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Service · Production services

Filming in Mexico: production services for brands and production companies

Coming from the US or elsewhere in the Americas? We handle pre-production, locations, permits, local crew, gear and logistics so your team lands ready to shoot.

Production services cover everything a visiting team needs to shoot in Mexico: pre-production, location scouting, permits, local crew and gear rental, casting and logistics. B.CONTENT provides them to brands and production companies from the United States, Peru and the rest of Latin America; you bring the idea or the director, and we get the shoot ready.

B.CONTENT is a production company based in Lima, Peru. We have no office in Mexico: for each project we put together the local team the shoot needs and run it with the same process we use for our productions in Peru. When you want creative direction as well, it comes from our director, Luis Saavedra.

What we handle

Pre-production

Script breakdown, shooting schedule, line-item budget and calendar. Pre-production meetings by video call with your team before anyone travels.

Location scouting

Location search and visits with photos and video, availability, access, light by time of day and the paperwork each location needs.

Permits

Filming notices or permits with the relevant film commission, INAH, protected natural areas and drone operations. Details below.

Crew and gear rental

Line producer, location manager, camera, lighting, sound and art department hired in Mexico, plus camera, lens, lighting and stage rental as the project needs.

Casting

Talent and extras search, recorded auditions and image and voice release contracts with a set term, territory and media.

Logistics

Ground transportation, lodging, catering, call sheets, insurance and coordination on shoot day.

If you also need the creative side, we produce end to end: commercials, music videos, testimonial videos and live streams. See our work below.

Filming permits in Mexico, with sources

Each location has its own authority and process. These are the ones that come up most on a commercial shoot. Amounts are those in current law, in Mexican pesos, and are confirmed with the authority before paying.

Where you shootAuthorityWhat you needCost
Private property in Mexico CityNoneNo notice or permit, if vehicles park legally and nothing blocks traffic or sidewalksFree
Plazas, sidewalks, gardens in Mexico City, no street closuresCFILMAFilming notice, at least 12 hours aheadFree
Streets in Mexico City, closures, cranes, stuntsCFILMAFilming permit and registration in the Producers RegistryFrom MXN 1,382 per day and location; +50% in the Historic Center
Archaeological sites and monumentsINAHAuthorization for commercial filmingMXN 15,915.57 per day
Protected natural areasCONANP (SEMARNAT)Written authorization if the crew has more than one technician supporting the camera operatorVaries by area
Drone shotsAFACDrone registration, liability insurance and the rules of NOM-107-SCT3-2019Depends on the operator
Guadalajara and MonterreyState film office and city governmentNotice or permit under state law and city rulesSet by each city

Mexico City: CFILMA

The Mexico City Film Commission (CFILMA) applies the city's Film Law (Ley de Filmaciones). To shoot in public spaces or on the street, the producer must be registered in the Producers Registry (art. 20). The filming notice is free and must be filed at least 12 hours before the shoot (arts. 25 and 27). A permit is required to film on the street, park production vehicles that block traffic, load and unload on main or secondary roads, rig cranes, grip and lighting on public roads, and shoot action scenes or special effects (arts. 29 and 31).

Mexico City's 2026 Fiscal Code, art. 269, charges the permit per day and per location: MXN 1,382 for a regular-impact shoot, and more for high-impact, traffic-lane, extraordinary-impact or rush permits. Inside the Historic Center perimeter the fee goes up 50%. CFILMA confirms which fee applies when it reviews your application.

Archaeological sites, protected areas and drones

INAH. Commercial filming at archaeological sites, monuments and museums pays the fee in the Federal Fees Law (Ley Federal de Derechos), art. 288-D: MXN 15,915.57 per day of filming and MXN 7,957.68 per day of stills (latest amendment published in the Official Gazette on November 7, 2025).

CONANP. The regulation on protected natural areas requires authorization for commercial filming when the crew includes more than one technician supporting the person operating the main equipment (art. 88, section XI). The request is filed in writing (art. 92).

Drones. NOM-107-SCT3-2019 and Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) govern commercial drone use: drone registration, current liability insurance, a 122-meter (400 ft) ceiling, no flying over people who are not part of the operation, and a special authorization to fly within 9.2 km of an aerodrome. In Mexico City this matters because Benito Juárez International Airport sits inside the city, so every aerial shot is planned well ahead.

Guadalajara and Monterrey

In Jalisco, the Jalisco State Film Law requires a notice or permit to film on public roads or when traffic is obstructed (art. 32); the notice is free and the permit pays the fee set in the revenue law (art. 33). Street closures go through the city: Zapopan, for example, asks for its film street-closure request at least 30 calendar days in advance.

