Hollywood is (also) S?o Paulo.

Have you ever seen Sense8 from Netflix? After Netflix S?o Paulo revived the Avenida Paulista in the series Sense8, the city came back brilliant in the first episode of the new season of Black Mirror.

In consultation with the SP Commission, the SPCine, area responsible for filming in the city, the streaming platform reserved 19 locations ranging from Avenida Paulista, the interior of S?o Paulo, and the Atlantic beaches to a house in the Alphaville region. According to SPCine, the production of the Striking Vipers episode from 18 March to 8 April 2018 required more than 150 professionals, apart from the actors.

In this episode, the Netflix production gives a continuity to obscure themes and unforeseen situations with new technologies. This time an old friendship between two boys is treated, which gains new perspectives with the help of a game in augmented reality. Both the scenes of the real world and the scenes of the virtual universe were recorded in S?o Paulo. In this city and in the surrounding nature no digital manipulations are required to create the environments. S?o Paulo is a living architectural museum of the most diverse architectural styles, which exist building by building: from Wilhelminian style to post-modern architecture, everything is in close proximity and creates breathtaking real film backdrops.

In the 60 minutes Striking Vipers tells the life of old friends who meet again in a different way. Karl gives Danny a Street Fighter-style fighting game with a device that, embedded in a temple world, allows him to immerse himself in the virtual reality of the game's universe. As in ancient times, partners select their favorite characters and begin to identify with their new identities.

When they are not online, you can see Karl having dinner in the lakes restaurant, on the roof of the hotel Tivoli Mofarrej, on the Alameda Santos and Danny walking through the viaduct Santa Ifigênia.

In one scene, Danny's wife Theo leaves her husband in the house she shares and drives on to the Jericoacoara Bar on 9 de Julho Avenue. Even the beach of Eden, in Guarujá, appears in a battle scenario with virtual fighters. Also in the Kinkaku-ji temple, a Japanese replica from the 14th century, the two avatars face each other in Itapecerica da Serra, near Embu das Artes.

In the central region of the city, Karl appears in the Louvre building, on the Avenida S?o Luís, at the railing of the entrance; in a similar scene, Danny stands on the viaduct Santa Ifigênia and looks down into the valley of Annexabaú, in the middle of the center of S?o Paulo.

Until the end of the episode, there is another battle scene, this time at the top of the Copan Building, next to an old and abandoned Hilton Hotel. On the side of Oscar Niemeyer's construction is a graffiti with two intertwined snakes, symbol of the title of the episode.

Finally, Karl appears on the balcony of his apartment in front of a bright and colorful night picture of Avenida Paulista.

The region of S?o Paulo has developed itself into an internationally sought-after film spot. On the one hand, the shooting costs are lower here. The second important point lies in the very impressive urban cityscape, which boasts extremely rich architecture and intensive metropolitan mobility and structure. The proximity to the nature of the Atlantic rainforest and its beaches, as well as the "Wild West"-like inland make the region around S?o Paulo very attractive.

A few weeks ago, Keanu Reeves had the new feature film as well as a series shot again at different points of the city on various days and nights.

Yesterday, Netflix announced that it will invest around 100 million euros in Brazilian productions. Amid increasing competition in this sector, with the entry of Apple and Disney, the streaming giant is pushing the gas pedal in Brazil.

The amount will be invested in Brazilian original productions during 2020. This announcement was made during this week's FutureCom fair. According to Netflix CEO, resources will be invested in new series and seasons of existing titles as well as films and documentaries. In total, there will be around 30 productions in Brazil between 2019 and 2020.

The production of Brazilian stories for television, the so-called Tele-Novela, has been a major domestic business in Brazil for decades. Long before the success of Netflix and US TV, daily production in Brazil with broadcast at prime time was a reality. This experience created a national structure of high technical quality, creativity in dramaturgy and led to decades of administrative experience and project management. In Brazil, Netflix finds one of the most professional structures in the world to produce series, films and documentaries.

With Netflix's arrival in Brazil in 2016, the company motivates local content producers in an extremely strong and sustainable way. Netflix first produced content in Brazil in 2016. Since then, Netflix has mobilized 40,000 professionals for its productions in the country.

The industry in Brazil hopes that other producers such as Amazon, HBO, Apple and Disney will find a way to produce in Brazil.