California Film & Photography Production Services & Camera Crews
Are you a media company, brand, ad agency or production company looking for film / photography production support or shooting crew in California? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in California
For an introduction to shooting in California see below notes on film locations, permits, when to shoot, unique local stories, costs, tax incentives, crews, talent, equipment, communications, art department, studios, post facilities, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation, and safety advice.
California Film Locations
California is the most populous state and the third largest by area in the United States. Film locations include the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Sacramento, as well as Pacific Coast beaches and towns, lighthouses, unique architecture designed by famous architects, museums, universities, stadiums, entertainment venues, highways, military sites, ski resorts, iconic national parks, deserts, sand dunes, salt lakes, volcanic landscapes, mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, lush meadows, and forests.
Agricultural film locations include a wide diversity of over 400 crops including farms that produce almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, barley, berries, cannabis, cherries, citrus, cotton, tomatoes, dates, grapes, olives, peaches, nuts, rice, wheat, dairy, cattle, and horses. California is known for its famous wineries. Fishing trawlers are available for filming. California mines oil, natural gas, cement, sand and gravel, borate, soda, and salt. Other economic mainstays include Silicon Valley, biotechnology, banking, medicine, education, tourism, and entertainment. Energy locations include natural gas fired power plants, biomass power, geothermal power, solar and wind power plants.
As the home of Hollywood, California is one of the world’s most filmed locations with Los Angeles alone having had hosted thousands of films including La La Land (2016), Blue Jasmine (2013), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Mulholland Drive (2001), Fight Club (1999), The Big Lebowski (1998), Se7en (1995), Pulp Fiction (1994), Forrest Gump (1994), Speed (1994), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Addams Family (1991), Blade Runner (1982), Grease (1978), Star Wars (1977), Chinatown (1974), and The Godfather (1972), to name but a few.
Film locations of interest can be divided into four regions:
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest in the United States. Home to the United States film and TV industry, Los Angeles is a major global commercial, financial, and cultural centre. Los Angeles is known for its film studios, unique neighborhoods, entertainment venues, museums, university campuses, mansions, retro locations, beaches, marinas, freeways, tunnels, roads, and palm-lined suburban looks with the iconic Hollywood sign in the background.
Neighborhoods of note include Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Studio City, Downtown Los Angeles, Chinatown, Koreatown, Compton, Silverlake, and Orange County.
Los Angeles is home to the Big 5 studios: Paramount Studios, Sony Pictures Studios, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros Studio. There are many purpose-built film ranches available for filming such as Paramount Ranch Western Town, and Velazut Motion Picture Ranch.
Government buildings of note include Los Angeles City Hall, Van Nuys Municipal Building, Beverly Hills City Hall, and United States Courthouse.
Los Angeles Music Centre is composed of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry. Other entertainment venues include Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Convention Centre, Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Centre, Orpheum Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre, Globe Theatre, Vista Theatre, El Capitan Theatre, The Greek Theatre, Mayan Theatre, and Los Angeles Theatre.
Amusement parks of note include Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.
Sport venues include the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Crypto.com Arena, SoFi Stadium, Kia Forum, Honda Centre, BMO Stadium, Dignity Health Sports Park, and Pauley Pavilion.
Museums of note include The Broad Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art designed by Ma Yansong, Getty Centre designed by Richard Meier, Los Angeles County Museum of Art designed by William Pereira, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Natural History Museum, California Science Centre, Japanese American National Museum, Museum Of Latin American Art, Hammer Museum, Norton Simon Museum, Watts Towers Arts Centre, Hollywood Museum, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures designed by Renzo Piano, GRAMMY Museum, and Battleship USS Iowa Museum.
Centres of learning include UCLA campus, USC campus, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles Public Library, and Huntington Library.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre is one of the world’s leading medical facilities. Linda Vista Hospital is available for filming.
Religious locations include Christ Cathedral designed by Philip Johnson, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Wayfarers Chapel, First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, Sinai Temple, Hsi Lai Temple, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.
