Nevada Profile

Las Vegas
Las Vegas is not only one of the world’s leading travel and tourist hot spots, but it also doubles as a premiere production destination. Las Vegas’ unmistakable backdrop has been featured in films and an on television since its infancy. The city’s famous landmarks appear in the box office hit The Hangover, the second highest grossing comedy of all time and frequently on popular television shows such as C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation. Las Vegas also provided the production location for a number of hit programs like Top Chef, The History Channel’s Pawn Stars and Let’s Make a Deal to name a few.  Even Barbie traveled to Las Vegas to document her 50th birthday celebration this year with a photo shoot featuring classic tourist attractions.

The southern Nevada area is distinctive in that it provides a myriad of locations beyond the resorts and casino properties on Las Vegas Boulevard. From the phenomenal open-air scenery at Red Rock National Park, to the quaintness of Boulder City, to awe-inspiring Hoover Dam, filmmakers are sure to find the perfect match for their production needs. Recently and soon to be released features such as George Clooney’s Up in the Air, the children’s fantasy-adventure movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere and The Other Guys featuring Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg are some of the productions that were shot in the region during 2009.

Reno/Tahoe
In contrast to the urban settings of southern Nevada, northern Nevada is home to some of the most charming and unique settings in the silver state. A landmark neon archway proclaiming Reno “The Biggest Little City in the World” is easily recognized by many. While this city offers a slice of small town life, travel just a few minutes outside suburban Reno, and one will find themselves surrounded by the breathtaking natural landscapes typical of the American west. The Reno area will appear on the big screen in 2010 with the release of the action-thriller Kerosene Cowboys and in the independent comedy Melvin Smarty. The city of Reno is situated on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and in close proximity to Lake Tahoe; renowned for the infamous boat scene in The Godfather II. This region provides stunning outdoor “sets” that change with each of the four seasons. With over 300 days of sunshine annually, filming outdoors in this area is a sure way to keep your production on schedule.

Nevada's Countryside
Rural Nevada is truly unique in that it is composed of rugged and untamed territories reminiscent of the state’s early pioneer days. This region has majestic mountains and valleys, rivers and “playas” or dry lake beds. Follow the path of the Pony Express on Highway 50, dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America” which cuts across the central part of the state. As you continue to travel in and out of “civilization” you will pass through towns such as Fernley, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, and Ely. Farther north along Interstate 80, is the town of Elko. Part of Northern Nevada’s “Cowboy Country”, Elko keeps the old west alive with the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, a one week tribute to the American West and Nevada’s ranching culture and traditions. Northern Nevada is also home to the Great Basin National Park. Established by the Federal Government in 1986, the park encompasses 122 square miles of land in Nevada near the Utah border. Whether you are looking for a sandy desert, snow-capped mountain, grassy valley, sprawling prairie, historic mining town, vast lake or sparkling river, rural Nevada has it all, and is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating of filmmakers.