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Top Filming locations

SuperHost
Our Bunker, Warehouse is your Bunker, Warehouse
  • $100/hr
  • New
  • 5.0 (68)
  • 68
  • Instant book
  • Responds within 1 hr
  • Los Angeles, CA
SuperHost
Huge, Affordable Production Space
  • $50/hr
  • New
  • 4.9 (30)
  • 30
  • Instant book
  • Responds within a few hours
  • Oakland, CA
SuperHost
Wonderland: Fantasy Garden Outdoor Set with props
  • $80/hr
  • New
  • 5.0 (0)
  • Instant book
  • Responds within a few hours
  • Temple City, CA
SuperHost
Huge Professional Video Production/Photo Studio
  • $89/hr
  • New
  • 5.0 (3)
  • 3
  • Instant book
  • Responds within 1 hr
  • Chandler, AZ
SuperHost
Studios - Green Screen/Virtual Production
  • $50/hr
  • New
  • 5.0 (1)
  • 1
  • Instant book
  • Responds within a few hours
  • Lancaster, CA
SuperHost
Loft Office Space Full Windowed and furnished
  • $75/hr
  • New
  • 5.0 (1)
  • 1
  • Instant book
  • Responds within a few hours
  • New York, NY
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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an average Filming location cost to rent?
Filming location rates typically average $74 per hour.
What is the attendee limitation of average Filming locations?
Attendee limits often vary with the size and features of a Filming location, but average 42 people per booking.
What is the average hourly minimum of Filming locations?
The average minimum booking time for Filming locations is 3 hours.
What is the average square feet of a Filming location?
There's a great range of Filming locations available, with an average size of 5800 square feet.
What are the most popular Filming locations on Giggster?

Find Filming locations

About Filming

As a filmmaker, you probably don’t need to be told just how important featured locations are to the quality of your scenes. The best filming locations contribute so much to any project, setting the mood, enhancing the story, and often becoming stars in their own right.

But experienced filmmakers will also know that finding your ideal filming location is often easier said than done. From lighting to ease of access, there are myriad factors you need to consider besides the way a filming venue looks and feels.

The good news is that a wonderfully diverse range of indoor and outdoor spaces are available for rent as production venues and movie locations. Here’s how you can find the locations that are best for you.

A film location serves as a central focus to set the scenes for your films. Filmmakers can consider locations like the Ohio State Reformatory or the City of Los Angeles, visit a local museum in California, create a wintry wonder in Canada, center the production around a landscape in England, or a school in York. When it comes to filming in a hotel or taking account of the film sites in Los Angeles, it's best to select featured locations that are popular with fans for quick recognition.

Famous film locations are a sure shot sign that fans will recognize the site, come to visit, and spread the word about the property and the movie. After all, your film is only as good as its reception.

The Best Filming Venues

Filming locations come in just about every shape and size you can imagine. They can be indoors or outdoors, subdued or spectacular, with exquisite exterior shots or subdued interior shots on the rooftop or tucked away in a basement. Whatever your creative vision, there’s a filming venue out there that can bring it to life. Here are just a handful of the options available to you.

  • Homes and Apartments
    No matter whether you want a simple suburban home or a luxurious mansion, a cramped apartment or a big family home, something old or something modern — there are private home filming locations to create cinematic history and suit every need. For example, stepping into this abandoned 70s-era apartment is like stepping back in time.

  • Studio Spaces
    Some scenes and projects are best filmed in the confines of a studio. Most of the Star Wars and Harry Potter films were captured in studios. With the Harry Potter series coming out soon, we can expect more incredible realism than the films. Whether you’re shooting a quick corporate video, or television series, filming in front of a green screen, or using a host of different sets, you’ll find a variety of studio spaces and locations to suit projects of varying sizes and budgets.

  • Gardens
    From simple suburban backyards in San Francisco or San Diego to extravagant landscaped private gardens in Las Vegas, outdoor filming locations are quite diverse. Even better, the green space, colorful blooms, and connection with nature they offer ensure a memorable backdrop for any scene.

  • Private Vehicles
    No one said the best filming locations had to be fixed in place. From luxury sports cars to sedans, soccer mom SUVs, and even tour buses, you’ll find a huge range of unique private vehicles for hire as filming venues.

  • Industrial Workshops and Warehouses
    Some industrial sites have been abandoned or repurposed, while others are still used for their original purpose. Whichever option you choose (with a little landscape, some tourists, and strategically placed art), the history and authenticity of the space will shine through on screen.