Unique mansions of note include Getty Villa, Stahl House, The Chemosphere, Le Chateau Rose, Lovell House, Doheny Mansion, Gamble House, Eames House, Mataja Residence, Ed Niles Henman House, Schaffer Residence, and Sheats-Goldstein Residence, to name a few. Frank Lloyd Wright designed Ennis House, John Sowden House, and Hollyhock House.
Other unique buildings of note include Capitol Records Building, LA Times Building, Bradbury Building, The Last Bookstore, (W)rapper Tower, The Biltmore Los Angeles, Park Plaza Hotel, Rosslyn Hotel, Langham Huntington Hotel, Pacific Design Centre designed by César Pelli, and Fairmont Century Plaza & Century Plaza Towers designed by Minoru Yamasaki.
Retro motels, diners, and gas stations include Cadillac Jacks Pink Motel & Cafe 1950’s movie prop, Union 76 Gas Station in Beverly Hills, 4 Aces Film Set, Bob’s Big Boy Diner Burbank, Foxy’s Restaurant, Norms Restaurant La Cienega, Pann’s Restaurant, Rae’s Restaurant, Rod’s Grill, Mel’s Drive-In, Randy’s Donuts, and Smokehouse Restaurant.
Beaches of note include Venice Beach, Santa Monica Beach, Zuma Beach Malibu, and Leo Carrillo Beach. Piers of note include Santa Monica Beach Pier and Manhattan Beach Pier. Point Vicente Lighthouse is located in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has many suburban and scenic roads, multi-lane freeways, overpasses, bridges, tunnels, and roof top car parks that can be locked-off for filming. Of note are Second Street Tunnel, and Lower Grand Avenue. East Los Angeles Interchange is the busiest freeway interchange in the world. Other transport film locations of note include LA Metro Stations, LA Union Station, Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport designed by William Pereira, and Burbank Airport. The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the Americas.
Urban decay film locations are also available including the Skid Row homeless community, abandoned warehouses, graffiti walls, empty swimming pools, and skate parks. The LA River is a popular gritty concrete film location as seen in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). and Grease (1978).
Santa Catalina Island is located a 1 hour boat ride from Los Angeles.
Blue Whales can be filmed off the coast from May through November.
Southern California
San Diego is a port city known for its impressive city skyline, beaches, and parks.
Buildings of note include Hotel Del Coronado, El Cortez condominium, and San Diego California Temple.
Museums of note include Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Natural History Museum, Museum of Us, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego Old Town, and USS Midway decommissioned aircraft carrier.
Centres for higher learning include the San Diego Public Library, University of San Diego, San Diego State University, Palomar Observatory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies designed by Louis Kahn, and the University of California San Diego which is known for the Geisel Library designed by William Pereira.
Entertainment venues include San Diego Convention Centre designed by Arthur Erickson, Balboa Theatre, Petco Park, Snapdragon Stadium, Pechanga Arena, and Del Mar Horse Racing Track. Belmont Park is an oceanfront historic amusement park.
San Diego Zoo is one of the best known zoos in the United States.
Naval Base San Diego is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy.
Transport locations include the San Diego Trolley, Santa Fe Depot, Port of San Diego, and San Diego International Airport. Coronado Bridge crosses San Diego Bay. San Ysidro Port of Entry is one of the busiest border crossings in the world.
La Jolla is an upscale oceanfront community known for its mansions, and surf beaches.
Torrey Pines is a famous golf course.
Outside of San Diego you can find the following Southern California film locations:
Palm Springs is known for its mid-century modern architecture including the Hope Residence, Kaufmann House, Twin Palms, Frey House II, Steel Houses, Elrod House, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Del Marcos Hotel, Tramway Gas Station, and Palm Springs City Hall. Palm Springs has hosted Don’t Worry Darling (2022), A Star Is Born (2018), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Constantine (2005), and Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Richard Nixon Presidential Library are located in Southern California.
Imperial Sand Dunes are a beautiful film location that has hosted Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), Jarhead (2005), Stargate (1994), and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).
Joshua Tree National Park is known for its Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert landscapes, granite formations, and native Joshua trees.
Mojave Desert is also known for Coyote Dry Lake, and Superior dry lake and salt flats.
Red Rock Canyon State Park has a landscape of desert cliffs, buttes, and spectacular rock formations.
