Small Cities & Towns
10. Ashland, Oregon
You Go Girl! filmed in Ashland, one of our best places to live and work as a moviemaker. Photo by Jenny Graham
This beautiful little Oregon city, just north of the California border, is nestled between stunning natural scenery: As the hot and dry summer turns into cool autumn, richly colored leaves compliment the lush greenery and snow-capped mountains, encapsulating a magical view that looks right out of a movie. The view was captured in Reese Witherspoon’s 2014 hiking drama Wild, and it has only been attracting more productions and film industry professionals since. Cinematographer Sean Porter (Green Book) and actor Jim Belushi snatched up large properties to cultivate the wild lands of The Rogue Valley, where Belushi set up shop as a cannabis farmer on the outskirts of Ashland’s northern neighbor, Medford.
“I still recall that shocking and shivering moment as I first took a deep dive into the waters of the Rogue River. When I emerged, I felt as though I had been baptized. I saw the light,” the actor writes on the Belushi’s Farms website, explaining his decision to relocate his family from Los Angeles. “The river spirits had cleansed me and I immediately began the journey to find what this magnificent river had to offer.” It birthed a budding marijuana business for Belushi, and jobs for local crew hired to shoot his docu-style television series Growing Belushi in 2021—a year that Robin Smith of Film Southern Oregon tells MovieMaker was understandably slow for productions in the area. “COVID-19 has greatly affected filmmaking the past two years in the Medford metro,” Smith says. “Filmmakers have been completing commercial work this year as many film productions were halted.” A large part of the appeal of living in this area is its close proximity to other great moviemaking cities. You can take a direct flight to Los Angeles, or drive a few hours south to San Francisco, or a few hours north to Portland. The area provides no shortage of world-class hiking and outdoor adventuring, while Ashland, in particular, has a flourishing cultural scene that nurtures a vibrant community of filmmakers and artists. It’s home to the world-famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and has several movie theaters that showcase Hollywood tentpoles, independent arthouse cinema, and work from local filmmakers, who have their pick of gorgeous outdoor shooting locations that beef up production value without blowing a budget.
9. Richmond
Central Virginia is as attractive of a place to shoot as it is to live, with a 20-40 percent tax credit for film, television, documentary and commercial productions, as well as picturesque rolling hillsides in the country region surrounding the Richmond metropolis area, home to 1.3 million people.
“Richmond has truly become a renowned destination for filmmakers, with key independent films and award-winning television and streaming series putting us on the map more than ever before,” Margaret Finucane of the Virginia Film Office tells MovieMaker. “There has been a measured rush of filmmaking over the years, creating a buzz in the community and inspiring local support for production, while maintaining an atmosphere of unencumbered creativity and film-friendliness that more-trafficked cities often lose over time.” That rush of projects included Danny Strong’s Hulu miniseries Dopesick in 2021, as well as Apple TV+’s Swagger, AMC’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and Apple Original Films’ Raymond and Ray, starring Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor.
“Our mission is always to add value to all our productions that film in the commonwealth to keep them coming back,” Finucane adds.
That should be reassuring to professional moviemakers who want to live in a small, historic city protected by safety practices set forth by the state government, in addition to all industry-wide suggested best practices. It also boasts architectural splendor and great cultural activities — like over a dozen film festivals— while continuing to work on big-budget productions. The Virginia Film Office keeps them hooked by offering most government buildings as shooting locations free of charge, as well as State Farm, a 3,000-acre scenic backlot that housed sets for recent period pieces Harriet and The Good Lord Bird. There are also 10 production facilities in the area, which is currently open to all safe, responsible productions.
8. Wilmington, North Carolina
Ethan Hawke in Black Phone, which filmed in Wilmington, one of our best places to live and work as a moviemaker. Courtesy of Blumhouse
It sounds like there has never been a better time to be a filmmaker in this charming port city, offering a temperate coastal climate with beaches and a boardwalk, a bustling Historic District, and a Riverwalk lined with restaurants, galleries and shops.
With $327 million in direct spend from over a dozen productions utilizing the area, Wilmington Regional Film Commission executive director Johnny Griffin tells MovieMaker, “2021 has been the best year ever in filmmaking history in Wilmington.” And the history stretches back decades. “The film-friendly region has crews three generations deep from line producers to PAs,” Griffin says. “With the Cucalorus Film Festival being 27 years old, we boast a strong independent filmmaking community as well. Film is part of the fabric of the community.” Scott Derrickson (Sinister) shot his new horror film The Black Phone in Wilmington last spring, and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) filmed her upcoming science-fiction feature I.S.S. locally as well. Although the pandemic isn’t over yet, Griffin says, “Being more remote and less densely populated has helped with COVID issues.” Griffin doesn’t expect the boom to bust any time soon. “I feel that we have so many opportunities ahead now with growing our crew numbers and adding additional infrastructure to accommodate this massive production increase.”
