Pembrey Country Park is becoming a hot spot for film-makers

Pembrey Country Park is becoming a hot spot for film location seekers.
In the last two years the park and Cefn Sidan Sands has doubled for Morocco; Florida, Germany, Transylvania and even a Martian landscape for film makers.
The latest was a visit from the team behind the historical fantasy Da Vinci’s Demons who have been filming some of their more exciting scenes for its third series at the park.
The US and UK blockbuster series that is set in Renaissance Italy, has been filmed in the Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot areas, but the location scouting team found just what they needed in the forested dunescape of the park to recreate some of their chilling battle scenes.
The third series which will air in Spring 2015 stars Tom Rileys, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Gregg Chillin and Blake Ritson with Breaking Bad’s John Shiban joining as executive producer and showrunner.
The series follows the 'untold' story of one the world's greatest geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci, during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence.
Da Vinci’s Demons is produced by Adjacent Productions for STARZ and executive produced by John Shiban, Jane Tranter, David S. Goyer and Matthew Bouch.
Executive board member Cllr Meryl Gravell for regeneration and leisure, said in the last three years the county council-run park had been used for a dozen different productions including a major Casualty disaster episode, and for the key opening scenes for the last series of Atlantis and Doctor Who.
“It has been thrilling to have the professional Da Vinci’s Demons team filming in the park,” she said. “Despite the enormous scale of the production with extras there was no disturbance to the park’s normal day to day public business which shows its great diversity. The weather was as good as anything Italy could have offered with no special lighting to replicate continental sunshine.”
Da Vinci’s Demons is produced by the BBC Worldwide-owned Adjacent Productions and is shown in 120 countries. The next season is expected to air on Fox channels in 2015.
Jane Tranter, head of the company, said: "The international success of Da Vinci's Demons is due in no small part to the supremely talented production talent based in Wales helping us make a world class drama series for the international audience."
The series, based on the early life of artist Leonardo da Vinci and starring Tom Riley, also used the former Ford factory in Swansea as a studio set.
Locations like Margam Castle are also featured, recreating 15th Century Florence.
The production has so far also provided more than 100 work placements for students and graduates, while the Welsh government has supported a programme for two location manager trainees to work alongside the crew.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: "The benefits to local businesses, people and the wider Welsh economy so far have been considerable.”