unfinished – even after many years of producing and filming in Israel, there will always be a new spot with a good angle that offers great light and a stunning view.  

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel

At this Kibbutz you can find a lookout point with wonderful views of the city, stretching all the way to Bethlehem, the Herodian, and the Judean hills. When you reach the Kibbutz you make first a left and then a right. From the parking lot you continue to a small amphitheater, and at the edge you will find this enchanting hidden lookout.

The Haaz Promenade

This promenade is located in the Talpiot neighborhood, just ten minutes from the town center. It offers a great lookout point over the old city of Jerusalem, the Hinnom Valley, and the ruins of the City of David. The promenade is also known as Tayelet, and in fact there are three different promenades to discover. Film crews travel here often to catch a good shot in the afternoon sunlight.

The Y.M.C.A.

In the town center on King David street, across from the famous King David Hotel, you find the Y.M.C.A. hostel which offers a remarkable balcony with wonderful views of the old city, the new city and the Mount of Olives. When filming in Israel, film crews often look for symbols of the three religions and this is definitely a location to visit.

The Jerusalem Municipality Building

The building is located right in the center of town in Jaffa Street. If you take the elevator to the sixth floor you will find a wonderful panoramic balcony looking out to the east and the west of the city.

Mount Scopus

On your way to Mount Scopus, every point on the road around the Hebrew University provides you with a view of the old city and the Judean Desert. The lookouts also offer an almost birds eye view of the old city. This is the highest and closest point from where you can observe the old city: 830 meters above sea level.

Mount of Olives

Some say that the view at the Mount of Olives is the most beautiful in the world. The lookout terrace is on top of the mountain under the Seven Arches Hotel and above the large Jewish cemetery. During sunset and sunrise the city is painted in different shades of red, yellow, pink and orange and the Dome of the Rock sends rays of color all over the city. Shooting at the Mount of Olives when filming in Israel helps you to understand where the phrase ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ comes from. It is an unforgettable experience for thousands of filmmakers who travel to the Holy Land every year for filming in Israel.

The Tower of David

The Tower of David is located next to Jaffa Gate, the busiest and most well-known gate of the old city. The top balcony of the Tower of David provides a stunning 360° view of the old city and the new city. Filming at the Tower of David is a great location for film crews coming from overseas for filming in Israel. 

As mentioned above, this list is unfinished. Filming in Israel, and especially filming in Jerusalem, is a journey that takes you to surprisingly beautiful locations even after years. For anyone interested in further information about filming in Israel, I recommend our website http://www.biblicalproductions.com/index.htm with a comprehensive location guide to the best filming locations in Israel.

Filming in Israel is a dream come true for crews filming historical, biblical and nature documentaries. Biblical Productions, which has been providing Production Services in Israel for many years, regularly takes crews to the most interesting and intriguing locations around the country. One of the most popular and historically most important filming locations is Qumran, where in 1947 a solitary Bedouin shepherd stumbled into the greatest archaeological find of the century – the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The wilderness of Judea, mile after mile of perched rock and barren hillside, was home to Bedouin shepherds and a connecting pathway for camel caravans. For thousands of years, the Judean desert has held secrets buried in its sands. Here, at the lowest point on earth near the Dead Sea, in the intense heat of the barren Judean desert, David fled from King Saul seeking refuge in the mountain caves, John the Baptist lived on locusts and wild honey, and Jesus rejected the temptations of the Devil. It was at the Northwestern point of the Dead Sea, where one afternoon in 1947 a small shepherd boy climbed into the caves of Qumran and discovered the scrolls.

Blind to the value of the rolls of old and rotting leather, the shepherd sold the scrolls for the low price of 7 Palestinian pounds. Yet the dealer realized their value quickly and sent the Bedouins back to the desert to look for more scrolls. On November 23rd 1947, Elazar Sukenik, Professor of Archaeology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem received an urgent phone call from a friend, an Armenian antique dealer from the Old City. They arranged to meet the next morning. By afternoon, three scrolls were wrapped inconspicuously in newspaper on Sukenik’s lap.

In the following months, Sukenik and a small team at the Hebrew University began the delicate task of unrolling scrolls stuck together by 20 centuries of decomposition. They identified the almost complete manuscript of the Book of Isaiah, which remains the oldest biblical text ever found, almost identical to the Bible we read today.

Today, crews filming in Israel can see these scrolls exhibited in the Israel Museum. Film permits in Israel can be acquired by Biblical Productions as well as interviews with experts about the discovery and scientific examinations of the scrolls. Many crews filming in Israel choose to film in Qumran as well as in the Israel Museum, if their script explores the Dead Sea scrolls in depth. 

Meanwhile scholars at the American School of Oriental Research in East-Jerusalem (ASOR) opened and photographed the scrolls. A leading US Biblical scholar at Johns Hopkins University, Professor William F. Albright, declared that the scrolls were the work of the Essenes, a mysterious sect, and without hesitation announced that this was the most important archaeological find of the century. News of the discovery sent Bedouins, together with archaeologists, racing to excavate the area. In cave 4 alone, not far from the original cave, dug out of a sheer face of an escarpment, Bedouins found 15,000 fragments from about 500 scrolls.

During the spring of 1953, the archeologist, Father De Vaux, Director of the Ecole Biblique in East-Jerusalem, came to carry out the first extended excavation – a dig that would occupy him and his team for the next four springs and lead him to a view of an Essene life that would be argued about by scholars for decades. The two-month dig unearthed the remains of considerable construction; and it soon became clear that this was a well-established settlement.

The historical site of Qumran is one of the most popular film locations in Israel for crews. Having become a well-known National Park, Qumran offers a solid wood path that leads through the excavated ruins, as well as a film and a little museum. The caves themselves are currently not accessible for the public, however, filmmakers can get great shots from an empty riverbed next to the caves, as well as from up above at the park. The white soft hills that hid the Dead Sea Scrolls for so long form a nice contrast to the sharp mountains of the Judean desert in the background. More caves from ancient times are accessible at the back of the sites; however, caution is advised when climbing over the rocky paths with camera and sound equipment.