| By KC Ifeanyi
With a film industry generating an estimated $100 million a year, Nevada has positioned itself as a major US filming destination, marketing itself as more than just the glitz and glamour of Vegas. When it comes to Nevada's successful run as a prime filming location, luck has nothing to do with it. With more than 600 projects a year, including both independent and feature films, filmmakers from around the world are flocking to the Silver State (or better yet the "Silver Screen State") not to shoot craps, but to shoot films. Nevada's scenic variety - ranging from the Vegas Strip to Pyramid Lake to the High Sierra Mountains - has helped it maintain a commercial appeal, suiting the various needs of clientele. Robin Holabird, deputy director of the Nevada Film Office, says Nevada has much more to offer than just a stretch of desert. "We're a lot more diverse than people realize," Holabird says. "We're the most mountainous state in the nation. People are surprised to hear that; they think of us as just a flat desert with a big neon blimp in it." Holabird also mentions Nevada's many distinct features that pull in potential clients as well. "You really can't fake the Strip anywhere else in the world, the Strip is pretty unique. Lake Tahoe is a little bit hard to fake as well; we have the uniqueness of those locations that draw people in." For Joe Carnahan, it was Tahoe's breathtaking scenery that made the perfect contrast to his high-voltage, thrill ride of a movie Smokin' Aces. In a newsletter from the Nevada Film Office, Carnahan was quoted as saying, "Tahoe is gorgeous" and noted that setting its beauty as a backdrop to his wild, surrealistic story only enhanced the final product. Carnahan went on to mention Tahoe's qualities, seemingly unappreciated by other directors considering filming locations. "Tahoe, I don't think, has been shot nearly enough, and I think a lot people, particularly on this film, really fell in love with this area and saw it for what I see it as, which is just the really unique kind of little spot that I think surprises a lot of people. It's so hip, and yet so kind of secret." No Incentives? No Problem. With its vast selection of settings and one-of-a-kind attributes, Holabird says Nevada has always been a "bang for your buck place to work," despite the fact its film commission doesn't offer any tax incentives. "We're one of the few states that don't have an incentive program for the film industry," Holabird admits. "Part of the reason for that is that a lot of the fees you find waived in other states, we never had. We would love to waive them for the industry, but since we don't have them, we can't waive them." Even though Nevada is sans incentives, it still offers its clients the all-important film permit, which Holabird describes as more of a coordination effort. "It just validates that you have your insurance and that you're not going to be interrupting an existing event or have somebody else interrupt your event." Holabird explains that because of their lack of fees compared to other states, Nevada has become the go-to place for low-budget films. Indies and A-lists "People are often surprised at the high-quality look that a lot of projects here get for not very much money," Holabird says. "A very low-budget, $2 million [movie] comes away looking like it's 10 times that." Holabird points out that movies such as The Cooler (2003) and The Deep End (2001), which were both shot primarily in Nevada, may have had small budgets to begin with, but produced huge results in the end, courtesy of the state's chameleon-like qualities. "If you look at the richness of those films, you wouldn't imagine their budgets compared to how they look," Holabird says. However, Nevada doesn't play host to just the indies; numerous box-office blockbusters have taken full advantage of what the locations and scenery have to offer. "Last month, it was like every week a feature film was opening that had some sequences in Nevada," Holabird says. "From the movie Next with Nicolas Cage to Lucky You with Drew Barrymore to Knocked Up to Ocean's Thirteen...we got the Transformers coming up, we've got Balls of Fury [as well]. None of these were entirely shot in Nevada but they've all been through." Although Nevada has been fortunate enough to have both independent and A-list films use its locations for select scenes - generating an estimated $100 million annually from the film industry alone - Holabird stresses the importance of movies being shot in state, start to finish. "It's becoming more and more important to all film commissions [to start] generating a local production market," Holabird says. "Of course everybody wants the big studio projects, but those little tiny independents that were made out of a small town rather than a production base like New York City or L.A. have a lot of impact. I think all of the film commissions are fairly aware of the benefits of the local industry." Whether filmmakers are concerned about getting just the right location for a scene or keeping expenses at bare minimum, Nevada isn't a gamble - it's a sure bet.
Nevada Exports:
Ben Alexander (Goldfield) - This Nevada native's place in the entertainment world is literally set in stone, with his three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to TV, film and radio. Alexander's more popular credits include "Dragnet" (1952-59) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
Hobart Cavanaugh (Virgin City) - Appearing in more than 180 films, Cavanaugh's more popular movie credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), That's Right You're Wrong (1939) and The Best Man Wins (1948). Michele Greene (Las Vegas) - Even though she's made a solid career in television - starring in the '80s hit "L.A. Law" and making cameos in numerous shows such as "CSI," "Nip/Tuck" and "Six Feet Under" - Greene has also branched out to films with movies such as A Family Affair and The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2006). Charisma Carpenter (Las Vegas) - Best known for role as Cordelia Chase on the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its spin-off "Angel," Carpenter has also appeared in several movies, including The Groomsmen (2001) and Voodoo Moon (2005). Edna Purviance (Paradise) - Any Charlie Chaplin fan would recognize this silent movie star, seeing as how she's appeared in more than 30 films with the comedian including, In the Park (1915), By the Sea (1915) and The Rink (1916). Films Shot entirely, or in part, in Nevada:
My Blueberry Nights (2007)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
The Mexican (2001)
Memento (2001)
Rat Race (2001)
Pay it Forward (2000)
Casino (1995)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992) | 
