By Katie Barclay
With all the fascinating current and historical story lines surrounding Washington DC, it would seem fitting to have constant filmmakers inundating the city with cameras, actors and special effects. Hollywood's entertainment industry is a highly lucrative machine, providing any city with thousands of dollars of revenue if filming is a success there. However, filming is almost nonexistent because of strict city and government regulations.
Got Tax Credits?
Many cities and states have implemented specific tax credits for movie productions to move into these areas, such as Louisiana and Georgia. Reducing the costs and welcoming the workers with open arms is a recipe for harnessing Hollywood's top filmmakers. There's enough cost and stress in creating any television or movie production, but adding in location expenses and addition restrictions just turns filmmakers off. DC doesn't offer any monetary incentives to use their facilities, encouraging productions to look elsewhere.
A Photographer's Nightmare
Both cinematographers and photographers must travel the local area to scout shooting locations. DC poses a unique challenge because there are restrictions nearly everywhere. Permits are difficult to come by, especially for tall equipment to shoot a wide-angle scene. Cameras aren't even allowed in certain areas for security reasons and parking is almost impossible for production stock and dressing rooms. In essence, the DC area makes it incredibly hard to find and produce a beautiful shot from an artistic point-of-view.
Who's in Charge?
If a production company wants to take on the challenge of shooting in DC, they must navigate through all the police hurdles. The city is divided between several jurisdictions, including separate police departments and federal areas. A production company must gain the permission of some or all these entities to shoot film. The application and securing process is so full of red tape that filmmakers don't have the patience or time to maneuver through it all. Another city is often the choice after seeing the complex nature of DC.
Hotel and Union Costs
Productions must balance their budget, especially when it comes to lodging and union worker costs. The DC area naturally has an expensive hotel industry. To make the shooting affordable, actors and other workers would have to stay outside the city and commute in. When time is of the essence, adding a commute to the workday isn't cost effective. Local union workers for basic jobs, from extras to catering, are also under higher pay rates than other areas. DC just isn't competitive enough to make filming affordable.
Lack of Soundstages
Although the point of shooting in DC is to enjoy the local scenery and architecture, production teams also need soundstages to work on other filming aspects. DC is largely without any quality soundstages, forcing productions to look at nearby cities for help. Whether it's for a sensitive scene or special effect, soundstages are crucial for any production to stay on track. Adding an affordable soundstage to the neighborhood could help filmmakers consider DC more often.
Maryland and Virginia Beckon
Oftentimes shows and movies are set in DC, but never filmed there. If production crews want the DC look with natural trees, shrubs and plants, they can easily cross over into Maryland and Virginia. These two states harbor Baltimore and Charlottesville, two cities with ample space and reduced regulations for quality filmmaking. Many of the local downtown sections have architecture similar to DC, making it simple to cut an angle during filmmaking as the background suddenly appears like a DC street.
Technology Creates the DC Vibe
Visiting other cities and states simply gives the special effects department a reason to be part of the production. Even if the film is a basic love story, special effects can add in a White House image behind the actors in post-production. Suddenly the production is in DC without all the regulations of actually being there. Technology helps filmmakers avoid certain areas that are too expensive or dangerous to visit in person.
For DC to blossom with entertainment value, the setup processes must be streamlined between the studios and local government. Cost is always a factor for any production, tempting filmmaking companies to hire DC movers with affordable rates to film outside of town than deal with the city's red tape. With future politicians trying to ease the strain for filmmakers, it may be possible to film again in this famous capital.