A wave of Hollywood films and television productions filmed in San Diego

San Diego – San Diego’s most popular beaches, cityscapes and nature can set the scene for your next favorite movie or TV show.

The city of San Diego says it’s banking on its success as a wave of Hollywood TV, film and production studios continue to choose San Diego, making the area one of America’s top filming destinations.

“We want Hollywood to understand that you don’t have to be married to L.A.,” said Guy Langman, the city’s special events and photography official. “Here we are, we have the same look, and again, they’re just so much better.” boss.

The world’s largest companies, including Disney, Warner Brothers and Netflix, have filmed projects or scouted filming locations throughout the province. According to the city, the local economic impact of filming a feature film in San Diego is huge.

In March, an untitled Warner Brothers film featuring more than 100 cast and crew members spent a week shooting on locations in downtown San Diego, Langman told CBS 8.

The city says renting locations, hotel rooms, dining, security, catering and other costs for a project the size of an untitled Warner Brothers movie could generate up to $1 million in economic activity in a week.

As companies look for ways to cut costs, many production studios are seeking significant tax breaks.

In March, the California Film Commission granted one of the state’s largest film tax breaks in history. An independent film called “California Convergence” is scheduled to be shot entirely in San Diego and received a $1 million tax credit.

As Hollywood continues to adapt to the changing entertainment landscape, the City of San Diego is targeting television, film and commercial companies, promoting the area as a movie-friendly city.

According to Langman, San Diego offers the same scenic outdoor locations as Los Angeles, but without the crowds and high costs.

“We’re taking a lot of what Los Angeles does and implementing it here but not bringing all their baggage,” Langman said. “In this day and age, and this is, you know, kind of the big picture, with cable kind of dying, and people cutting their streaming costs and stuff for content, all your studios and production companies are basically seeking tax breaks.”

Not only feature films and television shows, but some of the most popular reality shows have chosen San Diego as a filming destination.

Some popular reality TV shows filmed in San Diego County include TLC’s “90-Day Fiance” and related shows, ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” Lifetime’s “Married at First Sight,” and “The Ultimatum “Queer Love” on Netflix. “.

American and European reality TV shows are becoming more interested in filming in San Diego because of the city’s easy access and streamlined process, Langman said.

“The other reason they like San Diego is because our fees are much lower than Los Angeles but there is less red tape,” Langman said.

Langman described the city’s “grid” permitting process that allows production companies to use a single permit for multiple locations. The “network” gives reality TV shows the flexibility to move between locations like Balboa Park and Mission Bay.

Langman says the city is working to be “creative” in how it regulates its permits with the goal of making the city more friendly to production companies.

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