Film Making: Getting Buffalo On The Map

By Cathi Lanski

Western New York is a treasure trove of unique architecture. This is no secret to anyone who lives here. Increasingly, Buffalo is attracting the attention of Hollywood Producers who are smitten by the Queen City's unique assets.

     "Henry's Crime," a comedy produced by Keanu Reeves, starring Reeves and Buffalo filmmaking veteran James Caan is the latest example of Buffalo's irresistible charm—released in April of this year. Reeves spent part of his childhood in nearby Ontario and was familiar with Buffalo. Caan's 1980 directorial debut, "Hide in Plain Sight" also filmed in Buffalo.  Writer Sasha Gervasi's script is set in Buffalo, so shooting the movie here was a natural choice.

     Local Residents would be surprised to hear that "there is something filming in Western New York almost every day of the year," according to Tim Clark of the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission.  Just last year "Unstoppable" starring Denzel Washington filmed in  Olean and a major Bollywood  musical was filmed in Niagara Falls and Downtown Buffalo.

     "Making money on a movie is harder than winning the lottery," says Buffalo native James Stephens, a New York City based  actor and filmmaker.  "Producers need to make every dollar count and it's expensive to film a movie in the United States so states started offering tax incentives to bring film productions to their areas."

     New York State heavily subsides movie makers, with a thirty percent tax credit given to filmmakers willing to work in the state. Western New York too uses its low cost of living and substantial talent to make it more lucrative to producers than downstate.

     "New York City is a key production city. The reason is that Mayor Lindsay decided decades ago to make the city more attractive to professional TV and movie production," says Edward Summer, President of the Buffalo International Film Festival.

     Buffalo's recent good fortune in having several scenes from "Henry's Crime" shot here are because the  writer envisioned it here. "The primary reason that they shot the film in Buffalo is probably two things,"  continued Summer, "the location fit the script and New York State tax incentives."

     "The audience desire for authenticity in their movies has compelled filmmakers to go to actual locations to shoot a film," Stephens says. 

     Niagara Falls cannot be replicated, and there are other delights that attract producers to Western New York. The Buffalo Niagara Film Commission, a part of the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitor's Bureau,  offers a one-stop shop for production companies which are interested in filming in Western New York.  The film commission  website lists shooting venues,  incentives and local talent pools.

     Buffalo is home to  unique buildings  such as the Central Terminal,  the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society Building (the last site left from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition) and the Richardson Complex. There are also several  designs by noted architects Frank Lloyd Wright and E.B. Green and a park system designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.

     "Most people are blown away when they see what we have here. There is architecture from virtually every period. You can get to a rural area, a ski slope or Niagara Falls in twenty minutes," says Clark.

      New York State is working hard to bring movie money to its cities.  A movie production can bring millions in revenue to a city in a single day. Most of the movies end up being made in New York City because there is such a wide range of resources available to them there, but there is also plenty to draw producers to Western New York. Buffalo needs to increase the percentage that comes to this part of the state. 

     Movie Production "brings money to community -- hotels, food, gasoline, location permits," says Summer. "They pay people for the use of their homes. Local people with the right skill set get hired. In New York City they make untold millions of dollars."

     The key to attracting producers to Western New York is community involvement and preserving our architecture, says Summer. "Buffalo offers tremendous promise, but if all the buildings are torn down, you may as well shoot in a cornfield in Kansas."

     Western New York must become more invested in keeping it's unique architecture up and running.  That, along with local talent is what draws Hollywood to Buffalo.

     "Community plays a big part," says Clark, "Buffalo truly is the City of Good Neighbors. It's not just a slogan."!