7. Providence
Kevin Bacon and film commissioner Steven Feinberg on the set of Space Oddity, which filmed in Providence, one of our best places to live and work as a moviemaker
Filmmakers bedeviled by L.A.’s notorious traffic may be tempted to make the move to Rhode Island’s capital when they read the following words. “Our small size is a great asset,” says Steven Feinberg, executive director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office. “Rush-hour traffic lasts five minutes!” Perhaps that’s why Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly (Green Book) and his brother Bobby have maintained strong local ties for decades despite huge success in Hollywood with blockbuster comedies Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. Local production in 2021 generated about $100 million, thanks in part to Disney’s long-awaited Hocus Pocus sequel, as well as the HBO period drama series The Gilded Age. Big-budget productions are lured in by a competitive 30% transferable tax credit for both above- and below-the- line qualified expenditures, and Feinberg says the “film culture is growing rapidly and gaining experience every year,” which means continued opportunities for local crew. With Boston only an hour north, and New York City about three hours south, there are major filmmaking markets beyond the city itself to tap into. Locals can enjoy some of the finest beaches in New England when they’re not working, and Providence offers great restaurants, parks, well-maintained playgrounds for kids, a fantastic zoo, and arthouse movie theaters Avon Cinema and Greenwich Odeum.
6. Victoria, British Columbia
On the set of The Twilight Zone which filmed in Victoria. Courtesy of Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission
This stunning city located on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island is safe, clean, and walkable, with lush, green gardens and exquisite Victorian (of course) architecture, plus great shopping and dining. The year-round mild climate pairs nicely with all of the beaches, mountains, parks and hiking trails, while the diverse landscape pairs well with filmmaking. The greater Victoria area provides English castles, rolling vineyards, crashing surf, and a cityscape perfect for doubling European streets. Local shooting locations have served as New York City’s Central Park, the Oregon coast, the French Quarter, and Napa Valley. The Netflix drama series Maid shot in the area in 2021, as did the Hallmark Channel series Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries and several of the network’s original movies. “Victoria has been lovely to work in and around and I wouldn’t hesitate to return,” Maid producer Bonnie Benwick told the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission.
Film commissioner Kathleen Gilbert tells MovieMaker that a crew of over 500 experienced local technicians and a large pool of day players and background performers live in the area. And with a proposal for Malahat Film Studios — a world-class production studio with six sound stages — to be built on 80 acres just outside the city, the area would welcome more. The proposal forecasts the studio project would provide 1,500 jobs, making it one the top employers in the region, and Gilbert expects it would attract huge productions.
As the name of the island implies, Vancouver is only a 30-minute commute away (by plane or helicopter, at least), and Seattle, Washington is also a direct flight or ferry ride across the Salish Sea.
5. Tulsa
Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon filmed in Tulsa, one of our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, and other regions of Oklahoma. Courtesy of Apple TV+
Last year we noted that Tulsa tripled its number of productions between 2017 and 2019, including 2020 Sundance hit and Oscar winner Minari, leading to its debut in the No. 7 slot. The city, built along the Arkansas River, moved up in our ranking this year thanks to the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, which introduced new incentives for productions, including a cash rebate base of 20 percent, with additional uplifts of up to 38 percent on qualifying Oklahoma expenditures by film and television productions filming in the state. Also, cinematic icon Martin Scorsese chose Tulsa to shoot his upcoming drama Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. And the city’s racial history, a focus of the recent HBO series Watchmen, has also been examined in high-profile documentary productions including CNN Films’ Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street and the History Channel’s Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre.
“Despite the pandemic, the Tulsa region saw a record-setting number of productions, with 41 projects filming during 2020-21,” Abby Kurin, executive director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts, and Culture, tells MovieMaker. “Tulsa is a creative canvas that inspires period pieces and modern-day stories. Art deco architecture throughout downtown paired with Route 66 and wide- open spaces, Tulsa’s charm, and creative appeal will inspire your next project.”
She expects the state’s new tax incentives will only lead to further records being broken, and is happy to report that Taika Waititi’s FX comedy series Reservation Dogs will return to shoot Season 2 in Tulsa. And with three colleges in the area — University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University and Tulsa Tech — offering film degrees, it’s shaping up to be a great little city for the next generation of filmmakers to begin their careers.
