Taiwan’s Awesomeworks Opens Specialist Medical Studio
Taiwan production and facilities company Awesomeworks Production has opened a specialist studio in New Taipei City, dedicated to the filming of medical and hospital scenes.
The facility is intended to improve the production infrastructure for local productions and to help attract international filming to the island. That dual ambition helped it attract support from Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a government agency established in 2019.
More from Variety
Taiwan Denies Residency Visa to Pro-Beijing Producer Charles Heung
Pro-Beijing CTiTV Goes Off Air in Taiwan, Seeks Court Reversal
Taiwan Originals Get TAICCA Showcase at ATF's Virtual Market
Hospital and medical professionals are popular topics for film and TV series locally and globally. But it can be difficult for operational hospitals to rent out surgery rooms, emergency rooms, and other areas for filming, especially with the recent increased demand for medical services during the pandemic.
The new studio is equipped with hospital beds, professional medical equipment, operating tables, waiting rooms, and cashier counters. It also provides of extra space for film crews, lighting, hair and makeup areas.
“This medical film studio by Awesomeworks Production provides a direct solution for the lack of sufficient medical-theme filming locations. It is especially significant during this global pandemic, and we welcome more film and TV productions to work with us on bettering the international content industry,” said TAICCA’s VP Alice Chang.
In recent years Taiwan has attracted several series produced or commissioned by global and regional streaming firms, which have found the island able to create Mandarin-language content that is not subject to the complications of working with mainland Chinese partners and regulations. It has also attracted high profile international movie shoots including Ang Lee’s “The Life of Pi,” Luc Besson’s “Lucy,” and Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.”
Taiwan has also stood out in its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that devastated countries in Europe and the Americas. Taiwan was able to keep film productions on course, though cross-border travel was heavily restricted, and its cinemas stayed open. Johns Hopkins University records Taiwan as having 955 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and just nine deaths from the disease.
“We hope that the excellent pandemic prevention here will incentivize international production teams to film in Taiwan, and to increase co-productions and exchanges with Taiwan’s cultural content industry,” said TAICCA chairperson Ting Hsiao-Ching.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
