Colorado 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 Colorado? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.
Filming in Colorado
For an introduction to shooting in Colorado 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.
Colorado Film Locations
Colorado is a Mountain West state known for the cities of Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, as well mountain ranges, alpine lakes, spectacular mountain roads, rivers, waterfalls, sand dunes, high desert plains, Puebloan archaeological sites, dinosaur fossils, picturesque towns, ski resorts, hot springs, and railroads. The Colorado River originates in the Rocky Mountains.
Agricultural film locations include cattle ranches, and farms that produce dairy products, wheat, corn, hay, and cannabis. The state is home to many craft breweries. Colorado mines coal, petroleum, natural gas, molybdenum, gold, and limestone. Energy locations include coal and natural gas fired power plants, as well as wind farms.
Colorado has hosted productions including Fast & Furious 7 (2015), The Hateful Eight (2015), Interstellar (2014), The Lone Ranger (2013), The Prestige (2006), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005), Independence Day (1996), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Cliffhanger (1993), Thelma & Louise (1991), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Shining (1980), Badlands (1973), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), True Grit (1969), as well as a long list of beer and car commercials.
Denver, the Mile-High city, is the largest city and state capital. The city offers a spectacular highrise skyline with a mountain backdrop. Film locations include the LoDo neighbourhood, Colorado State Capitol building, Denver Public Library, City and County Building, Union Station, Populus Hotel, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver Art Museum including the Frederic C. Hamilton Building which was designed by Daniel Libeskind, Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, History Colorado Center, Forney Transportation Museum, Molly Brown House Museum, American Museum of Western Art, Colorado Railroad Museum, United States Mint, Denver Central Market, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Mile High Stadium, Coors Field, Ball Arena, National Western Complex, Denver International Airport, Denver Botanic Gardens, Cherry Creek State Park, and Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Boulder is a college town known for its trendy vibe, vibrant tech industry, and love of the great outdoors. Film locations include Pearl Street Mall, The Boulder Dushanbe, Museum of Boulder, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and Eldorado Canyon State Park. University of Colorado Boulder campus is home to the Fiske Planetarium, Museum of Natural History, Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, and Folsom Field. Mesa Laboratory was designed by I. M. Pei. The Shining (1980) filmed in Boulder.
Picturesque mountain towns include Salida, Creede, Trinidad, Pueblo, Ouray, Frisco, Manitou Springs, Grand Lake, and Crested Butte. Badlands (1973) filmed Bloom Mansion in Trinidad.
Farming towns of interest include Pritchett and Granada.
Schmid Ranch was filmed for The Hateful Eight (2015).
Historic mining towns of interest include Bonanza, St Elmo, Victor, Cripple Creek, and Animas Forks.
Old West towns include Saguache and South Park City Museum.
True Grit (1969) filmed in Ridgway, Cañon City, Montrose, Durango, Ouray, Gunnison, and Placerville.
Cañon City is known for The Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and Royal Gorge Bridge.
Ski resorts of note include Aspen Snowmass, Vail, Breckenridge, Copper, Telluride, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Purgatory, Arapahoe Basin, Silverton, Wolf Creek, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Sunlight, and Eldora. Dumb and Dumber (1994) filmed in Breckenridge. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) filmed in Telluride.
The Aspen Art Museum was designed by Shigeru Ban.
The Colorado Springs area is known for Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak Highway, Manitou Springs Incline, The Broadmoor Seven Falls, Cave of the Winds Mountain Park, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Helen Hunt Falls, Rainbow Falls, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Palmer Park, Elitch Gardens, Miramont Castle Museum, National Museum of World War II Aviation, Ghost Town Museum, and United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. Pikes Peak Highway was filmed for Fast & Furious 7 (2015). Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a secured facility located in Colorado Springs. Interstellar (2014) filmed in Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Colorado Springs was also filmed for Independence Day (1996).
San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, Million Dollar Highway, Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Independence Pass are spectacular locations for car sequences.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs between Durango and Silverton. The Prestige (2006), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) filmed the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Georgetown Loop Railroad runs a loop between Silver Plume and Georgetown.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) filmed the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Pagosa Springs, and Cortez.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park was filmed for Dumb and Dumber (1994). The hotel was the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980). The actual location filmed as the Overlook hotel was the Timberline Lodge in Oregon.
Crystal Mill is a spectacular film location.
