Colombia · Local production partner

Production services in Colombia, built around your creative intent.

Sequoia Studio supports agencies, brands and production teams with local planning, crews, equipment coordination, locations, filming, photography and post-production from Bogotá.

Discuss a production

Two motorcyclists greet each other on a forest trail during a Sequoia Studio shoot

Capabilities

A local team for every stage.

We translate treatments and briefs into a practical Colombian production plan. The crew scales with the story rather than a fixed package.

Creative and production development
Local crew and equipment coordination
Location research and logistics
Filming and commercial photography
Editing, color and sound
Media management and deliverables

Planning guide

What an international team should define before production.

A transparent workflow makes creative, budget and local responsibilities visible before commitments are made.

What local production support means

Production services connect an international brief with the people, places, equipment, schedules and working conditions available in Colombia. The job is not limited to booking a crew. A local partner should identify assumptions in the treatment, translate them into a practical plan and show which decisions remain with the visiting agency, director or client.

Sequoia Studio works from Bogotá and builds the scope around the production. We can support a complete local execution or a defined portion such as research, crew coordination, filming, commercial photography, media management or post-production. The proposal states responsibilities and exclusions so that two teams do not assume the other one is covering the same task.

When Colombia fits the creative

Colombia offers dense urban environments, modern architecture, mountains, warm regions and production infrastructure within one country, but a location should be chosen for the story rather than a generic promise of variety. Weather, altitude, travel time, access, sound, public use and the movement of people or equipment can change the feasibility of a visual reference.

We evaluate the look against the tentative dates, schedule and level of control required. Bogotá can double for different urban moods, yet a frame that appears simple may involve traffic, changing light or permissions. Early research distinguishes what can be achieved through scouting and art direction from what would require a different location or a revised shot.

A production brief we can evaluate

A useful inquiry includes the treatment or current concept, expected deliverables, tentative dates, production days, traveling roles, local roles, technical standards and intended usage. If there is a working budget range, it helps us prioritize realistic options. We can sign appropriate confidentiality terms before receiving unreleased creative when the project requires it.

We also need to know who approves creative, budget and logistics, and in which time zone they will be available. References are valuable when their function is explained: a lighting reference, performance reference and location reference may imply very different resources. Unknowns are listed instead of being hidden inside a fixed package.

Crew, equipment and responsibilities

Crew size follows the number of simultaneous tasks, the complexity of the image and the risk of the day. A project may call for local production, assistant direction, camera, lighting, grip, sound, art, wardrobe, makeup, data management, transportation or a smaller documentary unit. Each estimate describes the roles included and the production days they cover.

Equipment is selected after reviewing camera format, lenses, movement, lighting, sound, power, data and delivery requirements. When a visiting department brings key tools, we confirm compatibility and what must be sourced locally. We do not list an impressive package before understanding whether it supports the treatment, the location and the schedule.

Locations, access and logistics

Location work starts with a visual and operational checklist: access, holding areas, power, sound, natural-light direction, parking, load-in, working hours, public impact and alternatives. Photos and video references must be current enough for a decision. A final choice may still require a technical scout with department leads.

Permits, property agreements, releases and local requirements depend on the exact activity and jurisdiction. We identify the path during planning rather than making blanket claims that every location can be secured. Transport and travel days are scheduled with realistic distances; a point that looks close on a map may not be compatible with company moves during the same shooting day.

Casting, art and cultural context

If the treatment includes performers, casting should define role, language, performance, wardrobe, availability and intended usage before the search. Rights, term, media and territory must be written into the scope. Background participation and public spaces also need an agreed approach rather than being treated as an afterthought.

Local art direction can help the frame feel specific without relying on stereotypes. Product availability, construction time, sourcing, returns and continuity affect the plan. We flag creative details that may read differently in Colombia and discuss them with the agency or director; the final choice remains connected to the approved campaign strategy.

Filming, communication and media safety

Before the shoot, the team works from an approved schedule, shot priorities, contacts and decision path. Daily communication can include call sheets, status updates and wrap notes according to the project. On set, local production coordinates timing and resources while department leads protect image, performance, sound and continuity.

The data plan defines media, copies, checksums when required, folder structure, naming and the person who receives the handoff. Uploading during production depends on volume and connectivity and should not be assumed. Sensitive material, embargoes and access to drives are discussed before the first card is recorded.

Post-production and international handoff

Post-production can remain in Colombia or move to the agency's existing team. If we edit, the workflow may include organization, syncing, offline edit, review, graphics, color, sound, subtitles and masters. If another team continues, we prepare an agreed folder structure, camera and sound reports where available, proxies or original media and a documented inventory.

Specifications should include frame rate, resolution, codec, aspect ratios, audio configuration, captions, file names and delivery method. Music, fonts, stock and third-party elements require valid rights for the intended use. A creative approval is followed by technical quality control so the delivered files match the written matrix.

How budgets and schedules are built

The estimate reflects development, prep, crew days, equipment, locations, art, casting, transport, accommodation when needed, insurance or permits when applicable, production, media, post-production, rights and deliverables. Currency, taxes, payment milestones and exclusions are stated. A short final film is not automatically a small production; the work is driven by what must happen around the camera.

The schedule separates decisions that unlock later work. Treatment, locations, casting and key resources need approval before commitments are made. Weather options, travel, international freight or visa questions can add lead time. When the date is fixed, we identify what can be achieved responsibly within it instead of promising every reference without validation.