What to Look for in Filming Spaces

Finding the best filming space is crucial, whether filming a big-budget movie, clicking still or dynamic photos, or a short marketing video for your company website. The right location can take any scene to the next level, so consider the following key factors when comparing your options.

  • The Look
    First, consider the look you want to capture onscreen and how a space will enable you to tell a story without dialogue. Remember how critical lighting is to the aesthetics of any space and that any venue can look quite different when viewed at different times of the day.

  • The Feel
    Choosing a location is not just about how a space looks but also how it feels. The atmosphere of any filming location is quite hard to define, but you can’t deny it’s something that comes through on the screen. From brooding and moody to bright and welcoming, airily casual to dark and sinister, remember to consider the atmosphere of any space before deciding whether it’s right for your project.

  • Ease of Access
    The best filming locations are ones that are as convenient as possible, so consider each space from a practical point of view. Think about how the venue will be for all your crew and onscreen talent to access. For example, are private parking and public transport links available? Will you easily be able to transport all your gear to the location of the film shoot? Answering these questions now will save you a lot of hassle in the future.

  • Essential Facilities and Amenities
    Next, take some time to think about all the key equipment and amenities you want in a filming venue. You may need to know if it is easily accessible and has a green room, dressing rooms, Wi-Fi, AV equipment, and restrooms. Once you know exactly what you need, you’ll be well-placed to compare filming locations.

  • The Right Price
    Your budget will always be a key consideration in any creative project. So determine how much you can afford to spend beforehand, then shop around to find the best spaces in your price range. Exquisite stories can come to motion on the big screen in locations like Skellig Michael, British Columbia, and northern Los Angeles County. All you need is to ensure the budget is on track so you can get a full house on opening night.

Filming Inspiration for the Best Filming Locations

Need some fresh, new ideas to take your next project to the next level? These filming location ideas should help.

  • Lush and Lavish Gardens
    Picture a backdrop of manicured lawns, colorful springtime blooms, peaceful water features, and a soft breeze blowing through the trees. In the landscaped gardens of glamorous private estates, you’ll find outdoor filming locations you must see to believe.

  • Old Industrial Spaces
    Want to add a gritty industrial vibe to a scene, a real-world work environment, or a touch of creepiness you only get from an abandoned building or site? Check out what the best old and repurposed industrial spaces near you have to offer. Visit them in advance to check the lighting and positioning for your film or production.

  • New York-style Lofts
    NYC lofts offer visually stunning features like exposed beams and bricks, polished concrete floors, and big windows. It may be in Toronto, Canada, but you’d swear this beautiful studio loft was in the heart of the Big Apple.

  • Farms and Ranches
    Looking for somewhere to capture the authenticity of life in a rural area, or maybe just the space and secluded vibe you only get on a big property? Head away from the city to find working farms and spacious ranches where the animals are real, the air is fresh, and the nearest neighbor is often miles away.

Discover a new country, cross the pond to London, England, take a train from an unknown platform, and travel halfway across the globe to find the best filming sites. Take a page from the books and scripts of renowned actors like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts and movies like Star Wars to capture exquisite film backdrops of the forest moon in Hawaii, small nooks and crannies of an old museum, and an island ghost town to elevate your film to the next level.

A movie theater with people wearing masks during COVID-19.

Getty Images // Getty Images

Written by: Leesa Davis

How COVID-19 changed the way movies are budgeted and made

The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruptions to numerous industries, among them the movie business. In the pandemic's early days, studios and movie theaters were hit with temporary closures, filming delays, and plummeting ticket sales. The pandemic also changed how movies are distributed, as studios looked to diversify their distribution strategies and streamers pushed to expand their content libraries.

Using research from news and industry sites as well as data reports, Giggster broke down some of the crucial ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way movies are budgeted and made.

The chaos brought by COVID-19 served as something of a reset button for Hollywood. Studio executives faced unprecedented circumstances in which popular streaming services such as Netflix became the primary means for consuming content while film production of every scale was interrupted by COVID-19-related shutdowns or faced release schedules that could not be accommodated due to theater closures.

2021 box office earnings in the U.S. totaled $4.49 billion, representing a more than $2 billion recovery from the previous year that was still leagues away from 2019's $11.3 billion haul. Many of 2021's top films, including "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and "Black Widow," faced limited earnings potential by being simultaneously released on streaming and in theaters.

A drive-in movie theater filled with cars.
David McNew // Getty Images

Success looks different for theatrical vs. streaming releases

For many Hollywood studios, 2021 provided the rare opportunity to figure out movie distribution patterns that had piqued the curiosity of film industry folks long before the pandemic. For years, the only way to watch a new film was at a movie theater. After COVID, there are no set rules on how a new movie can be released.

