City Guide Filming in Encanto, AZ
Production Permit Fees
- Film Permit Fee - $100
- Film Office Representative - $125 per hour. Minimum 4 hours
- Park Ranger - $50 per hour. Minimum 3 hours
- Police Officer - $75 per hour. Minimum 4 hours
- Police Sergeant - $65 per hour. Minimum 4 hours. Obligatory when 3 or more police officers are on-site.
- Permit Rider - $0.65 per mile
Minimum Insurance
- General Aggregate - $2,000,000
- Products – Completed Operations Aggregate - $1,000,000
- Personal and Advertising Injury - $1,000,000
- Each Occurrence - $1,000,000
- Property Damage - $50,000
- Automobile Liability - $1,000,000
- Filming on any airport property - $5,000,000
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Encanto
Encanto is one of the smallest villages out of the fifteen that have grouped to form the City of Phoenix in Arizona. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in character and lives up to the translation of its name. It's charming, but maybe not quite as charming as Tucson.
While Encanto may be classed as a village, there's nothing rural about this urbanization located in the southern central region of Phoenix. Forget cottage-style housing here, because Encanto encompasses some of the most crucial areas of the city, including the mini-metropolis of Midtown as well as the more ground-level built Uptown.
Sadly, Encanto has yet to receive the credit it deserves as a filming location. It's often just mentioned as Phoenix in the credits or movie write-ups, which is unfair. As far back as 1956, Encanto was making its screen appearances in films like Bus Stop starring Marilyn Monroe, which featured the State Fairgrounds.
The Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Encanto was used as a filming location in the 1974 movie Mixed Company, and more recently — 2018 to be precise — the village's Encanto Park was used to make a documentary about singer Jim Morrison.
Encanto may hide its light under a bushel where movies are concerned, but it does have it all if you’re scouting for shoot locations. If you want to take a preliminary look, check out the filming locations in Encanto spotlighted on Giggster. You will find just about every kind of filming location your script calls for there and a few more besides.
Remember, while it is a very film-friendly village, there are filming regulations to follow to film some scenes there. Once you know the filming guidelines in Encanto and know what you can do, you will be almost ready to roll.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Encanto?
Anyone planning to film for commercial purposes in Encanto is required to obtain a film permit. That applies to filming commercials, episodic TV, movies, documentaries, mockumentaries, music videos, and short films for social media or other internet-connected purposes.
Applications for a filming permit for Encanto should be made at least one to two weeks before the estimated shoot date. Each part of the application procedure must be completed during the process within a specific time frame. They are as follows:-
You should submit the completed Intent To Film/Shoot Application two weeks before the estimated shoot date.
Two days before the estimated shoot date, you must have provided the relevant authority with a valid insurance certificate and have paid the permit fee.
The relevant authority must have signed the permit one day before the estimated shoot date to allow you to film.
No permit will be issued unless all three steps have been adequately completed. Don’t do them, and you could end up in trouble. Filming in Encanto without the correct permits and permissions could see you being cited by the police. So make sure you follow the procedures.
Late applications for Encanto film permits are not appreciated and may be declined. Most film projects shooting in Encanto require city staff in attendance throughout — see the Special Requirements section for more details. Leave your permit application too late, and staff may be available to oversee your production.
Permit Management in Encanto
City of Phoenix Film Office
Filming permits for Encanto are managed by the City of Phoenix Film Office. The Film Office sets the guidelines and regulations for filming in the city's villages and neighborhoods.
The Phoenix film office acts as a liaison between the production company and any other city authority that may be required to be involved in the film shoot. They also oversee the hiring of city staff for film shoots, the rental of public property, and city equipment.
The application form for an Encanto film permit can be found on the City of Phoenix's official website in the Community and Economic Development under Film Office Policies section. The form can only be completed online and submitted online.
Once you've submitted your online application for a film permit, a film office representative will contact you within twenty-four hours to assist you in continuing the process.
