Sacramento Looks to Increase Opportunities In Film Industry

Posted By David Warner, Blog Editor

Sacramento adds itself to the long list of cities that do their best to attract the film industry into their economic arena.

The Sacramento City Express reported on January 8 that the City of Sacramento has opened a new Film Office to bring in silver screen projects.

Sacramento joins a long list of cities that have already developed and/or continue to encourage Film and TV industry growth to be created in their cities.

Here is a list of Film Offices that may be local to your area. Be that up-and-coming director/producer and get your Film / TV project started in one of these cities:

1. Sacramento, California – Sacramento Film Office – City of Sacramento
   • The City is undertaking an exciting new role as the film permitting and information center for the City of Sacramento. For years, these services were skillfully and professionally handled by Visit Sacramento, the capital region’s exceptional visitor’s bureau. Transitioning these Film Office functions within the City government will allow more organic integration between City agencies and a more efficient leveraging of City resources, with the ultimate goal of building on the great production support previously provided by Visit Sacramento.
2. Albuquerque, New Mexico – Albuquerque Film Office — City of Albuquerque
   • Film and TV in Albuquerque has become an important part of the creative economy providing high-paying creative and technical jobs and indirectly benefiting other industries and businesses in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Film Office supports this rapidly expanding industry serving as a liaison between City agencies, the local community and Film/TV productions.
3. Atlanta, Georgia – Georgia Film and TV Production | Georgia Department of Economic Development
   • For over 40 years, the Georgia Film Office has been engaged in bringing film and television production to Georgia. The office maintains a locations database of thousands of properties, and provides scouting assistance as well as certifying projects for the tax incentive. With its temperate climate, great variety of locations, the world’s busiest airport, large crew base and pro-business focus, Georgia is now a leading destination in the world for filming.
4. Austin, Texas – Austin Film Commission
   • Austin is a leading destination for independent and large budget films as well as television & commercial productions. When filming your project here, take advantage of local professional crews, diverse locations, free right-of-way permitting, infrastructure support by facilities and vendors, and a mild climate to maximize your production schedule.
5. Boston, Massachusetts – Massachusetts Film Office | Massachusetts Film Office
   • Massachusetts has a long and rich film history with feature films and television shows lensed in every region across the Commonwealth. In this newly expanded format, you will find everything from the particular cities and town where films and television shows were shot, the productions listed by year, films that were nominated or won Oscars over the years, and a map of the most famous locations and how to find them.
6. Chicago, Illinois – Illinois Film Office
   • Illinois is a world class destination for film, television and advertising production. Check out our locations, from the beautiful, iconic Chicago skyline and 58 mile lakefront to the gritty back alleys and unique historic neighborhoods. Illinois boasts breathtaking natural vistas, rivers, prairies, industrial centers, picturesque farmland and small towns seemingly frozen in time.
7. Houston, Texas – Houston Film Commission
   • The Houston area’s long established reputation for diverse locations has been enhanced by numerous revitalization projects, urban and suburban development, and high-rise additions to the skyline. These new components combined with the small towns and farmland to the west, the piney woods to the north and east, and historic Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, make for the perfect filming location.
8. Los Angeles, California – California Film Commission
   • The California Film Commission is your one-stop resource for film, TV, and commercial production across the Golden State. California is home to the entertainment industry … and for good reason. We have the best weather (315 days of sunshine), wildly diverse locations (from 840 miles of coastline to vast desert sand dunes), highly skilled crews and the best production infrastructure.
9. Memphis, Tennessee – Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission
   • The Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission is the official City/County economic development agency for film and television.
10. Montreal, Québec – Québec Film and Television Council – Montréal
    1. QFTC, single service point for foreign producers, film and TV, script breakdowns, location scouting, visit coordination, and filming in Quebec.
11. New York, New York – Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
    • The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) comprises four divisions: the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting which coordinates film and television production throughout the five boroughs; NYC Media, the largest municipal television and radio broadcasting entity in the country with a reach of 18 million viewers within a 50-mile radius; workforce and educational initiatives in film, television, theater, music, publishing, advertising and digital content to support the development of NYC’s creative industries, which account for over 305,000 jobs, and an economic output of $104 billion; and the office of Nightlife, supporting the sustainable development of New York City’s nightlife industry which accounts for close to 300,000 jobs and an economic output of $35.1 billion.
12. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Oklahoma Film and Music Office
    • The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) strives to support and connect local, national and international filmmakers with Oklahoma’s skilled crew, talent, production services and diverse locations which span across 12 eco-regions. OF+MO also promotes and showcases Oklahoma’s rich musical heritage and connects emerging artists of all genres to music venues and businesses across the state. Our purpose is to grow the film and music industries statewide.
13. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Greater Philadelphia Film Office | GPFO
    • The Greater Philadelphia Film Office (GPFO) is a “film commission” representing southeastern Pennsylvania that officially serves the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.
14. Portland, Oregon – Portland Film Office
    • The Portland Film Office serves as Portland’s go-to resource for the film, video, and multimedia industry. Our goals are to facilitate filming in Portland for productions of all sizes, capture economic impact for the city, promote Portland as a film location, and support the industry’s success locally and internationally.
15. Toronto, Ontario – Ontario Creates
    • Ontario Creates, an agency of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries is the central catalyst for the province’s cultural media cluster including book publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing and music industries.
16. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – In Production | Creative BC
    • The BC Film Commissioner and team are committed to supporting, promoting and sustaining the success of BC’s motion picture industry. All services are provided free of charge for the benefit of both the industry and the communities in which it works. We help ensure that productions enjoy smooth and efficient operations wherever they shoot, whether an urban or wilderness location. Bringing local and incoming industry, labour associations and government together in coordination, the Production Services Department aims to facilitate seamless client service from initial script to screen-ready media.

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