Film Production Revenue Reaches $100 Million Mark
for Ninth Straight Year

Each year, hundreds of feature films, television, music videos, documentaries, commercials and other new media projects are filmed in Nevada. Despite the economic downturn and an industry writers’ strike, film production contributed more than $110 million to Nevada’s economy in 2008.

The figures from the last decade confirm that Nevada is at the forefront of the film industry as a production destination. Since 2000, more than 4,500 projects have been filmed in Nevada, with a cumulative economic impact of $1,029,619,996.

Nevada Movie Trivia

With its proximity to California, Nevada has long been the “back lot” for many Hollywood film productions. The sixties saw the production of many now iconic films—The Misfits, In Cold Blood and Ocean’s Eleven. Nevada’s filmography includes everything from the recent Disney production Race to Witch Mountain to the Academy Award-winning Leaving Las Vegas.

What Nevada-filmed movie won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screen Play and holds the third slot (after Citizen Kane and Casa Blanca) on the American Film Institute’s 100 Best Films list?

Hint: Its sequel, also filmed in Nevada, was nominated for 11 awards; winning six including, Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.

Nevada is still the backdrop for more than 30 feature films each year, but television, music videos and commercials now account for about half of the film production in the state. Nevada is host to a variety of primetime television—from the American Country Music Awards to network series such as CSI and Bones. And, take a closer look at the commercials for Burger King, Mazda 5, Ford Trucks and Miller Genuine Draft for a glimpse of Nevada.

Your Imagination. Our Locations.

For nearly 30 years, the Nevada Film Office (NFO) has been promoting the Silver State as a film-friendly destination. Unlike many states or countries, Nevada does not offer incentives to entice production companies to film in the state—so the NFO works hard to provide a variety of services from production infrastructure needs such as permitting and jurisdiction requirements to research and location scouting.

It is no wonder that the Nevada Film Office has been recognized as one of the most successful film commissions in the United States. It has an exceptional rate of return for Nevada—an approximate 145-to-1 ratio for revenues received versus budget dollars allotted.

Nevada Photo Image Library

The Nevada Film Office is open for business 24/7. Filmmakers all over the world can view the state’s amazing locations in the Nevada Photo Image Library at nevadafilm.com. The site receives more than 250,000 hits per month. Visit the site and visualize Nevada as a film director would through the lens of a camera.

Nevada Production Directory

Legitimate producers—from student films and documentaries to feature films and reality television—register their projects with the states in which they are filming. When a film project registers with the Nevada Film Office, they receive a copy of the Nevada Production Directory. The directory provides film production companies with the contact information they need, at their fingertips, to ensure that their project runs smoothly. The directory also provides a listing of local providers of goods and services—from accommodations and animal handlers to voice talent and warehousing. It is an opportunity for Nevada’s businesses to get in front of production companies—and, open a new customer marketplace for their businesses.

Nevada Screenwriting Competition

So you think you can write a movie script? Each year, writers from across the nation submit their scripts to the Nevada Screenwriting Competition in hopes for that “big break.” Nevada’s screenwriting competition is the oldest state-sponsored contest of its kind. The scripts are judged by industry professionals and at least 75 percent of the locations in the screenplay must be filmable in Nevada.

For more information on the Nevada Film Office, current projects, the Nevada Production Directory or the Nevada Screenwriting Competition, visit nevadafilm.com.

Trivia Answers

Director Stanley Kubrick has called The Godfather the greatest film made. The 1972 film chronicling the Corleone family received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando) and Best Adaptation (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola).