Whether it's a movie, a TV show, a commercial or even a music video, a key decision is choosing where the cameras will roll. To that end, members of film crews are often dedicated to hunting down locations that will satisfy both the directors and producers, and this is where film commissions can play a leading role.

Often set up by local municipalities with support from local tourism industry and other private businesses, film commissions act as nonprofit, neutral middlemen that offer a variety of services -- from providing information on location sites and aiding crews to acquire permission to shoot in public areas to tasks such as recruiting extras.

In Western countries where the motion-picture industry has significant economic and cultural influence, film commissions that make life easier for crews have existed for decades. In Japan, however, until about five years ago, filmmakers were on their own when it came to securing locations.