4. Pittsburgh
George C. Wolfe’s Rustin filmed in Pittsburgh, one of two Pennsylvania cities on our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker list. Photo by James Mahathey
“With seven film productions in the region in 2021, the Pittsburgh film industry is the busiest it has ever been,” Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, tells MovieMaker. “Since 1990, film industry projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania have created thousands of jobs and countless business opportunities by generating nearly $2 billion in economic impact to our region, with more than 200 feature films and television productions.”
Most recently, the lovely western Pennsylvania city hosted the crew behind the upcoming Netflix biopic Rustin, about gay civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. Dustin Lance Black (Milk) co-wrote the screenplay with director George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), which is a recipe for awards season buzz in 2022.
With 18 production facilities, seven equipment rental houses, seven independent movie theaters, nine film festivals, and three local organizations dedicated to supporting filmmakers, it’s a great metropolis for those who want to make a living doing what they love in a friendly, affordable city built along the intersection of three rivers. There are plenty of cultural offerings to explore, and Pittsburgh offers great bars, delicious food and major sports teams with very passionate followings.
3. Santa Fe
The Harder They Fall, filmed in Santa Fe, one of our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker. Courtesy of Netflix
Enjoy 300 days of sunshine, four seasons, majestic sunsets, and Spanish Pueblo-style adobe architecture in this growing haven for artists of all kinds, who can enjoy excellent hiking, mountain biking, and skiing, as well as art galleries, shops, and restaurants galore in the downtown district.
Santa Fe Film Office commissioner Jennifer LaBar-Tapia tells MovieMaker that New Mexico’s capital city is “a mecca for independent filmmakers,” because of total support from the city and county governing bodies, a homegrown base of crews who are ready to work, and a wide variety of stunning shooting locations, with production facilities, sound stages, and equipment rentals within the city limits.
“We can do all genres of film here in New Mexico, but historically, and presently, a standout genre for our state is Westerns,” New Mexico Film Office director Amber Dodson said in 2021, a year that attracted several projects of that genre to the Santa Fe area. Amazon Studios and Plan B Entertainment’s Outer Range, starring Josh Brolin, shot locally last spring, and CW’s Roswell, New Mexico series continued to lease the Santa Fe Studios for principal production. Santa Fe also welcomed the Netflix Western The Harder They Fall with Jonathan Major, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz and Regina King. More production opportunities are only 60 miles away in an even larger New Mexico production hub, Albuquerque, which reclaimed the top spot in our ranking of the best big cities to live and work as a moviemaker. Santa Fe doesn’t offer any additional tax credits to productions that shoot in the area, but the state’s incentives are already attractive enough, with a 25 to 35 percent refundable tax credit for just about any type of production, with no minimum budget or spend requirement on feature production, and no pesky sunset clause.
2. Savannah
This beautiful, walkable city is home to the largest historic district in the United States, with 22 historic squares, quaint brick streets, and well-preserved architectural treasures, which give this popular film shoot destination much of the charm that lures major productions year after year.
As of mid-December, Savannah saw $113.1 million in direct spending on productions in 2021. Tyler Perry’s upcoming drama A Jazzman’s Blues shot in Savannah, as did actor Gerard Butler’s next action thriller, Chase. On top of Georgia’s very welcoming 30 percent base tax credit, Savannah offers an additional 10 percent local rebate for productions, and also offers a workforce relocation incentive. Georgia, in general, has become a production powerhouse, which is one of the reasons Savannah moved up two spots in our ranking since last year. Opportunities in the film and television business are abundant. The Georgia Department of Economic Development announced last summer that it saw a record $4 billion in direct spending on productions in the state during the 2021 fiscal year, compared to $2.9 billion direct spend in 2019. During that time period, 366 productions filmed in the state, which both Disney and Warner Bros. have been taking full advantage of.
Beth Nelson, the executive director and Film Commissioner of the Savannah Regional Film Commission, tells MovieMaker, “After the industry-wide shut down due to the COVID pandemic, we are looking forward to resuming production and landing projects that scouted here last year. We bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of production and are busier than ever. We anticipate a prosperous year for our local crew and film vendors, and high economic growth for our region.” Additionally, the Savannah Regional Film Commission is proud to have been named 2021 Outstanding Film Commission by the Location Managers Guild International for their collaboration with director Barry Jenkins on his Amazon series The Underground Railroad, which was shot in Savannah prior to the pandemic.
Continue for our Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2022
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