Volcano House, located in Newberry Springs, is a unique film location that was filmed for Don’t Worry Darling (2022).
Southern California experiences a wildlife superbloom during unusually wet seasons.
Military installations include Edwards Air Force Base, Miramar Naval Air Station, and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Central California
Fresno film locations include Fresno City Hall was designed by Arthur Erickson, Fresno State Library, Fresno County Courthouse, Warnors Theatre, Tower Theatre, Fresno Art Museum, Forestiere Underground Gardens, Chukchansi Baseball Park, Fresno Station, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport.
Death Valley National Park has a landscape of salt flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and mountains. Death Valley is the largest national park in the contiguous United States, as well as the hottest, driest and lowest of all the national parks in the United States. It is also a designated dark sky park. Film locations of note include Racetrack Playa, Badwater Basin, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Eureka Dunes, Devil’s Golf Course, Telescope Peak, and Zabriskie Point.
Sequoia National Forest is known for its old growth Giant Sequoia including the famed General Sherman Tree.
Kings Canyon National Park is known for its mountains and valleys.
Inyo National Forest is home to Mt Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States.
Sierra National Forest is known for its mountain scenery and beautiful lakes.
John Muir Wilderness is known for its spectacular mountain peaks, lakes, and glaciers.
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is known for its bristlecone pines.
Devils Postpile National Monument is a unique rock structure.
Pinnacles National Park has a landscape of rock formations and spectacular pinnacles that are popular with rock climbers. The park also has talus caves that are home to several species of bats.
Trona Pinnacles is a landscape of tufa spires.
Monterey is a city known for Cannery Row, and Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Big Little Lies (2017-2019) filmed in Monterey.
Big Sur has a rugged mountainous coastal landscape of forests and beaches. Bixby Creek Bridge is a beautiful coastal location. Esalen is a humanistic retreat centre located in Big Sur. Basic Instinct (1992) filmed in Big Sur.
The Buttermilks are a well known bouldering destination located near Bishop.
Alabama Hills are a range of hills and rock formations near the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.
Cinder Mountain dry lake and volcanic cinder cones are a beautiful film location.
Military locations in Central California include Vandenberg Space Force Base, Mojave Air and Space Port, Fort Irwin National Training Centre, and Naval Air Station Lemoore which was filmed for Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Fort Ord is a former United States Army post.
Hearst Castle is located in San Simeon.
Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch is a giant surf wave machine located deep inland near the town of Lemoore.
Solar farms include Solar Star, Topaz Solar Farm, and Ivanpah Solar.
Alta Wind Energy Centre in Kern County is one of the largest wind farms in the world.
Northern California
San Francisco is a major commercial, financial, and cultural centre known for its iconic city skyline, San Francisco Bay, bridges, hilly landscapes, unique neighborhoods, impressive architecture, museums, and parks. Blue Jasmine (2013), Ant-Man (2015), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Zodiac (2007), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Game (1997), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) filmed in San Francisco.
Neighborhoods of note include Chinatown, Mission District, Financial District, The Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Japantown, Union Square, and The Tenderloin.
Twin Peaks offers impressive city skyline views.
Government buildings include the San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco Federal Building, and San Francisco Public Library.
Unique buildings of note include Transamerica Pyramid designed by William Pereira, Salesforce Tower designed by César Pelli, McAllister Tower, InterContinental Mark Hopkins building, Hyatt Regency, MIRA tower, and Coit Tower. The Painted Ladies Victorian row houses are located on Alamo Square. The Flintstone House is an quirky location in the suburb of Hillsborough.
Museums of note include San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) designed by Mario Botta and Snøhetta, De Young Museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron, Asian Art Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind, Children’s Creativity Museum, San Francisco Cable Car Museum, Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts, Museum of the African Diaspora, Musée Mécanique, San Francisco Armory, Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences designed by Renzo Piano, Morrison Planetarium, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, SS Jeremiah O’Brien Liberty ship, and USS Pampanito submarine.
Entertainment venues include War Memorial Opera House, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, Palace of Fine Arts, Orpheum Theatre, Golden Gate Theatre, Curran Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, SFJAZZ Centre, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Alcatraz Island, and Treasure Island Administration Building.
