The San Diego Film Commission is a nonprofit, government-funded office that promotes and facilitates film and television production in the city. Created in 1976 by mayor

Pete Wilson Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Wilson previously served as a United S ...

, it was originally called the San Diego Motion Picture and Television Bureau.

Origins

San Diego had a silent film production industry from 1898 to 1912. In the early 1970s, producers of the Los Angeles–based television series ''

Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. ''Harry O'' followed the broad ...

'', seeking new locales for the show, moved production to San Diego. At that time, television and film production accounted for only $400,000 in annual revenue for the city. But ''Harry O'' alone earned an estimated $1.5 million in a matter of months, in addition to providing hundreds of jobs. Unfortunately, the show's producers soon found their work in San Diego impeded by the slow processing of city permits and seemingly arbitrary fees levied by numerous local agencies. ''Harry O'' returned to Los Angeles after filming just a few episodes. Frustrated producers and civic leaders met with Wilson, members of San Diego's County Board of Supervisors and executives from the Port of San Diego to discuss new initiatives that would not only end debacles such as the ''Harry O'' incident, but promote the city as a "one-stop shop" for filmmakers. The Commission created a precedent with "roundtable" meetings that brought filmmakers together with representatives of public safety and other government departments to streamline the permit process. The method became a model for similar commissions in other cities. San Diego also initiated tax incentives to make the area attractive to film production.

Evolution

Within the first decade of operation, the SDFC proved its worth by drawing high-profile projects such as

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired ...

and the hit television series

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who ope ...

to San Diego. In the years since, the commission has facilitated production of such high-profile projects as ''

Traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...

'', '' Almost Famous'', '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'', ''

Lords of Dogtown ''Lords of Dogtown'' is a 2005 American biographical drama film that captures the rise of skateboarding culture in 1970s Santa Monica and Venice, California. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Stacy Peralta, a key figure in the ska ...

'', '' Bring It On'', '' Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'' and a short-lived revival of the 1980s hit series ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'', all of which brought revenue and jobs to the area. Originally, the commission was a division of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, but was spun off to become its own independent agency in 1997. It continues to work as a nonprofit development agency for film, television, commercial and print/still photography talent in the city and county of San Diego. By 2016, San Diego was the filming location of several television shows including '' Animal Kingdom'', '' The Last Ship'', '' Ingobernable'' and '' Pitch''.

Fallout

In 2012, the SDFC was incorporated into San Diego's Tourism Authority. Faced with a huge drop in funding, the Tourism Authority laid off 40 percent of its 79-member staff, including the entire staff of SDFC.

References

Sources

San Diego Film Commission

UT article: Tourism bureau lays off 40% of its staff

External links