• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nevada Business Magazine

The Decision Maker's Magazine

Subscribe Now!

  • Subscriptions
    • Print
    • Mobile App
    • Email
    • Nevada News & PR Wire
  • Features
    • New This Month
    • View Issues
    • Cover Stories
    • Feature Stories
    • Industry Focus
    • Building Nevada
    • Special Reports
    • Press Release Wire
    • Nevada Industries
  • Departments
    • A Matter of Opinion
    • Around the State
    • Business Indicators
    • Commentary
    • Commercial RE Report
    • Crossfire
    • Expert Advice
    • Face to Face
    • Free Market Watch
    • Inside Politics
    • Power of Attorney
    • Profit & Loss
    • Speaking for Nevada
    • Tech.knowledge.me
    • The Last Word
    • Vital Signs
  • Planning Calendar
  • Advertising
    • Advertising Info
    • Advertising Staff
    • Submission Requirements
    • Online Advertising
  • Events
    • NBM Events
  • About
    • About the Magazine
    • Contact the Staff
  • Connect
    • Business Directory
    • Press Release Wire
    • Business Calendar
    • Submit Listing
    • Post Press Release
    • Add Your Event
    • Sign Up
    • Log In
You are here: Home / Features / Building Nevada / Filmmaking in Nevada: Lights, Camera, Action!

Filmmaking in Nevada: Lights, Camera, Action!

December 3, 2012 By Howard Riell Leave a Comment

Level Playing Field isn’t the name of a new big-budget film — but it is the dramatic ending that moviemakers are hoping for in order to bring their production companies to Nevada.

And the economic payoff if the state provides that level playing field could well prove to be a blockbuster.

While just about anyone can name off the top of his head a bunch of movies filmed here – Cannonball Run, The Electric Horseman, Mars Attacks!, Melvin and Howard, Rain Man, Showgirls, Star Trek: Generations, Waking Up in Reno, The Godfather and Godfather II, Casino, Diamonds Are Forever, High Plains Drifter, Honeymoon in Vegas, Independence Day, Leaving Las Vegas, Rocky Balboa, Oceans Eleven and of course The Hangover are just some — far fewer can explain how states like Michigan, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Mexico seem to have gotten the drop on Nevada and taken away much of its potential movie industry revenue.

Their secret: luring film production companies with incentives that leave more cash in their pockets. In all, at least 40 states are now working to lure film producers with some sort of incentives.

“When productions film on location it’s a tremendous boost to the economy, as crews need places to stay and eat, equipment to rent, people to hire and facilities to use,” says Charlie Geocaris, director of the Nevada Film Office. From its inception in 1982, the Nevada Film Office has facilitated numerous productions and has generated over $2 billion in revenue for the state. In addition, when Nevada is seen on the big or small screen it not only benefits the economy but the ancillary increase of tourism is another plus. Feature films such as The Hangover and a TV series such as CSI attract tourists throughout the year.

Feature film production is “a very good part of our overall economy,” agrees James Reid, president of JR Lighting Inc. in North Las Vegas. Reid’s company rents and sells lighting and grip equipment to the film and television industry. The overwhelming natural advantage the state enjoys, he notes, is that in the movie business “It’s all about location. Las Vegas is a tremendous location, as you have seen in a lot of films. You won’t find what you have in Las Vegas anywhere else. And then we have the mountains and the lakes and those kinds of things that are nice to have as secondary locations.”

John Oteri, the owner of 25-year-old Precision Video Service in Las Vegas, which rents lighting, grip equipment, sound gear and supplies to film crews, says the business remains “fairly insignificant compared to other industries.” It is, however, growing due to the large number of conventions in town. “There are many experts who come to the conventions, and they prefer to interview people at them. We’re sort of a studio, and we interview people (at conventions) instead of scouring the country to meet these people. They’re in one place; it’s pretty cost effective to do that.”

Precision also enjoys what Oteri calls “a pretty good share of people who want to capitalize on the glamour of Las Vegas and use it as a backdrop for their reality TV shows. We get a lot of pilots.”

Tad Griffith’s 26-year-old company, A. Tad Western Production Co., has offices in Nevada and Aqua Dulce, CA, and handles feature films, television commercials and conventions. Griffith says he doesn’t see Nevada upping its share of the film business until legislators “come around and actually offer some incentives. I mean, we’ve been competing against Canada and New Zealand, and now we’re competing against Michigan and Louisiana and North Carolina. It’s become a state thing now. Unfortunately, I truly believe that they have to, in good faith, offer some incentives for the studios — and even for the independent films — to consider them. Money talks.”

