Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts? Contact us for trusted fixers, producers, directors, DoPs, videographers, photographers, and full shooting crews tailored for the specific needs of your project.

Filming in Massachusetts

For an introduction to shooting in Massachusetts 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.

Massachusetts Film Locations

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in New England. Film locations include the historic city of Boston, picturesque small towns surrounded by bright fall colours, covered bridges, old cemeteries, ski resorts, churches, museums, famous universities, fishing villages, lighthouses, and beaches.

Agricultural film locations include farms that produce cranberries, apples, sweet corn, and dairy products. Commercial fishing boats are available for filming. Biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade are the economic mainstays. Energy locations include natural gas fired power plants, and hydroelectric power plants.

Massachusetts has hosted productions including Salem’s Lot (2024), The Holdovers (2023), American Fiction (2023), Don’t Look Up (2021), Knives Out (2019), Sound of Metal (2019), Manchester by the Sea (2016), Moneyball (2011), The Social Network (2010), Shutter Island (2010), The Departed (2006), Good Will Hunting (1997), The Firm (1993), Hocus Pocus (1993), The Good Son (1993), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Jaws (1975).

Film locations can be divided into the following regions:

Boston

Boston is the state capital and largest city. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Known for its historic harbour, Boston also has interesting neighborhoods, beautiful parks, several impressive museums, and famous sport venues.

Neighbourhoods of note include Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Downtown, South Boston, Fenway, Cambridge, and Dorchester.

John Hancock Tower was designed by I. M. Pei.

Government buildings of note include the brutalist Boston City Hall, Massachusetts State House, Boston Public Library, and Boston Athenaeum.

Museums of note include Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Paul Revere House, Bunker Hill Monument, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, USS Constitution Museum, Old State House, Museum of Modern Renaissance, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, and The JFK Presidential Library designed by I. M. Pei.

Religious locations include Christian Science Center, Trinity Church, Old South Church, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Cathedral Church of St Paul, Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Tremont Temple Baptist Church, King’s Chapel, Old North Church, Forest Hills Cemetery, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Granary Burying Ground, and Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.

Entertainment venues include Symphony Hall, Boston Opera House, Cutler Majestic Theatre, Wang Theatre, Orpheum Theatre, Colonial Theatre, and Boston Convention and Exhibition Center designed by Rafael Viñoly.

Boston has several famous sport venues. TD Garden is home to the Boston Celtics, and Boston Bruins. Fenway Park is home to the Boston Red Sox. Moneyball (2011) filmed in Fenway Park.

Marketplaces include Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and Quincy Market.

Parks of note include Boston Common, Public Garden, and the Charles River Esplanade.

Transport locations include the MBTA subway, South Station, North Station, and Logan International Airport.

Calf Pasture Pumping Station is an abandoned building.

Lighthouses include Boston Harbor Lighthouse, Graves Lighthouse, and Long Island Head Lighthouse.

Boston has hosted a long list of productions including Moneyball (2011), The Social Network (2010), The Departed (2006), Good Will Hunting (1997), and The Firm (1993).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology buildings of note include Simmons Hall House, Stata Center designed by Frank Gehry, as well as the Kresge Auditorium and MIT Chapel designed by Eero Saarinen.

Harvard University campus is located in Cambridge. Buildings of note include the Widener Library, Smith Campus Center, Memorial Hall, Sever Hall, Harvard Art Museums, Memorial Church, Peabody Museum, Dunster House, Weld Boathouse, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Harvard Stadium, William James Hall designed by Minoru Yamasaki, and the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts designed by Le Corbusier. Harvard University generally does not permit filming on its grounds.

Bunker Hill Community College in Charlestown featured in Good Will Hunting (1997).

Adams National Historical Park is located in Quincy.

Lexington Common National Historic Site is a Revolutionary War site.

Metropolitan State Hospital in an abandoned location in Lexington.

The Deer Island Treatment Plant in Boston Harbour is the second largest sewage treatment plant in the United States.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is located at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. The waters are home to a diversity of whales, sharks and seals including humpback whales and great white sharks.

Northeast Massachusetts

Salem is best known for the 1692 witch trials. Film locations include the Salem Witch Museum, House of the Seven Gables, Custom House, and Peabody Essex Museum. Much of Hocus Pocus (1993) filmed in Salem.

Old Burial Hill Cemetery, located in Marblehead, featured in Hocus Pocus (1993).

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) filmed Crane Estate in Ipswich, and Abbot Hall in Marblehead.

Manchester by the Sea (2016) filmed in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Lynn, Gloucester, Essex, Salem, Rockport, Quincy, and Cape Ann.

The Good Son (1993) filmed in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Cape Ann, Marblehead, Rockport, and Annisquam.

Sound of Metal (2019) filmed in Danvers, Saugus, Boston, and Lynn.

Turner Hill Golf Club featured in Shutter Island (2010).

Minute Man National Historical Park is an American Revolutionary War site.

Hammond Castle is located in Gloucester.

Public Health Museum is located in Tewksbury.

Lighthouses of note include Cape Ann Light Station, Annisquam Harbor Lighthouse, Marblehead Lighthouse, and Bakers Island Lighthouse.

