Riverside County Film Commission Biannual Report in Review

INTRODUCTION With a region of over 7,300 square miles, Riverside County Film Commission (RCFC) works closely with all 28 cities located within its borders, the State agencies and Federal agencies to help streamline your production and make it successful. We can assist with everything from permitting in all jurisdictions within the County to finding locations and other local production needs. Riverside County is located East of LA conveniently opposite of work traffic, with areas as close as 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. . WHY WE SUPPORT FILM PRODUCTION? Film Production is an integral part of economic development as it provides a platform for job creation, investment, and tourism. The film industry is a key contributor to the economy as it generates significant revenue from movie sales, distribution, and merchandising. Furthermore, film production creates employment opportunities for various professionals, including actors, producers, directors, editors, and set designers, among others. The industry also stimulates investment in infrastructure development, such as studios and post-production facilities. Additionally, the tourism sector benefits from film production as it promotes travel and exploration of film locations, which in turn boosts the local economy. In summary, the film industry plays a crucial role in economic development and contributes to the growth of local and national economies. California’s Film and TV production industry supports well over 700,000 jobs and nearly $70 billion in wages for in-state workers. It is an economic engine that powers everything from production employment and tourism to our extraordinary creative spirit. Source: CA Film Commission

TOP FILMING LOCATIONS Riverside County’s geography accommodates varied looks such as winding roads, open desert, picturesque mountains, and scenic landscapes, as well as the mid-century modern to Spanish architecture throughout the county for that specific look productions seek. Along with our film friendly county and city departments, our unique locations makes us the perfect place to film movies, commercials, still photography and many other productions. • Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern Homes

• Dillon Road • The Thermal Club • Idyllwild

• Salton Sea • Cabazon Dinosaurs • The Mission Inn Hotel

• Metate Ranch • Indian Canyons

WHAT WE DO  Sponsorships – Film Festivals, Location Managers Guild Int. (LMGI) Awards, CA On Location Awards (COLA), Comic Con  Advertising – CA On Location Magazine, Locations International, LMGI Magazine  Contracts – Inland Empire Film Services  Familiarization (FAM) Tours – Riverside County Film Locations  Liaison to County Departments for Filming

FAMILIARIZATION (FAM) TOURS  Southwest Film FAM Tour: June 24-26, 2022  Wine Country, Lake Skinner, Santa Rosa Plateau, Vail Ranch, Old Town Temecula, Mt. San Jacinto College  Pass Area/Mountain Communities Film FAM Tour: May 19-21, 2023  Gilman Ranch, Twine Pines Ranch, Morongo, Mountain Center, Idyllwild, Lake Hemet

SAVE THE DATE – UPCOMING TOUR RCFC is planning a Familiarization (FAM) Tour in the Eastern Coachella Valley in early November 2023. We are partnering with the Greater Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and will be bringing in 15 top Location Managers in the industry who represent film, television, commercials and other genres to tour mid-century modern homes, the Indian Canyons, The Thermal Club, Metate Ranch, the Salton Sea, and other amazing Riverside County locations.

INLAND EMPIRE FILM SERVICES Riverside County has partnered with Inland Empire Film Services (IEFS) as our Film Permit Liaison. We actively work in cooperation with IEFS on garnering the attention of the film industry as a premier location for their projects. To help broadcast this message to the industry’s decision makers we are vigorously advertising to the film industry’s location scouts. Inland Empire Film Services processes Riverside County film permits, and provides location assistance to the entertainment industry on behalf of the Riverside County Film Commission.

PERMIT TYPES

Economic Impact from filming is based on a formula adopted by the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). Each permit type has a dollar amount per day.

A. Features – A feature film/feature-length film. B. Television Episodic - Made up of separate especially loosely connected episodes. C. Television Reality – Television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations. D. Commercials – Advertising that promotes products, services, or organizations E. Stills – Non video format that focuses on single photographic images.

F. Music Video – Video that integrates a music song or a music song or music album with imagery that is produced for promotional purposes. G. Documentary - Motion picture that interprets factual material for purposes of education H. Student Production – A student who was assigned a film project required for a grade in a college level class. I. Commercials – All additional production request not outlined in the formats above.

PERMIT FEES Per the County of Riverside film ordinance 634.2, RCFC does not charge permit fees for filming at county-owned properties. Road encroachment fees and monitor fees are allowable.

ECONOMIC IMPACT Average Economic Impact From Filming in Riverside County 2015-2019 was $30,857,350 Per Year. Average Production Days was 1048 Per Year. Average Number of Projects was 460 Per Year Average Economic Impact Post-Covid-19, 2020-2022 was $3,062,916 Per Year. Average Production Days was 293 per Year. Average Number of Projects was 130 Per Year Covid-19 shut down production in 2020 and we saw a slow comeback throughout 2021. Other events that have affected filming in Riverside County include the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. This ongoing strike started on May 2, 2023. At that time, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). It is the largest interruption to American film and television production since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as well as the largest labor stoppage that the WGA has performed since the strike of 1988, which lasted for 154 days. Additionally, the SAG-AFTTRA Strike started on July 14, 2023. Actors contend that artificial intelligence can be used to replicate an actor’s likeness and voice without compensation for the actor. All productions (TV and Features but also video games) that have union actors employed have stopped production and will not continue until a resolution is met.

NOTABLE PROJECTS  A Star is Born Motion Picture – Filmed at Palm Springs Convention Center, unincorporated county roads, tire shop, and the Indio Polo Grounds  Tenet Motion Picture – Filmed at Eagle Mountain Iron Mine in Desert Center  9-1-1 Lone Star TV Series – Filmed season 1, episode 1 plant explosion in unincorporated Perris  Pay Dirt Motion Picture – Filmed around the City of Coachella and Coachella City Hall.