I’ve been lucky to work as an assistant director in challenging terrain all across the planet, from jungles to deserts and high mountains. Every environment brings its own unique challenges and rewards, with unique insight about the diversity of life and the beauty of nature.

A month ago I had the great fortune of scouting for a very unique British TV reality show in the deep jungle of Panama . I have always been drawn to do this work because I am interested in nature, diverse cultures and I love the adventure of traveling and being in the field. I also like to adopt the zen-like attitude from my yoga practice as I fuse with the environment and accept the minimal and practical mentality.

When it came time to scout, I knew I was looking for specifics. I knew I needed diverse settings, open wide areas for build outs as well as remote jungle areas where our talent could survive in the wild. I arrived to a place called Lost and Found.

Here in the north-west of Panama, where the Amistad International Park is found, there is an equatorial climate, hot and wet most of the year . As I hiked a path in the dense rainforest, I was lucky to meet two incredible longtime Canadian friends and their Dutch manager, all sharing the same vision: “to create a world of their own, in which travelers can experience themselves and their environment more purely, with minimal outside interference”. This sounded like the perfect location for the show I was scouting for.

After spending the night under an incredible wind and rain storm, sunrise presented me with beautiful weather and a priceless rainbow, and although you can’t predict the weather, I could only hope for the same conditions on the actual filming days.

For this location, I knew I wanted to find a large flat area for build outs, with lots of character. I found that 45 minutes into the hike, surrounding an extraordinary tree, with such unique vibe, I was just awe-struck! It’s no wonder the keepers of this land held rituals here as a spiritual place. Being in this place made me feel so grateful to be experiencing this incredible beauty in the world!

As I scouted I was thinking at how the location could frame and enhance the story for the talent. The location becomes a character in a show like this, it can contextualize the story and even set the tone. I looked at the colors that were present as I thought of the colors the talent may end up wearing during filming. I also thought at how the light might read at different times of day, especially being so close to the Equator.

On the technical side, I was looking for crew and film equipment accessibility, a very tough location for this, as the path is very narrow and steep, only used for walking or riding horses, with no other way to bring in gear. Even if this place perfectly matched the aesthetic of the show, the access presented a unique problem where we would have found ourselves on a tech scout trying to figure out expensive solutions to make the location work.

Unfortunately for this project, even though Lost and Found had incredible potential, it was not the perfect fit but I am sure it will be the best place for another shoot. In the meantime, I feel incredibly blessed for this job that constantly takes me to uniquely inspiring places across the globe and I’m calling all film makers, backpackers, hikers, adventure travelers, peace seekers, digital nomads, scientists, and nature enthusiasts alike. When you are ready to explore the the stunning and diverse natural beauty of northern Panama, come to Lost and Found, and don’t forget to wear your best hiking boots, and drink plenty of water. Heat exhaustion is the real deal in the jungle. You may be drenched from the rain, so it’s easy for your mind to play tricks and forget that you are not taking in enough liquid.

Filming in Panama

If you're interested in filming your next production in Panama, the country's film incentive programs offer 25% rebate of Panama-based goods and services. Please contact us to receive location photos from our stock library.