This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Livermore Valley Film Commission Adopts Incentive Program

Area businesses are asked to participate in new program to encourage production crews to spend money locally.

As I , the Livermore Valley Film Commission is working hard to bring the film industry to our corner of the world. By streamlining the permitting processes in the cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton, the panel makes our photogenic area an attractive option for film makers who want to come in, do their work and move on to the next project with a minimum of red tape.

One of the major reasons for working so hard to encourage the industry to think of the area as a great place to film is that the the production crew spends money purchasing supplies, props and services, eating at restaurants and staying at area hotels. This has had a measurable impact on the local economy. Last year, 90 production days brought in about $233,000.

Film Production Incentive Program

In an effort to encourage even more support of local businesses and resources, the film commission is adopting a voluntary incentive program. When a production team comes to town, each person associated with the shoot will be issued Production Incentive Cards. They can be used for discounts and special offers at participating businesses during the filming.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"We're really excited to be working with the area businesses to put this program in place," said Jeanie Haigh, assistant director for the film commission. "We believe that they will use the cards to visit businesses off-filming hours, too."

In addition, the film commission has seen that those who discover the area during filming return to take advantage of many activities and amenities on their own time.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

 members are invited to participate in the program. Merchants decide what they would like to offer. Examples might include discounts on purchases, free dessert or a glass of locally produced wine.

The expenditures will be tracked to determine the program's economic impact. The commission will tabulate expenditures in the area related to filming and individual businesses will track how much money they make.

Major Feature Films Coming Soon

Over the last two years, there have been more than 50 productions in the area, representing about 125 days of filming. With major feature films set to shoot in the valley in the near future, this number will jump dramatically.

To find out how your business can participate, contact Jeanie Haigh at the Livermore Chamber of Commerce office at 925-447-1606 or via its online contact form.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?