The City of Santa Clarita announced today that calendar year 2011 was a record-breaking year for filming, with the Santa Clarita Valley Film Office issuing more permits and seeing more film days in the City than any other year since the office’s inception in 2002.

The Santa Clarita Valley Film Office, which facilitates the permitting process for filming within the City limits, recorded 901 film days and 359 film permits for calendar year 2011.  The City’s previous record year for permits was in 2007 when the City issued 329 film permits and 2009 when permits represented 867 film days.  Location filming contributed significantly to the local economy in 2011 with an economic impact of $19,363,000 million to local businesses as a result of local production spending, which represents a 7 percent increase over 2010.

Bill Paxton from HBO's "Big Love"

The City believes its 2011 success can be attributed to several factors, including the continuation of California’s Film and Television Tax Incentive program and the City’s own Film Incentive Program.  Since 2009, more than 30 state-approved projects have filmed in the Santa Clarita Valley, including “Justified,” “Franklin and Bash,” and “Switched at Birth,” which base in Santa Clarita.

The City of Santa Clarita’s own Film Incentive Program has provided a valuable permit subsidy to scores of locally based productions since its inception in 2009.  The 2011-2012 Program includes a subsidy of basic permit fees for locally based productions and those filming on location four or more times in the fiscal year.  The feature film Gangster Squad, starring Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Emma Stone, qualified in 2011 as part of the City’s program.

“We were busy in 2011 and are happy Santa Clarita remained one of the top places to base and film on location in California,” said City of Santa Clarita Mayor Laurie Ender.  “We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that our City is a top choice in Hollywood, from facilitating one of the fastest and most affordable film permits in the 30-Mile Zone, to working with our residents and business owners to ensure location filming happens with as little inconvenience as possible.  We are happy to be Hollywood North and are thankful to the many productions, local business owners, and residents who helped make 2011 such a strong year for filming in Santa Clarita,” she said.

The City created the Santa Clarita Valley Film Office in 2002 to attract and retain the entertainment industry in Santa Clarita, including location filming and film-related businesses.  Santa Clarita is currently home to several network and cable television shows, including CBS’s “NCIS,” ABC Family’s “Make it or Break It,” “Jane by Design,” and “Switched at Birth,” FX’s “Justified,” TBS’s “The Wedding Band,” TNT’s “Franklin and Bash” and ABC’s “Wipeout.”  In addition to permitting, the City’s Film Office oversees the City’s Film Incentive Program, coordinates scheduling and payment for Sheriff Deputies needed during filming in the City, and processes payments for Los Angeles County Fire Permit fees for City permits.

The City of Santa Clarita remains committed to the success of the entertainment industry.  The City continues to collaborate with local businesses to aggressively market the area as an ideal place to film.  For more information about the SCV Film Office and the Film Incentive Program, please visit FilmSantaClarita.com  or contact the Film Office at 661-284-1425.