Roxborough State Park is known for its ancient red sandstone formations.
Rocky Mountains National Park offers beautiful snow-capped mountains, forests, glaciers, lakes, rivers, bridges, tunnels and winding roads ideal for car commercials such as Wolf Creek Pass.
Great Sand Dunes National Park are the tallest sand dunes in North America.
Mesa Verde National Park is known for Cliff Palace, one of the largest Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites.
White River National Forest is known for Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness and Collegiate Peaks.
San Juan National Forest is known for Chimney Rock National Monument.
Comanche National Park is known for it grassland, dinosaur fossils, and petroglyphs.
Dinosaur National Monument is known for its dinosaur fossils.
Rattlesnake Canyon, known for its natural arches, is located in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness.
Wilson Peak in the San Miguel Mountains was filmed for The Hateful Eight (2015).
Rifle Falls State Park is known for its waterfalls.
Gunnison National Park is known for Black Canyon.
Colorado National Monument, located just outside of Grand Junction is known for the red rocks cliffs and sandstone towers of Monument Canyon.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park is known for its aspens, which turn a golden colour in the fall.
Curecanti National Recreation Area is known for its reservoirs.
Browns Canyon National Monument is known for its whitewater rafting.
Glenwood Springs is known for Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, Iron Mountain Hot Springs, and Hanging Lake. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005) filmed Glenwood Canyon.
Bedrock was filmed for Thelma & Louise (1991).
Las Animas was filmed for Badlands (1973), and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
Bent’s Old Fort is located in Otero County.
Fort Morgan was filmed for Dumb and Dumber (1994).
ADX-Florence Supermax Facility, located in Florence, is a maximum security prison that holds some of America’s most notorious prisoners including terrorists, organised crime figures and other high profile criminals.
Telluride Regional Airport is the highest-elevation commercial airport in America. It also features cliffs on both ends of the runway and strong vertical turbulence during winter months.
Colorado Film Location Permits
The permitting process varies depending upon what part of the state you are shooting in and the type of permit you require. In general, permitting is a quick, easy and inexpensive process. Proof of insurance is required. Please contact us for location specific information.
When To Shoot?
Denver has one of the highest number of annual sunshine hours of any city in the United States. Spring is mild with warm days. Summer is hot and dry and can last right into November. Autumn brings bright fall colors. Winter is cold, sunny and crisp.
The eastern plains are hot and rainy during the warmer months, and dry and cold during the winter months. This part of the state is subject to tornadoes.
West of the plains, the climate varies significantly. Valleys have a semi-arid climate and mountains have an alpine climate. Winter is the wettest season and summer is the driest. The mountains have mild summers and snowy winters. Fall comes early in mountain areas, bringing beautiful foliage colors.
Desert wildflowers bloom in the Colorado Plateau usually around April.
The Leadville Race Series takes place in August.
National Western Stock Show is held in the National Western Complex every January.
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in the United States.
Colorado Tax Incentives For Filming
Colorado offers qualifying productions a cash rebate of up to 20%. The incentive applies to commercials, features and TV shows. An out-of-state production company must have at least $1 million in qualifying local spend. TV commercials and video game productions must have qualifying local spend of at least $250,000.
Colorado Film Crew & Talent
Crew. Colorado has a good but small pool of local film crew.
Contact us if you are looking for a Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, or Aspen 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 Colorado.
Talent. The state’s population is predominately Caucasian and Latino. Movie character stereotypes include outdoor characters like skiers and rock climbers, young trendy tech types, cattle ranchers, and storm watchers.
Colorado Film Equipment
Equipment. Colorado has all of the standard camera, grip and lighting equipment available for hire.
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.
Colorado Studios & Post Production
Some local options exist.
Colorado Film-Friendly Accommodation
Please contact us for recommended film friendly hotels in Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Aspen, Durango and other areas of Colorado.
Final Notes
Safety. Colorado is a very safe and reliable place for foreign productions to shoot. See here for up to date travel advice.
Down Time. Take some time to enjoy the great outdoors. Visit Shooters Grill, in the town of Rifle, to experience US gun-culture and grab a bite to eat. Soak in the natural warmth of Valley View Hot Springs.
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 Colorado, please see below:
Hire Colorado Production Support & Shooting Crew
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Colorado, please contact us.
If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Colorado, 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.
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