Simi Has Moved Beyond ‘Little House’ as Film Spot

When people think of the regional filming industry, they usually don’t think of Simi Valley as one of the major players in the business. Rather, they are more likely to equate the filming industry with such cities as Burbank, North Hollywood and Santa Clarita. But Simi Valley has long been a stronghold in the industry, and Brian Gabler, Simi Valley’s assistant city manager, is working to change the public’s perception. “We’re very busy with filming out here,” he said. “We probably have as much filming going on as any other area. We’re on par with the region and have more activity than some areas.” Since 1990, Simi Valley has seen a sharp increase in the number of film permits issued in the city. In 1990, only 15 permits were issued. In 1995, that number rose to 41. This year to date, 31 film permits have been issued in Simi. Scenes from the television dramas “Medium” and “Brothers and Sisters” were shot in the city earlier this year. In 2006, 54 permits were issued and there were 105 days of filming in the city. In both 2004 and 2005, 55 permits were issued. The Simi Valley Film Council was established in 1999 under the umbrella of the area’s chamber of commerce. The chamber stopped its financial support of the program, and the city stopped providing financial support after funds earmarked for the program ran dry. Despite this, filming production remains strong in the city. Filming in the area “has continued to increase over the past decade in terms of overall activity,” Gabler said. Simi Valley is part of the 30-mile filming zone that was started in the late 1970s as an agreement with studios and unions to bring more film production to Los Angeles by reducing filming costs and having fewer restrictions. The zone covers the area from Beverly and La Cienega boulevards to the San Fernando Valley and parts of the Santa Clarita Valley. “We’re on the edge of the zone out here,” Gabler said. Being “in the zone” and the availability of open space have been instrumental in bringing filming to Simi Valley, he said. Filming in the zone is done via collective bargaining agreements with studios. To save filming costs during a production, workers drive to studio locations instead of being picked up by the studio and lodging rules are less restrictive, Gabler said. Companies aren’t required to pay for lodging for in-house employees while they work on film productions in Simi. In addition to plenty of open space, the diverse locations in the area make the area a prime location for movie, television and commercial shoots, he said. “There’s a lot of history of filming here in Simi Valley,” Gabler said. Simi Valley was home to the Big Smoke Movie Ranch, which was the set of “Little House on the Prairie” and “Father Murphy.” The ranch burned down during the massive Topanga Canyon fire in 2005. The city was also home to Corriganville, a Western movie ranch that is now a park owned by the city’s recreation and park district. The movie ranch was a precursor to Universal Studios, offering visitors rides and holding stunt shows, Gabler said. Other movies that have been filmed in Simi Valley include “Fort Apache” with John Wayne, “Sneakers” with Sidney Poitier and Robert Redford, “Poltergeist,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “The Good Girl” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Three Amigos.” In recent years, scenes in the popular television shows “Desperate Housewives,” “Jericho” and “The Office” were filmed in Simi. Most of the filming in the area is completed in one to two days and includes a sizable amount of commercials and music video shoots, as opposed to lengthy feature films. Part of HBO’s “Carnivale” was filmed on location in Simi, Gabler said. Simi is also home to studios owned by Adventist Media Group and by Larry Levenson, who films Hallmark movies in the area. Although filming doesn’t help the city economically as it generally just recovers the costs of the productions and “breaks even,” the area’s lodging industry sees the economic benefits as hotel occupancy rates and restaurant patronage often increase during a shoot. “It doesn’t generate any revenue for the city itself,” Gabler said. But, he said, the city isn’t interested in putting itself on the filming map for financial gain. “Economically, I don’t know if there’s a huge benefit to filming in Simi Valley for the city,” he said. “But we recognize that filming is important to California.”