In the last year and a half, some movies were released exclusively in theaters before crossing over to digital platforms; other films were made available on streaming platforms the same day as their theatrical releases. Throughout 2021, nearly every new Warner Bros. movie release appeared on HBO Max—a measure being discontinued now as theaters have reopened and Warner and Discovery are expected to merge by the summer of 2023.

Several new streaming services owned by media heavyweights with their own movie studios drew tremendous viewership during the pandemic, among them Peacock, Paramount+, and Disney+—which took many of its live-action and animated features streaming-first, including "Turning Red," "Black Widow," and "Raya and the Last Dragon." Such initiatives have changed how success is measured. For example, "The Many Saints of Newark," released in fall 2021 by Warner Bros., was a flop at the box office but a major hit for HBO Max.

The TCL Chinese Theatre promoting 'Top Gun: Maverick' in Hollywood, California.
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images // Getty Images

After a slump in revenue, box offices are ready for a comeback

Throughout the pandemic, movie theaters across the country suffered the blow of plummeting ticket sales. Cineworld Group PLC, the second-largest cinema chain in the world, which owns Regal Cinemas, confirmed in August 2022 that it is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection as a result of poor box office sales in large part due to the pandemic. Cineworld still expects to continue its operations even after filing, but investors in the company could face significant losses.

Nonetheless, there have been sure signs that going to the movies remains a staple activity for Americans. The top movie of 2021, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," took in more than $572 million in the U.S. that year alone and has grossed more than $800 million overall, making it the third most financially successful movie in history. And thus far 2022 has outearned 2021 by nearly $700 million, with four months yet to go before the year's end.

Perhaps the biggest reason? Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media's "Top Gun: Maverick" has been call sign "smash," surpassing $1.4 billion worldwide in its 13th weekend of release.

The Game of Thrones Prequel film set under construction.
GC Images // Getty Images

Studio execs cut back on production costs amid supply chain issues

As with all other corners of American commerce, the entertainment industry is feeling the weight of inflation compounded by ongoing supply chain issues. Particularly hampering film productions has been a strain on the availability of steel and lumber, which, according to one studio executive, has driven the costs of these materials up by as much as 30%; in one instance, the spike caused a film set to double in price compared to what it would have cost to construct four years ago.

Since early 2021, film studios have faced widespread delays in acquiring nearly all materials necessary for set construction. Compounding this ongoing supply chain problem are rising fuel costs. Many U.S. film studios are located in California, a state where gas currently averages more than $6 a gallon, making fuel expenditures another line item producers are grappling to control.

Perhaps no recent story coming out of Hollywood exemplifies studios' about-face in terms of controlling costs than the announcement by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. In August 2022, Zaslav announced several of its in-production film properties, including the highly anticipated DC Comics' film "Batgirl," were being shut down and pulled from release altogether for the studio to mitigate what it feared were potential losses at the box office; in the case of "Batgirl," specifically, the studio is expected to declare the already-finished film as a $90 million tax write-down.

People stand in line to buy movie tickets at the box office.
Eduardo Parra/Europa Press // Getty Images

Film shortages

With theaters being nearly empty for a couple of years as a result of the pandemic, film industry staffers may be excited that more people are getting up from their sofas these days to go to the movies—but there's now another looming issue, unfortunately. Something that may be missing from the cinemas this fall is the actual movies.

In 2021, 403 films were released in the U.S. and Canada, a 20% increase over 2020 but nowhere near the 792 films released in pre-pandemic 2019. The shortage of new films being made and released is likely to have an adverse effect on ticket sales for movie theaters that were already struggling to stay afloat during the heaviest days of the pandemic. Supply chain and production setbacks continue to plague film productions, large and small. Moreover, the major studios' codification of resources toward large-scale and big-budget productions means they can afford to produce fewer projects but also that the onus on those projects they do release is significantly greater than in years past.

A person does a temperature check on an indie film set.
Rodin Eckenroth // Getty Images

Lack of COVID-19 insurance funding

While larger film studios have more wiggle room with their budgets, indie filmmakers are still grappling with financing independent productions—an increasingly complicated feat since the pandemic.

When the pandemic first arose, insurance companies excluded COVID-19 from their policies. This resulted in a domino effect with banks not wanting to accept completion bonds that independent filmmakers count on to get funding. Completion bonds guarantee that productions will be within budget and will wrap on time. The lack of insurance coverage coupled with surging production costs has made it challenging for indie filmmakers who are struggling to get their projects underway.