In Nuevo León, Filma Nuevo León takes the request, checks it with the city departments involved and follows it through; the city issues the permit under its own rules.

Rights: transfers must be in writing

If your contracts assume you own the footage forever, they need adjusting for Mexico. The Federal Copyright Law says every transfer of economic rights is paid and temporary, and must be made in writing or it is null and void (art. 30). If the contract sets no term, the transfer lasts 5 years, and only in exceptional cases can it be agreed for more than 15 (art. 33).

Performers' image and voice can only be used with their express consent, and that protection extends to output generated with artificial intelligence (art. 87, amended in 2026). That is why the contracts we set up with crew, talent and vendors state term, territory and media, and cover image and voice use.

Typical timeline for a service shoot

A reference for a one- or two-day commercial shoot in Mexico City. Shooting at an archaeological site, flying a drone near an airport or closing streets in another city takes longer.

  1. Brief and quoteSend us your script or treatment, tentative dates and how many people are traveling. We reply within 24 business hours with scope, schedule and cost.
  2. Week 1: pre-productionBreakdown, shooting schedule, first location and talent options, and the list of permits that apply.
  3. Week 2: scouting and castingLocation visits with photos and video, casting sessions and approval meetings by video call.
  4. Week 3: permits and lockApplications to CFILMA, INAH or AFAC as needed, crew hiring and gear rental, call sheet and logistics.
  5. ShootCall time, on-location coordination, permit follow-up and same-day media backup.
  6. WrapMedia delivery, gear returns, vendor payments and signed contracts. Post-production too, if you need it.

Our work

B.CONTENT productions directed by Luis Saavedra, all shot in Peru.

Atlantic City: La Gran Mesa, fotograma del videoSpot + activación BTL · 1:39La Gran MesaAtlantic City · Perú, 2025Ovi ft. Lit Killah: Salí a Ganármelo, fotograma del videoVideo musical · 2:46Salí a GanármeloOvi ft. Lit Killah · Perú, 2025DoradoBet + Tambo: Juntos para que sigas jugando, fotograma del videoComercial de TV · 0:30Juntos para que sigas jugandoDoradoBet + Tambo · Perú, 2025

What to have ready

  • Script, treatment or visual references.
  • Tentative shoot dates and how many people are traveling.
  • What gear you are bringing and what needs to be rented here.
  • Where the piece will run and for how long, to set the rights.
  • Any category rules: betting brands need a permit from Mexico's Interior Ministry (SEGOB) before advertising in Mexico.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a public location needs no paperwork.
  • Planning drone shots without checking the distance to airports.
  • Bringing in-perpetuity transfer contracts that do not work as written in Mexico.
  • Booking flights before locations and permits are confirmed.

Tell us about your shoot

Production services are quoted per project. Email us at contacto@bcontent.media or message us on WhatsApp +51 939 058 287. The Spanish version of this page is Filmar en México.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to film in Mexico City?
It depends on where you shoot. On private property, with vehicles parked legally and nothing blocking traffic or sidewalks, you need neither a notice nor a permit (Mexico City Film Law, art. 22). Plazas, sidewalks or gardens without blocking streets need only a free filming notice filed with CFILMA at least 12 hours ahead; shooting on the street, closing traffic or rigging cranes and lights requires a permit.
How much does a filming permit cost in Mexico City?
Mexico City's 2026 Fiscal Code (art. 269) charges the street filming permit per day and per location, starting at MXN 1,382 for a regular-impact shoot. Fees go up with the impact of the shoot and increase 50% inside the Historic Center. CFILMA confirms the exact fee for each application.
Can we shoot at Teotihuacan or another archaeological site?
Yes, with INAH authorization and paying the fee set by the Federal Fees Law (art. 288-D): MXN 15,915.57 per day of commercial filming. The authorization has to be in hand before the shoot, so it is best to apply as soon as the location is locked.
Who owns the footage shot in Mexico?
Whatever you agree in writing. Mexico's Federal Copyright Law requires every transfer of economic rights to be in writing, paid and for a set term (art. 30); if the contract states no term, the transfer lasts 5 years (art. 33). A US-style work-for-hire clause in perpetuity does not work as is, so crew, talent and vendor contracts set term, territory and media.
How much do production services in Mexico cost?
We quote per project, because the cost depends on shoot days, crew size, gear, locations and permits. Send us your script or treatment and tentative dates and you get a quote within 24 business hours.

Brief · 10 questions · 2 min

Tell us about your project in 2 minutes

One question per screen. We reply with scope, schedule and cost within 24 business hours.

Start the brief

Prefer to write? contacto@bcontent.media · WhatsApp +51 939 058 287

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