The Film Office Commissioner has the final say as to whether or not you will be granted a filming permit, so make sure you start on the right foot.
What Insurance Do I Need in Encanto?
The City of Phoenix Film Office requires you to submit a valid insurance certificate when applying for your Encanto filming permit. They are specific about the minimum coverage quantities.
They are also very clear that the minimum amounts stated might not be all that's required. Once your application has been assessed, you may be required to contract insurance for more than the minimum liabilities. If this occurs, you will be advised accordingly by the Film Office.
If you can’t meet any of these requirements, you’ll need to explain in writing why you can’t meet the requirement to the Office. They will determine if the shoot can go ahead without the necessary insurance.
Note that these requirements are minimum requirements. Larger and more complex shoots may require additional insurance which will be determined by the Office.
What Kind of Filming Locations Are Available in Encanto?
It's not far-fetched to say that there are filming locations in Encanto that are ideal for all scripts, no matter their classification or genre. Finding places to suit your particular project will probably be a lot easier than you may have initially imagined.
Studio space is readily available in Encanto in all shapes and sizes and prepared for various uses. You'll find podcast, recording, photographic, and dance studios just waiting for you to give them the once-over.
There's a great selection of hospitality-based locations available for hire in Encanto. If you need a bar environment decorated in an industrial style with excellent lighting and comes so fully equipped there are even Connect four games waiting on the bar to be played, you've got it.
There's also an '80s-themed pub ready and waiting for your cast to launch into a game of darts or get up and boogie across the dance floor under the glittering lights of a revolving disco ball. If you are making a movie about a band or singer, this place is perfect as it has a small stage where they can perform in front of a crowd of extras.
You'll find it in Encanto when your scenes call for a homely atmosphere, but you want something just that little bit out of the ordinary. Some rooms look like a top-notch interior designer who has had a creative epileptic fit and started an entirely new trend by teaming robust floral patterns with eye-jangling paisley throws. It could work well if you have to house an artsy character.
Moving between unusual internal locations to interesting external ones in Encanto won't be difficult. A first choice for many producers is Encanto Park, which offers two hundred acres of public green space with exceptional facilities. Think of a fishing and boating lake, two golf courses, a swimming pool, a sports complex, and the amusement park, Enchanted Island, which would be the ideal location for a zombie movie, and you'll be on the right track.
Encanto Park isn’t the only park in Encanto either, so if it isn't quite right, you've got more to choose from. For somewhere with a more formal appearance, the Steele Indian School Park, with its broad tree-lined walkways cutting through swathes of manicured grass works well.
Need to get your actors on the move? Send them walking down North Central Avenue to the Central Avenue Station. When you want a street worthy of a car chase with fantastic views in the background, you should look at West Thomas Road, where it heads out of Midtown, into the desert, and beyond.
When ready to grab some B-roll and want views of the city from a great angle, you should head up to the Buena Vista Lookout in South Mountain Park. It won't disappoint. Encato has a filming location for every scenario you can imagine, so you will find what you need.
Special Requirements in Encanto
Presence of City of Phoenix Employees At Shoot
The Film Office may insist on the presence of City of Phoenix personnel even if you are filming on private property in Encanto. Whether they are required is always the decision of the Film Office and not the production company. It's a service that the production company is billed for and must pay on a daily basis unless specific payroll payments have been previously arranged with the Film Office or relevant authority involved.
Examples of when you will be required to have city personnel on-site during filming are as follows:-
When you will be parking more than two vehicles on a public right of way
The production involves ten or more personal vehicles which will be parked on a public right of way
You will be implementing special effects during the shoot
You will be using fake weapons or real weapons with fake ammunition
You will require intermittent traffic control
If the Film Office decides you don't need the presence of city personnel during your film shoot, but they subsequently receive complaints about your activities, then you will be required to have personnel in attendance before you are able to continue.