Sport venues include AT&T Park, and Chase Centre.
Religious buildings of note include Grace Cathedral, St Mary’s Cathedral, St Joseph’s Church, Mission Dolores, Temple Emanu-El, Vedanta Society’s old Hindu temple, and San Francisco Columbarium.
Transport locations include San Francisco’s famed Cable Car System, BART, Salesforce Transit Centre, Yerba Buena Tunnel, Ferry Building, San Francisco International Airport.
Bridges of note include the famous Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Lombard Street winds narrowly down a hill between buildings.
16th Avenue Tiled Steps is a popular location for photographers.
Parks of note include San Francisco Botanical Garden, Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, and Mission Dolores Park.
Film locations outside of San Francisco including the following:
Marin County is known for the Marin County Civic Centre designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods National Monument, Mount Tamalpais State Park, and San Quentin Prison.
Silicon Valley is a global centre for high technology and innovation. Apple Park, located in Cupertino, was designed by Norman Foster. Tesla’s Fremont Factory is one of the largest manufacturing sites in California. Other film locations in Silicon Valley include the Stanford University campus, Computer History Museum, Intel Museum, Carolands Chateau, and California’s Great America amusement park. Also located in Silicon Valley, the city of San José is known for San Jose City Hall designed by Richard Meier, Cathedral Basilica of St Joseph, San Jose Sikh Temple, Bank of Italy Building, Hayes Mansion, Winchester Mystery House, Lick Observatory, Tech Museum of Innovation, San José Museum of Art, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose Centre for the Performing Arts, San Jose Civic, California Theatre, Levi’s Stadium, SAP Centre, PayPal Park, San Jose Diridon Station, and San Jose International Airport.
Oakland is known for the University of California Berkeley campus, Oakland City Hall, Oakland Cathedral, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, Oakland California Temple, Oakland Museum of California, Paramount Theatre Oakland, Chabot Space & Science Centre, Oakland Arena, Oakland Coliseum, and Port of Oakland.
Sacramento is California’s state capital. Film locations include California State Capitol building, Sacramento City Hall, Stanford Mansion, Crocker Art Museum, California State Railroad Museum, California Automobile Museum, Sacramento Convention Centre Complex, Golden 1 Centre, Wells Fargo Pavilion, Sacramento RT Light Rail, Sacramento Valley Station, and Sacramento International Airport.
The Napa Valley is famous for its wineries.
Redwood National Park is home to coastal redwood old growth forests.
Yosemite National Park is a spectacular location known for its cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, and glaciers. Locations of note include granite monoliths including El Capitan, Sentinel Dome and Half Dome. Other scenic landscapes include Tuolumne Meadows, Dana Meadows, the Clark Range, the Cathedral Range, and the Kuna Crest. Giant sequoia tree groves include the Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Grove, and the Merced Grove. Waterfalls of note include Yosemite Falls, Ribbon Falls, and Bridalveil Fall. Mount Lyell is the highest point in the park. The Pacific Crest Trail runs through the park.
Mono Lake is an otherworldly saline soda lake.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is known for its spectacular volcanic landscapes. Of note are the Painted Dunes of Cinder Cone Volcano, Lassen Peak, Bumpass Hell, Subway Cave Lava Tube, Mount Tehama, Devil’s Kitchen, and Boiling Springs Lake.
Shasta–Trinity National Forest is known for Mt Shasta.
Desolation Wilderness is known for its granite rock formations, forests, lakes, and waterfalls including Horsetail Falls.
Burney Falls are a beautiful film location.
Glass Beach is a unique location near Fort Bragg.
Carson Mansion is a Victorian mansion located in Eureka.
Mendocino is a charming hamlet.
Sierra Army Depot is located in Doyle.
Donner Pass is a high mountain pass named after the ill-fated Donner Party.
Lake Tahoe is a beautiful film location. Truckee is known for its beautiful mountain homes.
Ski resorts include Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Heavenly Ski Resort, Northstar California, Kirkwood Ski Resort, Sugar Bowl, and Big Bear Mountain Resort.
Lake Berryessa Glory Hole Spillway is a unique location.
