Why Lucknow is Becoming the Next Hub for Music Video & Ad Film Production
Something extraordinary has in the past few years been occurring in the centre of Uttar Pradesh. The city of nawabs, kebabs, and eternal tehzeeb, Luknow is a silent but swiftly changing into one of the most desired music video and advertisement films production centers in India. What had been held by Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, is now experiencing a gradual change of eastward location and the production houses, directors, artists and brands take the matter seriously.
What is making Lucknow the next big thing, then? Let’s break it down.
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Inexcapable Destinations at Inequivocal Prices.
The visual range of Lucknow and the environs is, simply, unparalleled to few of the cities in India, at half the price you would spend in Mumbai, or even certain sections of Delhi-NCR.
Grand heritage sites: Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza and Residency ruins provide you with that royal than life backdrop that is best suited in period music videos or in commercials with a premium brand.
Lush green campuses: Amity University, IIM Lucknow and spacious farmhouses in the outskirts offer clean, modern and beautiful places without the noise of the metro cities.
City vintage blend: Chowk with its small alleyways, the colorful bazaars of Aminabad, and the elegant cafes of Gomti Nagar can all be found within the same city and can be alternated between the extreme street culture to the sophisticated and the elite.
Riverside beauty: Long shots along the banks of the Gomti River and the adjoining countryside provide the cinematographers with dreamy golden-hour shots that seem right out of a painting.
This is in contrast with shooting in South Mumbai or Film City, where your location charges, police permission and crowd control just wipe half your budget. Lucknow all of a sudden becomes a very handsome prospect.
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An Increasing Local Talent pool.
Lucknow has been a cultural heavy weight. Since Begum Akhtar to Birju Maharaj, the city is full of art. The legacy is now taking on a second generation of digital-native and work-hungry performers and technicians.
Dancing and acting ability: Lucknow theatre circuit and Bharatanatyam-Kathak academies are also grooming a lot of talent that Whistling Woods cannot impart in the classroom setting.
Young DOPs and editors: Some of the talented cinematographers and editors who attended the school in Pune, Mumbai or Kolkata have returned home since they can now afford to maintain a high quality career right here.
Available Local Crew: Grips, lightmen, art directors and production assistants can be found in Lucknow at a much cheaper cost (40-50 percent) than in Tier-1 cities, but many of them have experience on national projects that are shot in Lucknow.
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Government Reimbursement and Convenience to Shoot.
Uttar Pradesh government has implemented one of the most favorable policies to the filmmakers in the country:
Single-window clearance of shooting permission (usually within 48 hours).
Subsidies of up to 1.5 crore on projects that were shot in large quantities in U.P.
Specialized film facilitation cell, which assists in liaising with the police, traffic and location owners.
No taxes on entertainment like music videos and advertisement films registered under the policy.
At a time when a production house can save 20-30% on incentives and permissions alone, it makes no sense to even ponder on whether to shoot in Lucknow or not.
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State-Of-The-Art Studio and Post-Production centers coming up.
You do not need to travel to Mumbai to get your color graded or do VFX anymore. The state of the art infrastructure is sprouting in Lucknow:
Green/blue-screen soundproof studios.
4K/8K editing rooms and Dolby Atmos sound theatres.
Local Visual effects and animation studios that have collaborated with Netflix, Amazon and leading music labels.
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Large Brands and Labels are already in existence.
The proof is in the pudding. In the last 18-24 months:
Lucknow has host a number of music videos shot by T-Series, Zee Music and Sony Music with huge budget.
Fortune Oil, Emami, ITC Aashirvaad and other as well as local giants such as Wave Group conducted major advertising campaigns here.
Lucknow has been a key destination by web series and OTT projects (such as ones by Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar).
When the largest parties relocate discreetly, other people do the same.
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Crew and Artist Quality of Life.
Ask any director who has shot in the Mumbai traffic 15 days in a row, they will say that burnout is a reality. Lucknow offers:
Less pollution of air and lower stress level – crews even feel cleaner.
Less time to travel between the hotel and the location.
There is amazing food at all prices, Tunday Kababi as well as the fine-dining, and the morale is kept high.
Protective and comfortable working conditions of female crewmembers and artists.
A satisfied workforce = shorter turnaround time = improved end product.
The Orange IT Softwares Advantage in Lucknow has risen.
And should you be a music label, advertising agency, or independent artist who needs to do your next project, you could be sure that partnering with the right production house in Lucknow will make it all the difference.
Orange IT Softwares has established itself as the preferred film production company within the city of Lucknow through a blend of international quality equipment and processes with a strong local understanding. Their services include:
Scripting & concept development.
Full pre-production (casting, recce, styling)
Arri, Red and Sony FX series 4K/6K/8K cinematography.
Professional gimbal and drone units.
Complete post-production studio (DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Suite, Nuke, Blender)
Original sound design and music.
Rapid delivery on YouTube and TV.
Above all, they know Lucknow like no one who has never lived there knows it, which is the best lane to walk in at night, which Imambara avenue has the best echo, which is the best pool in which to swim in a farmhouse.
There is a Future and It is a Movie.
Experts in the industry suggest that by 2027-28, the city of Lucknow may become the center of 15-20 percent of music videotaping and advertisement film production in India, nearly 3-4 percent of which was only 5 years ago. The momentum is only going to increase with the new film city to be located to the Lucknow-Agra Expressway and additional studios of international standard cropping up.
To brands and artists, this represents having access to world-quality visuals at indie-friendly prices. To the homegrown talent, it is employment, exposure and pride. And to the city it’s another feather to its already glorious cap.
You have not yet thought of Lucknow as a location of your next music video or advertisement film, the time to do so is now. The locations are ready. The talent is waiting. The costs make perfect sense.
Production companies such as the Orange IT Softwares are ready to make your dream come true here in the city of nawabs.
About to shoot your next blockbuster in Lucknow?
Send a message to the orangeitsoftwares.com to the index.php/film-production/ and see the magic take place.