Budget outlays needn’t be inordinate, add Griffith, who is currently in Namibia helping to shoot the Mad Max reboot, because of Nevada’s inherent advantages. “I don’t think they have to offer the huge incentives that Michigan and Louisiana undertook. Nevada has more to offer and it’s obvious that being closer, it doesn’t cost too much to move. But I think in all honesty it would require some sort of incentive; maybe half the incentive that the other states are offering would then make it a feasible, viable thing.” Nevada currently offers the lack of a state income tax plus a meager abatement on room tax after 30 days. The economic development plan released by Gov. Brian Sandoval includes a variety of economic development incentives, with some for film taxes.

At present, Griffith continues, production companies “only come to Las Vegas now if they have to use the locations; if they have to use Reno or Las Vegas as a background. Often they try to use Victorville and the high desert to fill in with the locations. But if it were to offer incentives I truly believe people would take advantage of all their terrain and all their mountains. They would shoot more movies here because Nevada, like California, has all those topographical areas.”

Action!

The film office assists productions with location scouting, area logistics, script breakdowns, permitting regulations, insurance requirements, technical support and everything in-between to help assure that a production runs smoothly, remains on-time and on-budget and has a good experience so they will come back to Nevada with future productions. The process for setting up and filming in the state, Geocaris says, is “fast, easy and involves very little red tape. The intergovernmental cooperation is excellent.”

For the fiscal year starting July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012, the state of Nevada hosted 520 productions — feature films, TV commercials, series and specials, reality shows, music videos, documentaries, corporate/industrial projects, student films, still photography and others — and collected nearly $88.8 million in revenue, according to the Nevada Film Office. The number of productions is higher than the 479 of the previous year, and the highest since 2006 (776).

The Nevada Film Office takes a highly proactive approach by marketing and advertising its one-of-a-kind locations, professional crews and state-of-the-art facilities in trade publications; attends domestic and international trade shows; supports film festivals; conducts community outreach programs; sponsors free education seminars; and administers a screenplay competition in which scripts must contain 75 percent of locations filmable in Nevada. The office also publishes the Nevada Production Directory, an annual resource guide that serves as “yellow pages” for producers, helping them locate everything they’ll need to shoot while on location in Nevada. An online version of the directory with a searchable photo image library can be found at nevadafilm.com, allowing productions 24/7 access to potential Nevada locations.

In addition, the film office publishes Nevada: A Visual Guide to Locations, which features the Reno/Tahoe areas, Las Vegas and Southern Nevada locales, roads and countryside to showcase those locations.

Back to the Future

Nevada continues to be popular in Hollywood. Projects scheduled to film in October and November included Warner Brothers’ Hangover 3, the Showtime series House of Lies and the CBS Films’ Last Vegas starring Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman. Major productions shot during 2012 included the Warner Brothers’ magician comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone starring Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, which is set to open in theaters on March 15, 2013, and the HBO Films’ Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.

“One of the major factors holding us back in doing feature films is that the state doesn’t really participate in subsidizing film production,” says Oteri. “Many other states have film programs. In New Mexico they will give up to $2 million in production costs back to a company (specifically, the state gives film producers tax savings on direct production and post-production spending, including crew costs). They have invested countless millions of dollars in trying to build up their infrastructure, and they actually shoot a lot of features now. Detroit is another area that is heavily subsidized. It goes beyond a tax rebate; it’s actually a labor rebate, and we just can’t compete with that.”

Oteri acknowledges that there has been talk about Nevada stepping up, “but with the budget constraints right now it’s sort of out of the question.” He sees the movie industry infrastructure in the state as “pretty frail, actually. It’s kind of limited as far as inventory. There are a lot of different types of equipment, but there is not much depth. We all share, basically. We work with a lot of production companies. We’re all renting from each other and sourcing equipment back and forth.”

There is, Reid says, no shortage of film equipment for crews to rent here in town. “Most of the infrastructure is here. We can certainly improve our infrastructure, of course, as other cities can.” One way to do that would be by having a first-class studio based here. “That would probably help a lot.” He sees it a likelihood in the future. “I haven’t talked to anybody specifically who has a plan on the drawing board that is moving forward. But I suspect that in the next few years we’ll have something like that.” He also predicts the state will eventually join those that provide subsidies for film companies. “I think it’s in Nevada’s best interest to level the playing field and be equally competitive with those other states.”

Will Nevada legislators attempt to level the playing field and draw more movie production here by offering the same types of incentives as a growing number of other states?