Lighthouses of note include Alcatraz Lighthouse, Point Arena Lighthouse, and Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
Oroville Dam is one of the largest dams in the United States.
California Film Location Permits
Location and permit fees for California State properties are free. Permit applications must be submitted 4 business days before the first day of shooting. Road closures require at least twelve business days. Freeway closures require at least sixteen business days. Proof of insurance is required. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
California’s offers year-round long, sunny shoot days. California has four main climatic regions:
Coastal and Southern parts of the state have a Mediterranean climate, with mild rainy winters and dry summers with occasional heavy fog.
Mountain areas have mild summers, with cold, snowy winters and fall colors in autumn.
The Central Valley has hot summers and cool winters.
The Imperial Valley has very hot, dry summers.
Events of interest to filmmakers and photographer include:
• Tournament of Roses in Pasadena in January.
• Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January.
• Chinese New Year in San Francisco in February.
• AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February.
• Festival of Whales in Dana Point in March.
• Flower Fields in Bloom at Carlsbad Ranch in March and April.
• Coachella in April.
• San Francisco International Film Festival in April.
• Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles in May.
• Bay to Breakers Foot Race in San Francisco in May.
• Carnaval in San Francisco in May.
• San Diego County Fair in June.
• Mariachi USA Festival in Los Angeles in June.
• Los Angeles Film Festival in June.
• San Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride in June.
• San Diego Comic-Con International in July.
• US Open Sandcastle Competition in Imperial Beach in July.
• Old Spanish Days Fiesta in Santa Barbara in August.
• Los Angeles County Fair in September.
• Monterey Jazz Festival in September.
• Fleet Week in San Diego in September / October.
• Hollywood Film Festival in October.
• Hollywood Christmas Parade in November.
• Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego in December.
• New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade in Big Bear Lake in December.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in the United States.
Unique Local Stories
Brands are looking for local stories that match their brand narrative. Our local teams are a great lead for sourcing those unique stories and characters.
If you are looking for stories for your next shoot, send us your brief and we will pitch you ideas.
If you have a unique story you would like to pitch to a brand anywhere in the world, pitch us your idea. We have well-established processes to ensure that your ideas are properly seen and protected.
California Tax Incentives For Filming
California offers a tax credit of up to 25% of qualifying local spend for eligible productions. Production categories include TV Projects, Relocating TV, Indie Features, and Non-Indie Features.
California Film Crew Talent
Crew. Los Angeles is home to most of the world’s top professional creative and technical film crews.
Contact us if you are looking for a Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, or Sacramento based director, DP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, or any other film crew in California.
Talent. California is a large and diverse state with talent from all ethnicities and walks of life available. Los Angeles offers a limitless pool of talent ranging from Hollywood celebrities, to thousands of extras, to an extensive selection of animal actors.
California Film Equipment
Equipment. Los Angeles is home to the world’s most extensive pool of standard and specialized film equipment.
Communications. Communication is key. Our agility and global experience allows us to customise the right communications systems for every shoot.
Web posted casting, scouting, and videoconferencing.
For clients that are unable to attend set we offer a virtual video village solution. This dedicated and secure high-resolution video streaming platform allows clients from one or multiple timezones to view setups without compromise and to participate in real-time with the team on set. Separate systems can be set up for the discrete conversations that are required to make a job run right. Working remotely with our local teams reduces your content production costs, turnaround times, carbon footprint, and risks associated with unpredictable global events.
California Studios & Post Production
Studios. California is home to many state of the art studio facilities including the Big 5 studios: Paramount Studios, Sony Pictures Studios, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros Studio.
California Film-Friendly Accommodation
Please contact us for recommended film friendly hotels in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and other areas of California.
Final Notes
Safety. California is a very safe and reliable place for foreign productions to shoot. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Surf, ski, shop. California has it all.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, stills campaigns, online content, corporate videos, virtual reality 360 content, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in California, please see below:
Hire California Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in California, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in California, such as a director, DoP, photographer, videographer (cameraman / camera operator), camera assistant (focus puller), sound operator, grip, gaffer, stylist, hair and makeup, PA / runner, production driver, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
