Why Film in San Diego?

San Diego remains a film-friendly city for large or small features, TV series and movies, music videos and commercials.

San Diego has a deep pool of both union and non-union crew, talent and creative professionals. Our proximity to LA means that we have a larger pool of talent than many cities, with unparalleled access to the talent already residing in LA. Our talent is hungry, ready to work, and ready to add value to your production. That translates to more production value per dollar spent and per diem savings.

San Diego has canyons, valleys, mesas, forest, lakes, ranches, mountains, dunes, and marshes. There are deserts to the east, beaches to the west, and aquatic parks to the North. We have dozens of spectacular beaches and parks including 1,200-acre Balboa Park and the waterfront Mission Bay Park. The US/Mexico border is only 15 minutes away — it would be tough NOT to find what you are looking for in San Diego.

San Diego has rural and urban settings including a large downtown area, many small neighborhoods (each with unique architecture), ranches, parks and small towns – all within a 30-minute drive of the city center.

With some of the most perfect weather in the world, San Diego’s average temperature is 72 degrees. This makes for a pleasant production environment with low risk of weather interference. Need weather? We are only a few hours away from areas where rain and snow are more common.

San Diego has plenty of hotels, motels and extended-stay properties that have hosted numerous projects.

Despite being one the 7th largest city in the country, San Diego feels like a small city with a close knit community. It is a beautiful, laid back city that’s easily navigated. With beaches and parks in every direction, San Diego is a vacation destination for a reason. Productions will find the same hospitality and comfort that tourists enjoy.

We are only 2 hours from Los Angeles. And many locations in our North County are even closer. Proximity to LA is unparalleled by other cities. Your LA crew can be filming in San Diego in the day and home in bed at night. Once you are here, you’ll find the city has little traffic. Driving across the city, from any one location to another, takes roughly 20 minutes. You can’t beat that.

Our airport is smack dab in the middle of downtown and not more than 10 minutes from hubs for food and lodging. Our Airport’s new second terminal will welcome you to all the comfort, ease and hospitality San Diego offers the minute you step off the plane.

Governmental entities (cities, counties, state) support and assist filmmakers in and around San Diego

The Film Consortium San Diego can help with locations, accessing local talent and crew, and smoothing out the inevitable glitches. The California Film Commission also offers its services.