Southeast Massachusetts

Plymouth is known for Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II, and Plymouth Plantation which featured in Hocus Pocus (1993).

Scituate was filmed for American Fiction (2023).

Gillette Stadium, located in Foxborough, is home to the New England Patriots.

Fall River is known for Lizzie Borden’s House, and Battleship Cove which is a collection of World War II naval vessels.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987) filmed in Cohasset.

Milton Academy in Milton featured in The Social Network (2010), and The Witches of Eastwick (1987).

Medfield State Hospital featured in Shutter Island (2010).

Whittenton Mills featured in Shutter Island (2010).

Wellesley College campus is located in Wellesley.

Fairhaven High School is a beautiful building in Fairhaven.

Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse is located in this part of the state.

Cape Cod & The Islands

Cape Cod & The Islands are located in the southeast of the state.

Cape Cod is known for its beaches, farmland, lighthouses, and towns including Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Harwich, Dennis, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown.

North Truro Air Force Station is an abandoned radar station.

Martha’s Vineyard is an island known for its harbour towns, lighthouses, sandy beaches, and farmland. Jaws (1975) filmed in Martha’s Vineyard.

Nantucket is an island known for its beaches, and mansions.

The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands.

Lighthouses of note include Gay Head Lighthouse, Cleveland East Ledge Lighthouse, Nobska Lighthouse, Nauset Lighthouse, Highland Lighthouse, Race Point Lighthouse, Chatham Lighthouse, and Great Point Lighthouse.

Central Massachusetts

Worcester is a city known for Worcester Art Museum, Bancroft Tower, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, and Mechanics Hall.

Old Sturbridge Village is a recreated New England rural village that includes water-powered mills, and a working farm.

The Museum of Russian Icons is located in Clinton.

Knives Out (2019) filmed in Natick, North Easton, Maynard, Marlborough, Medfield, Boston, and Waltham. The house interiors and exteriors were filmed in Natick and the library was filmed in Ames Borderland Mansion.

Covered bridges of note include Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge, and Pepperell Covered Bridge.

Pioneer Valley

The Pioneer Valley is located in the west of the state.

Springfield is known for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Museums, Springfield Armory, and Six Flags New England.

Amherst College campus is located in Amherst.

Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library is located in Northampton.

The Bridge of Flowers is located in Shelburne.

Covered bridges of note include Arthur Smith Covered Bridge, Eunice Williams Covered Bridge, and Bissell Covered Bridge.

Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee is available for filming.

Berkshire Hills

The Berkshire Hills are located in the far west of the state.

Williamstown is known for Williams College, the Clark Art Institute and the Tony-awarded Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Norman Rockwell Museum is located in Stockbridge.

Berkshire Museum is located in Pittsfield.

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, is a historic house located in Lenox.

Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum is located in Adams.

Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts.

Ski resorts include Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Bousquet Ski Area, and Butternut Ski Area.

Massachusetts Film Location Permits

For facilities, roads, parks, or any other locations which are owned or controlled by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, inquiries are made to the Massachusetts Film Office. All other permitting is handled locally by individual jurisdictions. Please contact us for location specific information.

When To Shoot?

Massachusetts has a typical four-season climate. Winters can get very cold and snow covered. Summers are warm to mild with temperatures cooler in the west. Massachusetts is vulnerable to summer hurricanes and thunderstorms. Spring brings colors in full bloom. Fall creates the blanket of reds, yellows and oranges that New England is famous for.

Events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include the following:

• The Boston Marathon, the world’s most prestigious marathon, is held in April.
• Greasy Pole contest during St Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester, takes place in July.

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.

Massachusetts Tax Incentives For Filming

Massachusetts offers qualifying productions a 25% production credit, a 25% payroll credit and a sales tax exemption.

Massachusetts Film Crew & Talent

Crew. Massachusetts has a good pool of local crew as well as all of the standard grip, lighting and camera gear for hire. More specialized crew and gear can be brought in from the New York area, only a few hours drive away.

Contact us if you are looking for a Boston or Provincetown 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 Massachusetts.

Talent. Boston is a large and diverse city with talent from all ethnicities and walks of life available. The state is known for its large Irish-American community. Movie characters synonymous with Massachusetts include Irish gangsters, Ivy League intellectuals, and pastel wearing preppies out on the Vineyard.

Massachusetts Film Equipment

Equipment. Massachusetts offers a good range of standard and specialised camera, grip, and lighting 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.

Massachusetts Studios & Post Production

Studios. New England Studios are the largest facility with 4 purpose built sound stages.

Massachusetts Film-Friendly Accommodation

Please contact us for recommended film friendly hotels in Boston, Provincetown and other areas of Massachusetts.

Final Notes

Safety. Massachusetts is a very safe and reliable place for foreign productions to shoot. See here for up to date travel advice.

Down Time. Head on down to Fenway Park and catch a Red Sox game.

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 Massachusetts, please see below:

Hire Massachusetts Production Support & Shooting Crew

If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer for your shoot in Massachusetts, please contact us.

If you are looking for a shooting crew for your shoot in Massachusetts, 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.