What if the next movie, television show, commercial, or other production needed a location that looks exactly like your property? For owners and managers of film-friendly homes, businesses, and other properties across the Greater San Antonio Metro Area, that opportunity is closer than it may seem.
Through Film San Antonio’s Location Gallery, property owners can introduce their locations to filmmakers searching for distinctive settings throughout the region. The gallery gives film professionals from around the world a way to discover the unique places that make San Antonio and its surrounding communities so visually compelling.
And “film-friendly” doesn’t simply mean glamorous or expensive. Film and television productions need locations of all shapes and sizes — a well-lived-in home, a cluttered bookstore, the corner store at the end of your street, even office spaces and warehouses — these are all locations that could be the perfect backdrop for a scene.
You never know what a production company may need. Photo courtesy of the City of San Antonio
Put your property in the spotlight
Film San Antonio’s Location Gallery is available to properties throughout the Greater San Antonio Metro Area, which includes Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Wilson counties. Once a listing is reviewed and approved, its photos are added to the office’s digital location database and made available to industry professionals worldwide looking for San Antonio-area locations.
Photo courtesy of the City of San Antonio
Urban streetscapes offer filmmakers a dynamic setting with plenty of room for storytelling.
The more a property can show, the better. Film San Antonio recommends taking multiple photos from multiple angles, including wide-angle views of both interiors and exteriors. Photos should showcase all structures and unique features, while each interior room should have at least one clear image. Daylight and good lighting are also important, giving filmmakers the best possible sense of the space.
There’s no maximum number of photos, either. In this case, more really is more: additional images can help the Film San Antonio team better market a property to filmmakers and production professionals.
What happens if a filmmaker is interested?
After an approved location is added to the database, Film San Antonio can provide photos to industry professionals based on their specific location requests. If a production company sees potential in a property, the production company will contact the owner directly. Property owners can also contact Film San Antonio to verify requests or ask for guidance.
There’s also potential for compensation. Private-property filming does not have a standard location fee in Texas. Instead, rates can vary depending on the production’s budget, scene requirements, length of filming, amount of access needed, and potential impact on the property. If a production is interested, its representatives will make an offer, with the property owner and production negotiating the terms.
Film San Antonio also encourages property owners to consider student and independent productions when appropriate, helping emerging Texas filmmakers gain valuable on-location experience. For any production, liability insurance is considered an industry standard and best practice.
For property owners who have ever looked around and thought, "This place would make a great movie set," it may be time to put that idea on the screen. Submit yours today.
