We caught up with Neil Soni after his recent studio opening event, the man behind Ibiza’s newest and most extensive photographic and film services company, Filmplus Ibiza…
Tell is about your connection to Ibiza?
I was initially attracted to the party scene and came to Ibiza on holiday in 1997, In 1998 I returned to work a season, mainly doing club PR, then back every summer for holidays whenever I had the chance. In 2001 I got the opportunity to document Manumission and Carry-On at Space for the season, photographing the madness behind the scenes. During this period I lived in San Juan and got to discover the north and more remote parts of Ibiza which I instantly fell in love with. I worked 2 more seasons as a photographer for Manumission in 2002, 2003 and have been planning to comeback for the last 10 years. It’s always been a special place to me, I met my wife here in 2002, we’ve always dreamed of coming back with our kids one day more permanently and now it could be a reality, exciting times for sure!
You have a successful photographic equipment hire business and photographic studio / events space in London (Loft Studios). Are you trying to recreate something similar here in Ibiza?
We successfully recreated the FilmPlus equipment rental side of the business in Ibiza last year and this year we found the perfect space for a studio so it just made sense, Like Loft Studios in London the focus for the studio is a shoot space for photographers and creatives but the character of the building definitely lends itself to events, We have a few interesting ideas in the pipeline at the moment so we’ll see where they take us.
The space has a very industrial/urban feel so unlike anything else in ibiza. The large infinity cove and drive in access make it big enough to shoot cars or build sets but we’re predominantly targeting fashion and commercial clients who want to shoot a few days on location and then need to either go back to a city to shoot in a studio or stay an extra day or 2 in Ibiza and do it here while all the crew are out.
Do you face similar challenges in Ibiza as you do in London?
Ibiza is much more challenging than London! It’s difficult to sub hire extra equipment last minute here and sometimes it’s quicker and more reliable to fly someone from London with kit rather than wait for DHL to send from Barcelona. There’s no courier services, internet shopping for last minute supplies hardly exists, banks and most businesses close at 14:30 and don’t reopen so when it gets busy you really feel up against it!
You hire equipment and of course your studio, what else does Filmplus Ibiza do?
We work with creative directors, photographers and videographers offering a 360 degrees package for brands needing content. There’s a lot of talent on the island and more and more creatives from all over coming to Ibiza so we aim to work together and produce high quality imagery. We can also help facilitate most productions, working as a bolt on service for production companies who need extra support whether it be crew, transport, our production van, shooting permits, locations etc. Another service we now offer is high end HD live video streaming.
Ibiza is famous for its light, the lay of the land produces conditions that have attracted painters and photographers for decades. Are outdoor location shoots a large part of what you do here?
Most clients are attracted to the light and outdoor locations but not always the beaches. Modern villas with white lines are very popular for the high fashion brands, Then you have the rugged coastline, forests, fields and less obvious quirky locations like old boat yards and abandoned buildings. If it rains you can always pop into our studio!
What kind of clients come to shoot in Ibiza?
Last year we worked on a few small independent music videos, high street fashion brands, commercials and then the top end fashion shoots like Gucci, Lancome and French Vogue. We also provided all the camera equipment, live production and some crew for MTV at Ibiza & Mallorca Rocks. Clients come from all over Europe and some from the U.S. Ibiza is definitely on the map as a desirable shoot destination and the services have improved giving clients more options and confidence to shoot in Ibiza. It’s evolving in a positive way and we’re excited to be a part of that.
Do you handle small shoots as well as large?
yes of course, sometimes we hire out just a lens or a camera and other times its 4 van loads, crew and full production. No job is too small though, it’s all part of the service.
How do you juggle running a business in Ibiza and London concurrently, where do you spend most of your time?
I spend most of my time in London and manage, market etc. from there. I’ll come to Ibiza once a month in the winter and a lot more frequently during summer, realistically i’m needed in London more then Ibiza at present as we have so much going on but I like the balance, London staff supports the Ibiza team, we can work on jobs remotely and communicate with the guys here 24/7 so it works well.
You opened your studio space to the public recently for your summer opening party. Why is it important for you to involve the public?
Last year we quietly opened our rental business and just got on with the job at hand. This year the studio space brings a new dimension to the business and will appeal to some of the public who might not be interested in only renting photographic/video equipment. A studio space like this in ibiza is a first so we wanted to raise awareness, hopefully we can work with some local creatives and brands as well as those from abroad. Obviously It was also great to get all our friends and associates down and throw a good party!
I attended the event, there was an interesting cross section of people, it was a great evening. Can we expect more events in the summer?
Yes for sure and we plan to do this all year round, not just the summer. There’s so much potential and it’s great to be doing something new on the island. The feedback from everyone has been amazing, I’m looking forward to what the future brings.