Toni Suttie, the principal of Integrity Casting in Reno, a company that she and her mother, Joan Bermudes, founded in the 1980s, says she has seen the Nevada film industry grow “quite a lot, actually. There’s always been a bit of an issue with regard to getting the tax perks and some of the other perks that some of the other states have and that sometimes can be problematic. But it seems that the independent films are picking up here in the area. I’m really happy to hear that that’s happening, and to be able to say that.”

It would, reflects Suttie, who specializes in independent feature films, be “nice” to be able to have more incentives for filmmakers. “If they were to able arrange something with regard to cool incentives that would be great.” She also advocates changes to Nevada’s entertainment laws for children. “Right now there really aren’t any entertainment laws for minors, so they’re able to work them however and whenever they want. It would be nice to be able to get some really firm, look-after-the-kid entertainment laws implemented in our state.”

Griffith says he’s not sure how close Nevada is to moving in the direction of subsidizing film production. “I’m not sure if they think they have to. I think they believe that because they’re so close to California they’re going to get the business anyway.” Incentives would be most effective, he adds, in bringing in independent films, those with budgets of up to $30 million.

The final scene in this drama has yet to be scripted.

Filed Under: Building Nevada Tagged With: A. Tad Western Production Co., Behind Candelabra, Cannonball Run, Casino, CBS Films, Charlie Geocaris, Diamonds Are Forever, Filmmaking in Nevada, Governor Brian Sandoval, Hangover 3, HBO Films, High Plains Drifter, Hollywood, Honeymoon in Vegas, House of Lies, Independence Day, Integrity Casting, James Reid, John Oteri, JR Lighting Inc., Las Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas, Mars Attacks!, Matt Damon, Melvin and Howard, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Nevada Film Office, Nevada: A Visual Guide to Locations, North Las Vegas, Oceans Eleven, Precision Video Services, Rain Man, Reno, Robert DeNiro, Rocky Balboa, Showgirls, Showtime, Southern Nevada, Star Trek: Generations, Tad Griffith, Tahoe, The Electric Horseman, The Godfather and Godfather II, The Hangover, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Toni Suttie, Waking Up in Reno, Warner Brothers

Sponsored Features

Sponsored Features

Sun City Anthem HOACashes in on Water Savings

U.S. Bank’s Good TruckComes to Las Vegas

GC Garcia, Inc. Celebrates 25 YearsAnd Looks Back on Southern Nevada’s Changing Landscape

Las Vegas Valley Water DistrictSupports Local Fire-Fighting Efforts

Advertise With Us

Advertise With Us. more details ►

Primary Sidebar

Education OutlookBig Issues and Hard Work for K-12

Industry FocusBuilders & Developers

Industrial SubmarketDemand Over Pandemic

Cyber SecurityKeeping Your Business Safe

Nevada News & PR Wire

  • Las Vegas-Based Pandmedic Solutions Donates 10,000 Face Masks to Non-Profit Core and Two Opportunity 180 Schools

  • Korin Woods Named Executive Director of Nonprofit UNSHAKEABLE

  • CSN First-Generation Student Named Regents’ Scholar – the Honor Includes a $5,000 Award

  • Cure 4 the Kids Foundation Tees up 9th Annual Golf 4 The Kids

  • Call for Proposals for Two Visit Carson City Murals

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of Azure Park Apartments for $2,854,000

  • Special Olympics Nevada to Host 2021 South Lake Tahoe Plunge at Round Hill Beach Resort

  • City of Las Vegas Launches Smart Curbside Management Corridor with Cox

  • De Castroverde Law Group Announces Winners of Its Fall 2020 Teacher Appreciation Awards

  • NAIOP Southern Nevada Urges Congress to Pass the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

  • Dueling Axes Announces Spring Specials and Weekly Programming

  • Desert Radiology Receives Renewal as Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence From American College of Radiology

  • Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Announces New Board Member Hilary Nelson of Lexicon Bank

  • Cure 4 the Kids Foundation Recognizes Founder Annette Logan-Parker – Dr. Suess-Themed Patient Examination Room Dedicated During Nevada Reading Week

  • Local Business Owner Accepted Into Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program

  • James M. Wright Named Chief Marshal for the Nevada Appellate Courts

  • CAMCO Employees Demonstrate Their Giving Hearts in February

  • Nevada Donor Network Applauds AOPO’s “50,000 Organ Transplants by 2026” Campaign that Focuses on Improving System and Saving More Lives

  • Reno Aces and Greater Nevada Credit Union Help Youth Sports Return to Play

  • Diversity in Practice Panel to Explore Middle Eastern/South Asian Representation in Law

  • Founder of “Gracefully Greying”, Family Attorney Henry S. Gornbein Joins Lipson Neilson as Of Counsel

