Don't shoot your film in California.
California is amazing. But... it's not that business-friendly. Which is why shooting a film there can be very difficult for independent filmmakers (like me). In this video, I'll explain why...

#directing #filmdirector #filmshoot #filmlocation #california #filmmaker #indiefilmmaker #indiefilmmaking #filmproduction #screenwriting #screenwriter #film #howstorieswork #jaysherer #california

============== MORE NO VACANCY CONTENT ==================
NO VACANCY TEASER TRAILER:    • NO VACANCY | Official Trailer  

NO VACANCY BEHIND-THE-SCENES PLAYLIST:    • NO VACANCY  

============= MORE FROM JAY SHERER ========================

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JAY'S ORIGINAL STORIES (CO-WRITTEN BY NATHAN SCHECK):
- Death of a Bounty Hunter (novel and audiobook): http://deathofabountyhunter.com
- Timeslingers (YA serial adventure story): https://www.amazon.com/Timeslingers/d...
- Star Wars: Rivals (short film):    • Star Wars: Rivals  

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==================== TRANSCRIPT ========================
Do whatever you can to avoid filming in California… In this video, I’ll tell you why.

My name is Jay Sherer, I’m a screenwriter, director, and producer, and I recently finished a proof of concept short film called No Vacancy. We shot it in California, like many filmmakers do… and while I loved the experience, shooting in CA is a major hassle, especially if you’re shooting in Los Angeles County. And I know this video is part of my “directing my first film” series, and technically this topic is all about production, but if you’re working on an independent film project, you might be the director and one the producers like I was.

Now, as someone who was born and raised in California, I love the state of California. The scenery is dynamic, the people are beautiful, the style is amazing, and the food is incredible. Many reasons exist to love California.

Doing business in the state—including shooting a film there—is not one of those reasons. California feels like it makes everything more difficult than it needs to be. And if you’re putting together an independent film like we’ve done twice in the last seven years, it can be a miserable experience. And if you’re trying to shoot in Los Angeles County specifically… it’s even worse.

Let’s take a look at the issues I’ve faced attempting shooting films in CA:

PROBLEM #1: Red tape and regulations.

In 2016, when we shot Star Wars: Rivals, we needed a big open space to shoot in. We tried several state parks and they all said: “We do allow filming, if you’ve got a permit AND you shoot on trail.”

Now, trust me, I understand why they do this. They don’t need rogue teams of amateur filmmakers traipsing across state parks and ruining the environment. I totally get it.

The point is, if you’re gonna to film something in California, particularly in LA County, make sure you have a great production coordinator, and be prepared to deal with a lot of red tape.

PROBLEM #2: California is insanely expensive.

I do want to give a quick shout out to The Pink Motel out in Sun Valley.

And another quick shout out to Blackstone Entertainment in Azusa, CA. They were FANTASTIC to work with and have a great setup if you need a green screen or a blackout studio.

But again, somewhere around 20% of our budget ended up going to our locations, permits, and approvals. It was a giant pain in the ass.

PROBLEM #3: Everyone in and around Los Angeles knows they hold the power.

When you’re filming in California, especially LA County, be prepared to work with a lot of people whose customer service skills are better suited for the DMV than for Chick-fil-A.

To sum it up: it’s hard to get the clearances you need, everything costs a ton of money, and most of the time the people you’ll be dealing with aren’t the most pleasant people in the world. That’s just part of shooting a film in California.

And look, I get it, working with random filmmakers, many of which have no clue what they’re doing, has got to be awful. But in the long term, I feel like more and more people will start to film in other states.

Especially when shooting in other states means working with representatives who want you to film in their state so their state gets more exposure!

Many states have fantastic tax breaks, incentives, and a much simpler permitting process. Obviously, there are other hassles to filming outside California, so you do have to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each shoot. But in general, if I can help it… I’ll be shooting my next film outside of California. At least I hope so.