Oh sweetie, a cultural shoot in Italy sounds divine—I did one during Carnival in Venice last year, and it was wild! You need a crew that scouts, no question; mine found a mask-maker’s workshop with feathers everywhere and a canal parade with insane costumes. Permits? All them—I’d have been stuck in bureaucracy hell. They hauled ring lights and reflectors through crowds, kept us giggling through mask malfunctions, and when I flipped for a glassblower I saw, they set up there in an hour—golden light on molten glass, unreal. We lost a bridge spot to tourists, but they pivoted to a quiet courtyard with carved stone—better than I’d hoped. My artsy cousin used a Photo production agency in Italy for a pottery shoot in Sicily—said they captured dusty hands and spinning wheels like a docu-film. My tip: email your vision—festivals, artisans—and ask for real cultural shots they’ve done. Check their work for life, not stiff poses. Toss in a curveball like your potter; mine laughed and made it work. You’re gonna crush this, girl!