  • La Strega’s Weekend Fish Market Continues, Scheduled for Sun., Mar. 7

  • Prominence Health Plan Advises Nevadans to Protect Themselves from Medical Scammers

  • A Virtual Restaurant and Fast Casual Concept Set to Debut in Henderson

  • Suit up and Help End Childhood Cancer With St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

  • Faith Lutheran Middle & High School’s Conservatory of the Fine Arts Presents Filming the Arts – Student Showcase Proceeds Benefit Renowned Fine Arts Program

  • Carson City Named Top Place in America to Travel Right Now and Avoid the Pandemic by Forbes

  • Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP Relocates its Reno Office

  • De Castroverde Law Group Awarded Las Vegas Latino Bar Association Inspira Award

  • Virtual Poker Tournament with “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth Will Benefit Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Mar. 13-14

  • Future Smiles Receives Unrestricted $25,000 Program Grant From LIBERTY Dental Plan of Nevada

  • Desert Radiology Encourages COVID-19 Vaccination Among Team Members and Community

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of MCR Apartments for $6,800,000

  • Helix Electric Announces Completion of Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart

  • Brooke Conway-Kleven Leads Cure 4 the Kids Foundation Physical Medicine Department

  • Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Accepting Enrollment Applications Through Feb. 28

  • JING Las Vegas to Host Wine Tasting Tuesdays, Every Tuesday Beginning Tues., Feb 23

  • Reno Public Market’s Nettie Oliverio Elected as Pioneer Center Board Chair

  • Alaskan-Born Neeser Construction Expands in Reno-Tahoe

  • More Matcha on the Menu: Dunkin’ Debuts Blueberry Matcha Latte and New Matcha Topped Donut

  • Las Vegas Local Businesses Celebrate with February Events Margarita Day, Happy Hour Specials, Wine Pairing and Charitable Fundraisers

  • Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP Relocates its Las Vegas Office

  • Supreme Court to Consider Creating Commission to Study Water Adjudication

  • WGU Launches Initiative to Remove Barriers for Students With High Financial Need and Those Without Access to Federal Financial Aid

  • Applications Open for Nevada State College’s Newest Summer Bridge Program Designed for Incoming Black Students

  • Silver State Schools Credit Union Announces 2021 Scholarship Program Available To Graduating Nevada High School Seniors

  • Broadbent & Associates, Inc. Names New Director of Engineering

  • Nathan Adelson Hospice Names Cheryl Johnston as Clinical Manager for Pahrump Location

  • Former Las Vegas Police Officer Offers Help To Local Residents

  • Statewide Partners Unite to Facilitate Equal Vaccine Access Through Nevada Vaccine Equity Collaborative

  • Nevada Small Business Development Center Presents The Top 5 PPP Myths, Busted!

  • Jewish Nevada and Jewish Family Services Agency (JFSA) Team up to Launch Hebrew Free Loan Program to Assist Nevada’s Jewish Community

  • Cassie Catania-Hsu Accepted Into NAIOP Research Foundation Visionaries Program

  • Ascent Multifamily Now Offers Corporate Accounting

  • Nevada State Contractors Board to Hold 2nd Annual ‘Hammers & Hope’ Event

  • TMC Financing Helps Eby Iron Designs Secure Future with Building Purchase

  • Economic Impact of COVID Closures White Paper Published

  • ioneer and Caterpillar Complete Autonomous Haul Truck Feasibility Study and Sign Memorandum of Understanding

  • United Pain Urgent Care Launches in Reno

  • Terra Contracting Launches New Service Offering; Public Utilities to Save Millions

  • In Plain Sight Marketing Ditches Brick and Mortar Digs, Goes Virtual

  • Eleven Lipson Neilson Attorneys Receive AV Preeminent® Rating for 2021

  • Nevada Supreme Court Appoints Katherine Stocks as Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts and State Court Administrator

  • Cold Brew With Sweet Cold Foam and Chocolate Stout Cold Brew With Sweet Cold Foam Arrive at Dunkin’ Restaurants Nationwide on February 24

  • Desert Radiology Continues to Hire for Several Available Positions

  • Dr. Phillip Ruiz Joins Nevada Donor Network as Associate Laboratory Medical Director

  • Colliers Las Vegas Represents Sale of Undeveloped Land in North Las Vegas

  • Special Olympics Nevada to Host 2021 Las Vegas Polar Plunge at Cowabunga Bay

  • G.C. Garcia, Inc. to Host ‘Reading to Rescued Dogs’ Books & Pet Supplies Donation Drive to Benefit Spread the Word Nevada & Heaven Can Wait Animal Society

  • Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging and SR Construction Break Ground on New Facility

  • Sandeep R. Pandit, M.D. Brings Hip and Knee Expertise to Crovetti Orthopaedics

  • NV Energy Foundation Provides $550,000 to Support Scholarships, Workforce Readiness & Student Emergency Fund. the Funds Will Provide Scholarships and Aid to Hundreds of CSN Students

  • NAIOP Southern Nevada Presents “Land: Why Our Future Depends on It” at Feb. 18 Virtual Breakfast

  • Concrete Slabs Poured at Latest Brass Cap Development Industrial Project in West Henderson

  • The Discovery Welcomes New Board Members

  • Deryk Engelland Joins the 8 News Now Team

  • Dress for Success Southern Nevada Welcomes Norma Intriago as Executive Director

  • Lutheran Social Services of Nevada to Celebrate Opening of Expanded DigiMart™ Food Pantry – Feb. 16 Ribbon Cutting Will Celebrate Completion of Expansion That Will Serve an Additional 5,000+ Families Annually

  • NAIOP Honors Southern Nevada Chapter With Three National Awards

  • Zero1 Off-Road, LLC Acquires Vegas Off-Road Tours, LLC and Transfers the Existing RZR Off-Road Experience to “Vegas Off-Road Tours”

  • Dermody Properties Promotes Kimberly Rossiter to Director of Property Management, West

  • RSAR Releases January 2021 Existing Home Sales Report

  • PureCare Living’s Newest Skilled Nursing Facility Enters Final Phase of Licensing

  • LPGA Pro Gigi Stoll Joins Reflection Bay Golf Club

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of 2566 Sherwood Street Apartments for $1,700,000

  • Business Continuity Technologies Protecting Las Vegas Business From Cyberattacks

  • MassMedia Marketing, Advertising and PR Signs Circus Circus Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

  • Colliers Las Vegas Industrial Team Sells Out Six-Unit Industrial Complex Valued at $6.6m During Pandemic

  • Tuscan Highlands Opens Second Round of Nominations for Valley’s Top First Responders

  • The Las Vegas Business Academy Announces Allyson Bunker and Candace Davis-Martin as New Board Members

  • Southern Nevada Housing Market Starts Year With Prices Still Rising

  • Two University of Nevada, Reno Graduates Earn Certificate in Principles of Public Relations

  • Reno Sportsdome Partners With Swift Orthopedic Urgent Clinic

  • Nevada State College Ranks #2 in Nationwide Search for Best Elementary Education Degree

  • College of Southern Nevada & City of Las Vegas Partner to Offer Education, Workforce Training in Historic West Las Vegas

  • Future Smiles Receives $10,000 Gift From Dentaquest – Nonprofit Will Use Funds to Support Local Children in Need of Critical Dental Services

  • Colliers Las Vegas Retail Broker Chris Clifford Promoted to Senior Vice President

  • Silver State Schools Credit Union Increases Share Insurance Coverage Up To $500,000

  • Lamar Advertising of Las Vegas to Honor African American “Firsts” Throughout Black History Month

  • ioneer Welcomes Rose McKinney-James as Non-Executive Director to its Board



 
Submit Your News & PR | Subscribe
Submit Your News & PR

Business Connection

Business Connection Portal

Log In Sign Up

Business Connection Portal

Log In Sign Up

Nevada Business Calendar

  • Ely Film Festival 2021
    March 12, 2021 12:00 pm

    Location: 501 E Aultman St, Ely, NV 89301, USA

    More details...
  • Play 4 JA Virtual Poker Tournament
    March 13, 2021 12:00 am

    More details...
View Full Calendar ►

Nevada Business Directory

Featured Businesses
Find a Nevada-Based Business Submit Your Business Subscribe to the Nevada News & PR Wire

Nevada Industries

Architects & Engineers
Arts & Culture
Banking
Commercial Real Estate
Construction
Credit Unions
Economic Development
Education
Financial Management
Healthcare
Human Resources
Insurance
Law
Manufacturing
Marketing
Media
Mining
Philanthropy
Residential Real Estate
Rural Nevada
Sports
Tax Planning and Accounting
Technology
Telecom
Tourism
Transportation
Utilities

Footer

Subscriptions

  • Print Subscription
  • Mobile App
  • E-mail Subscription

Editorial

  • Features
  • Departments
  • Events

Advertising

  • Advertise
  • Submission Requirements

Connect

  • Contact
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2020, Business Link LLC dba Nevada Business Magazine and Nevada Business Journal. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
Nevada Web Design services by Nevada Central Media using Genesis Framework by StudioPress