Some of most popular film locales are riskiest: study

Aon has released a “Risk in Global Filmmaking” map which shows 70 countries with “high-risk” status, as compared to 55 last year. Some of the riskiest locations are also the most popular, including Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines and South Africa, the report adds. “Filmmakers are becoming more aware of the risks they encounter abroad, and in particular, the risks that impact actors, crew and millions of dollars worth of equipment on loan for production,” says Aon director of risk control Chris Palmer. This has led some crews to shy away from riskier locations and look towards new places such as Eastern Europe, an increasingly popular film location due to regional stability and economic benefits.Palmer adds, “we are seeing a gap between perception and reality” in terms of the real risks associated with filmmaking abroad. While most people cite terrorism as the biggest risk, the report notes the most prevalent risks for filmmakers are disease, poor medical care and crime.Crime includes theft, robbery, street crime and assault, but the map also addresses organized crime and corruption such as bribery, extortion or threats from organized crime groups or even government.