How Pedralonga Estudios is putting Galicia on the global production map

Galicia’s Pedralonga Estudios has been rapidly expanding this year as it looks to use its unique credentials to entice more international productions to the vibrant Spanish region.

The sprawling, state-of-the-art 5,500sqm site is one of the largest TV and film production centres in Spain, with two giant soundstages, a 750sqm virtual stage and extensive office space among a host of facilities on offer.

But Pedralonga is also unique in its make-up: not only does it have European Union and regional government backing, it is also supported by organisations ranging from the University of A Coruña to the Galician Audiovisual Cluster, the latter made up of 10 leading Galician production companies including Portocabo, Zenit TV and Vaca Films.

José Manuel Deus, managing director at Pedralonga Estudios, spoke to Broadcast International about his expansion strategy, what international producers can expect, and how regional grants and national tax incentive schemes can be combined to create a globally competitive framework.

What was the business rationale behind the launch of the new studio facilities in Galicia?

The launch of our new facilities was driven by a need we had been seeing for a long time: the Galician audiovisual sector was ready to take a leap forward, but it lacked an infrastructure capable of sustaining that momentum and attracting international productions. Galicia already had the talent, the companies and the locations; it simply needed a centre with the flexibility and cutting-edge technology that today’s producers expect.

Pedralonga Estudios was born to bridge that gap, offering an integrated hub designed to stand alongside Europe’s leading production centres, where creativity, technology and efficiency naturally come together.

Tell us more about the local production companies that are associated with the studio and how you work with them.

From the very beginning, we wanted Pedralonga to be a project built from within the industry itself. Our consortium brings together ten Galician companies with long-standing experience including Vaca Films (The Unit, The Courier), Portocabo (Rapa, Hierro, Weiss & Morales), Voz Audiovisual, Tex45, and others specializing in technical services, production services, and advertising along with the Galician Audiovisual Cluster and the University of A Coruña.

Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do: we develop joint projects, promote specialized technical training, and work together to integrate new production models. For us, local production companies are not external suppliers, they are essential partners in the growth of the hub.

And it’s important to highlight that the CEI also has the Provincial Council of A Coruña as a key institutional partner. They drive, finance, and oversee the project, ensuring a stable operational framework and a strong strategic position, which provides any production considering shooting here with institutional credibility, long-term stability, and genuine support.

What types of shows / production companies are you looking to attract to Pedralonga?

Pedralonga is designed to host a wide variety of projects. We aim to attract feature films and series for global platforms, international advertising campaigns, branded content and hybrid projects that combine physical and virtual shooting. Our goal is to be a flexible and efficient studio for teams looking to optimize resources without sacrificing creative ambition, while also offering a space to explore new approaches in virtual production and XR technologies.

Tell us more about the facilities on offer, including the Coruña Estudio Inmersivo (CEI) and how you can help reduce shootings times and costs.

The Coruña Immersive Studio (CEI) is currently the largest integrated virtual stage in Spain and one of the most advanced in Europe. Its 750 m² surface, 4K LED walls and real-time tracking systems allow us to create hyper-realistic environments without the need for travel. This reduces logistical risks, ensures visual consistency and enables savings of up to 65–68% per shooting day compared to other location shoots.

And this is only the beginning: in 2026 we will add two large sound stages of 2,500 and 2,000 m², allowing us to seamlessly connect physical, outdoor and virtual production within a single hub.

Beyond its technological core, the CEI has been designed with the real, day-to-day needs of a production in mind. The stage is fully soundproofed and equipped with low-intensity climate control, and the facility includes individual dressing rooms, wardrobe and makeup areas, hair and costume rooms, extras and production spaces, catering, and dedicated script-reading rooms. Everything is just a few steps away, ensuring the crew doesn’t lose time moving between areas or making last-minute adjustments.

And of course, no virtual production system works without the right people behind it. That’s why we have a specialized technical team that joins the project from day one, liaises directly with the client, and manages all systems to keep the workflow precise, agile, and reliable.

Taken together, the CEI helps accelerate shooting schedules, control production variables more effectively, significantly reduce costs, and at the same time expand creative possibilities. For any international producer, it’s a tool that truly makes a difference.

Can companies shooting at Pedralonga access tax incentives?

Absolutely. Productions that shoot at Pedralonga can fully access Spain’s general film tax incentive, which is the scheme used by virtually all international shoots coming to the mainland.

It’s a very solid, straightforward system: productions receive 30% back on the first million euros spent in Spain, and 25% on the remaining qualifying expenditure. The caps are also very attractive, up to €20 million per feature film or €10 million per episode for series. For most mid-sized or large productions, it’s an excellent fit.

What makes Galicia particularly competitive is that this national incentive can be combined with direct grants from the regional government, which can add up to €350,000 per project. These are cash grants, very agile, and fully compatible with the federal tax incentive, so productions can benefit from both simultaneously.

This combination of a strong national tax credit plus a substantial regional grant is one of the reasons many international producers tell us Galicia has become such an appealing destination. And when you add the technical capabilities we offer at Pedralonga and at the Coruña Immersive Stage, the financial and creative advantages align very clearly.

So, in short: yes, companies that shoot with us have access to powerful, easily combinable incentives. For any international production looking to balance financial efficiency with high-end technical infrastructure, Galicia is now one of the most compelling regions in Spain.

What differentiates Pedralonga Estudios from other hubs (both in Spain and internationally)?

Pedralonga isn’t just a studio, it’s a complete ecosystem where technology, talent, training, and innovation coexist within A Coruña’s technology park. Our greatest strength is the genuine integration of workflows: virtual production, physical shooting, post-production, and technical training all operating in a single, connected environment designed to make the creative and technical process seamless.

Another advantage for international producers concerns cost-efficiency. The virtual production stage at the Coruña Immersive Studio offers the most competitive rates in Spain, thanks to an innovative model supported by the Provincial Council of A Coruña, which guarantees that competitiveness over time. For many projects, this translates into cost savings of up to 68% compared to standard virtual production rates in Spain and in other markets. That level of price stability and efficiency is extremely rare and provides a major strategic advantage when budgeting a shoot.

And then there’s something no one else can replicate: Galicia itself. Its landscapes, its light, its culture, and its quality of life make the region a natural and distinctive partner for any production. When you combine that unique identity with our technological capabilities and a highly efficient cost structure, Pedralonga becomes a truly singular production hub both within Spain and on the international stage.

Have any shows / films booked in to shoot or been shot at Pedralonga yet?

The industry’s response has been outstanding from day one. We have already hosted international advertising productions, technical tests for film and television, and we are currently shooting a feature film for a major global platform.

We can mention, for instance, the shooting of scenes from the feature film Dímelo en secreto, produced by Vaca Films and based on the second installment of the bestselling Dímelo (Tell me) trilogy by author Mercedes Ron, for the global streaming service Prime Video; as well as the campaigns for Zara Kids’ new winter collection The Winter Project and for Pull&Bear (both brands of the Inditex Group), which chose to rely on the CEI’s virtual production capabilities and advanced digital integration.

For confidentiality reasons we cannot reveal additional titles yet, but the level of activity confirms that the CEI meets a real market need and that Galicia is ready to play a more significant role on the international audiovisual stage. We are very pleased to contribute to this evolution and to help drive a change that is already reshaping the industry.