Valley takes starring role

Lake Mead, Strip, Red Rock continue to be popular filming locations

Photos by Jim miller/viewFrom top, director Todd Phillips, sitting, reviews a scene with, from left, stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. Movie production equipment is fastened to a Metropolitan Police Department cruiser on Sept. 25 during filming of "The Hangover." Advertisement

When studio, local and independent filmmakers are in search of the perfect backdrop for a movie or scene, scouring the Nevada landscape for that destination might seem a bit overwhelming.

Instead, producers, writers, directors and actors pay a visit to Edward Harran, assistant to the director of the Nevada Film Office, 555 E. Washington Ave.

"That scene in the final season of 'The Sopranos', when Tony is on top of that mountain, that's Red Rock Canyon," Harran said. "A location that we scouted for the producers. They were looking for something in particular and didn't know where to start. That's where the film office comes in. We're a resource."

The state-funded Nevada Film Office offers a thorough knowledge of state and city hot spots and locations ideal for filming everything from a Middle Eastern desert scene to a ghost town Western.

"Filmmakers come to us looking for ideas, and while many of them are seeking to shoot on the Strip, we often suggest additional sites for filming," public relations coordinator Sarah Bontrager said.

Revenue generated by car rentals, hotel, entertainment and other accommodations in connection with productions around Nevada reached $103,260,400 in 2007, with a total of 382 music videos, television shows, commercials and feature films being shot in the state, according to Bontrager.

"The more productions in town, the more money cast and crew spend here, stimulating our economy," Bontrager said. "That's a huge part of what we do. Instead of letting a production go to Arizona to film a desert scene or a lost highway, we go to filmmakers and make suggestions."

Some of the more popular Nevada locales include the Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nye County's Amargosa Sand Dunes, Roach Dry Lake Bed in Primm, Lake Mead, the Las Vegas Wash, the abandoned Wadsworth Bridge in Washoe County and the Old LA Highway between Jean and Primm.

One of the most recent productions shot locally was the Warner Bros. Pictures film "The Hangover," starring Bradley Cooper ("Wedding Crashers"). The comedy, scheduled to open in theaters in June 2009, revolves around three men who lose their best friend at his Caesars Palace bachelor party, just 40 hours before he's supposed to walk down the aisle. The trio then is forced to retrace the bleary memory of the previous night and figure out what went wrong.

Production for the flick began in Jean and Las Vegas in mid-September, with the cast and crew filming at various Nevada locations for 18 days.

Hollywood veteran producer Dan Goldberg ("Old School") said that in the movie industry, word of mouth means a lot.

"Word gets around about how film crews are treated, how hospitable and cooperative the city is," Goldberg said. "When one crew has a good experience, they're sure to come back. You can also bet that they're going to tell all of their friends in the industry. So, if the experience is good or really horrible, either way, people are going to hear about it, and that will effect the number of projects that come here in the future."

While shooting a police car scene on Las Vegas Boulevard in front of the Rivera, Goldberg said his Las Vegas experience has been a great one.

"This is the city of Sinatra," he said. "It lends itself to mystery and intrigue and total abandon. That's what it's built upon. And everyone has been so friendly and helpful, especially at the film office. They've been great. The police department, the casinos, all great."

Local actress Kate Morace was stirring up quite a bit of attention on the set with her elegantly modern leopard print dress.

"I'm an extra," she said. "But it's my dream to be an actress. In Vegas, there's a lot more opportunity than people think. It's knowing where to look and who you need to get in touch with."

Harran said that assisting local talent, crew and production professionals in finding projects is one of the agency's goals.

"We have a hot line set up where people can call and check weekly to see what gigs are available," he said. "A who is looking for what type of thing. We already get close to 800 calls on the hot line per month."

The office also conducts an annual screenwriting contest, with the stipulation that most of the locations in the script must be filmable in Nevada.

Each year, three winners are chosen and have a shot at being made into a film.

"We're not just about accommodating the big studio types, although we're happy to work them, as well," Harran said. "We want to help foster the local talent that needs support. Local filmmakers, I hope, will use us as a resource."

For more information, visit www.nevadafilm.com.