Survivor 41 can be persevering with the CBS actuality present’s long-running custom of filming in Fiji after a difficult yr spent navigating COVID-19. There was a quick second when Jeff Probst thought the present may wind up in Georgia for its newest season, however Fiji was capable of welcome the crew again for its tenth season on the island. In actual fact, Survivor 42 is booked for Fiji already as properly. So why do CBS and Jeff Probst love filming in Fiji a lot? Probst says it’s all location and folks, however cash talks too.
Jeff Probst says it’s all about location and folks
Survivor host Jeff Probst has typically referred to the crew of the present as a type of actuality tv household, so it could come as no shock that Probst places emphasis on the folks of Fiji, in addition to the locale.
“Fiji offers us everything that we want. Incredibly beautiful water that you can see down 30 feet, beaches that are amazing, a government that is working with us, local labor that loves to say ‘Bula!’ every day because they’re just happy you’re here,” Jeff Probst told EW.
“And our crew has never been as happy. We actually have decent accommodations to do this show out in the jungle. It’s a win-win-win.”
In the meantime, it appears Fiji enjoys having Survivor readily available to offer work and financial stimulation for Fijians. Film Fiji government Jone Robertson mentioned that Survivor helped deliver employment to over 400 Fijians for Survivor 41 alone.
“The production over a period of time had employed approximately 406 locals over the five months period. Some of these locals range from experts in the production of films shot in Fiji while others were from villages and communities within the Mamanuca Group,” Robertson explained, as reported by Xinhua.
‘Survivor’ beneficial properties massive rebates from Fiji
CBS, in the meantime, enjoys a profitable settlement with Fiji that includes hefty rebates for capturing Survivor in the archipelago. That is seemingly because of the work, spending, and tourism Survivor brings to Fiji.
In actual fact, Xinhua studies that Film Fiji contributed upwards of $10.8 million USD to the Fijian financial system whereas filming Survivor 41 alone. It’s not clear whether or not that is earlier than or after the rebate, however the quantity stays spectacular.
Fijian Minister for Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum mentioned in 2021 that Fiji paid out its largest rebate so far to Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X and Sport Changers. The rebate was about $6.3 million USD.
“I think we have never paid out such a large rebate,” mentioned Sayed-Khaiyum of the rebate.
“And that is a fact of integrity of much we have spent by the Survivor series in Fiji and we are getting 47% of that spent and many Fijians have benefited from when the show was shot in Mamanuca and Mana Island [sic],” he added.
The present nearly filmed in Georgia amid COVID-19
Though Survivor and Fiji have a wonderful working relationship, the unfold of COVID-19 resulted in quite a lot of challenges when it got here to filming the present. For a time, it appeared as if Survivor 41 must be filmed domestically — probably even in Georgia or Hawaii.
“It was March 2020 when we made the official decision to postpone shooting Survivor 41 in Fiji. We immediately turned our full attention to finding another location and even considered shooting domestically in Georgia or Hawaii,” Jeff Probst instructed Entertainment Weekly.
Finally CBS determined to attend it out till they had been capable of movie in Fiji once more — it appears as if Fiji can be Survivor’s filming location of choice for the foreseeable future.
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