How to compare a Colombian production partner

Ask each company to explain its role, relevant work, producer access, assumptions, rights, contingency approach, review process and handoff. A reel shows taste, but a clear estimate and schedule show whether the team can turn that taste into a controlled production. Compare the same deliverable matrix rather than totals that may cover different responsibilities.

Our current public reel is identified as footage from Sequoia Speed, part of our own ecosystem. We do not present it as an external client campaign or attach unsupported performance figures. This distinction matters: visual craft can be reviewed in the material, while client outcomes and case-study claims require separate, authorized evidence.

Permits and incentives

Filming in Colombia: permits and incentives

Colombia offers two national incentives under Law 1556 of 2012: the CINA, a transferable tax credit worth 35% of eligible spend by foreign productions, and the FFC, a cash rebate of 40% on audiovisual services and 20% on logistical services. Both require prior approval and a minimum spend in Colombia. Filming in Bogotá's public space requires a PUFA permit.

The CINA (Certificado de Inversión Audiovisual en Colombia) is aimed at foreign projects whose producers are not required to declare and pay income tax in Colombia. The Colombia Film Commission lists feature films, series, short web or animated series, music videos, video games, advertising audiovisual content and animation, in production, post-production or both. Once expenses are accredited, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge issues the certificate in the foreign producer's name, and it can be sold to Colombian income taxpayers. Minimum spend is set in legal monthly minimum wages (SMLMV) by project type: for example, 1,800 SMLMV for a feature film and 400 SMLMV for advertising content.

The FFC (Fondo Fílmico Colombia) cash rebate is open to national projects by Colombian production companies and to foreign productions not subject to Colombian income tax. The eligible formats listed are feature films, series, short web or animated series, music videos and animation; advertising is not on that list. The minimum spend is 1,800 SMLMV, the published cap for 2026 is COP 3,340,196,500 per project, and applications stay open until the year's resources are exhausted. Proimágenes Colombia pays the rebate once eligible expenses have been certified.

Both incentives are governed by the Colombia Film Promotion Committee (CPFC), which approves projects and allocates resources; its members include the Minister of Cultures, the president of ProColombia, the Vice Minister of Tourism and the director of Proimágenes Colombia. Eligible services must be carried out in Colombia and contracted from Colombian individuals or companies residing in the country. For the CINA, the official handbook states that working with a Colombian production or film services company, registered in the SIREC film registry, is mandatory, and the review of an application takes four to eight weeks.

In Bogotá, filming in public space requires the Unified Permit for Audiovisual Filming (PUFA), issued by the Bogotá Film Commission, a program of the District Institute of the Arts (Idartes), and filed through the filming module of the SUMA platform. The ordinary permit has a timeline of five working days and allows road closures. The urgent permit takes three working days, is limited to 90 crew members and partial road closures, and costs 25% more. Fees follow a standard formula for the economic use of public space.

Sequoia Studio is a production company based in Bogotá. We do not administer these incentives, and eligibility is decided only by the official bodies. What we can do is coordinate local planning, crew, locations and permit requests, and connect you with the official channels: the Colombia Film Commission for incentives, visas and national procedures, and the Bogotá Film Commission for PUFA. That way requirements are checked with the source before the schedule and budget are locked.

Can a commercial qualify for a Colombian incentive?

Advertising audiovisual content is listed as eligible for the CINA, with a minimum spend of 400 SMLMV in Colombia. The March 2026 handbook adds that at least 80% of that amount must go to audiovisual services and that up to 20 pieces from the same campaign may be submitted as one package. Advertising is not among the formats listed for the FFC cash rebate. Confirm current values with the Colombia Film Commission before budgeting.

Do I need a Colombian company to apply for the CINA?

Yes. The official incentive handbook states that working with a Colombian production or film services company is mandatory, and that company must be registered in SIREC, the film registry. It can manage the procedure through a power of attorney in the name of the foreign producer, who remains the applicant. Eligible services must also be contracted from Colombian individuals or companies residing in the country.

How long does a filming permit take in Bogotá?

The PUFA ordinary permit has a timeline of five working days and the urgent permit three working days, according to the Bogotá Film Commission; processing can vary with each request. The permit covers public space and is filed on the SUMA platform. An ordinary permit may include a contingency date within the following seven working days, subject to the availability of the space.

What visa does a foreign crew need?

When the sponsoring company is foreign, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a Type V courtesy visitor visa, which first requires a filming authorization from the Ministry of Culture for films or a Foreign Audiovisual Work Certification from the Colombia Film Commission for other formats. For stays of up to 90 days there is also the POA permit, which only Colombian companies can request, at least ten business days before entry.

Official sources checked on 27 September 2026. Figures and rules change: confirm the current version before budgeting.

Workflow

One shared plan from brief to handoff.

We confirm what travels with your team, what is sourced locally and who approves each decision.

Brief

Creative intent, audience, deliverables, dates and technical standards.

Plan

Budget, schedule, crew, locations, equipment and contingencies.

Production

Local coordination, filming, sound, data handling and daily communication.

Handoff

Organized media, reports, masters or a complete post-production workflow.

Bogotá · Colombia

Bring the treatment. We will help make it producible.

Share the creative, tentative dates and expected deliverables for an initial production conversation.

Contact Sequoia Studio