When this occurs, the production company is charged at double the usual rate. These fees are charged from the moment the production company is informed of their misdemeanor and not when the personnel arrive on site. That can work out to be a huge drain on your budget, so make sure you don't upset anyone.
Special Effects
The firing of a fake weapon loaded with blanks is against the law in Encanto. To be able to do this during filming, you must have a production company weapon handler and a policeman on-site during the shooting of the relevant scenes. The presence of a police officer will be coordinated by the Film Office, and the production company charged accordingly.
When your filming involves the use of pyrotechnics, you must employ a Special Effects Operator with a valid federal ATF license. You will also need to apply to the Phoenix Fire Department for a City of Phoenix Special Effects License. You must do this well in advance as the permits are not issued on a last-minute basis. The cost of the permit is decided at the discretion of the PFD.
Filming In Desert Parks
If your film shoot involves locations in parks that are classed as desert parks rather than public green spaces, South Mountain Park for example, you won't be permitted to film unless a park ranger is available to be on-site during the shoot. Production companies are charged by the hour for the attendance of a park ranger.
Street and Sidewalk Closures
The City of Phoenix is quite strict where street and sidewalk closures are concerned. They prioritize the community before visiting film production companies. If you request the closure of streets during peak hours, it's likely to be refused.
Off-peak hours street closures are granted at the discretion of the Street Transportation department and are only permitted to be carried out by the City of Phoenix Barricade Traffic Control Team. The Film Office will assist you in liaising with the Street Transport department after they've received your film permit application if required.
When your filming interrupts sidewalk traffic in any way, shape, or form, the Film Office will assist you in the correct procedures and help in organizing the relevant city staff required to carry out the procedure.
What Does it Cost to Film in Encanto?
To obtain a film permit that allows you to film in Encanto won't cost you. What will put a strain on your budget is the additional costs required to pay city personnel. There's no escaping the fees, though, so if you want to film in Encanto, you will need to take them into account from the word go or better, before you start your application.
Additional Fees
The above gives you a general idea of what fees you might incur if you choose to shoot your film, documentary, or TV show in Encanto. They are not the be-all and end-all of what you might be charged.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Encanto?
Encanto is one of the fifteen distinct urban villages that make up the City of Phoenix in the state of Arizona. While it may be classed as one of the smallest villages, it still covers an area of over eight square miles and has a population that exceeds fifty thousand which, in reality, makes it bigger than quite a few other US cities. Encanto encompasses two of the most important districts of Phoenix, which are Uptown and Midtown. It's bordered entirely by five other urban villages, which are also an integral part of the city of Phoenix. They are Central City to the south, Estrella and Maryville to the southwest, Alhambra to the northwest, and Camelback East to the northeast. Three main thoroughfares separate the village of Encanto from the rest of Phoenix and they are the I-17 to the west, the I-10 to the south and the AZ-51 to the west.
Outreach in Encanto
The City of Phoenix Film Office does not publish specific outreach to the communities around your film shoot locations in Encanto. It's a savvy production company that takes this task on their backs because if they don't, it could have pretty devastating financial consequences if anything goes wrong.
Advising the community where you intend to film can only be a good thing that, while it may seem tedious and time-consuming, will benefit you in the end. It may seem laborious and time-consuming to walk from home to home and business to business distributing notifications about your upcoming film shoot. It will save you from having to fork out for employing City of Phoenix personnel on double time if someone complains about you.
Take the time to advise the communities, both business and residential, local to where you'll be filming about what you're doing and why. If they're unhappy about your activities, you'll have time to communicate with them face to face and get them to be as much in love with your project as you are.
Community Management in Encanto
As the producer, you'll probably have your hands tied behind your back. Yes, do outreach so you don't incur double costs for hiring city personnel when someone complains, which could ultimately get you fired, so hire a community manager.
Encanto isn't one of those filming locations in the US that has, so far, been overused, but you never know when a local volcano prone to volatile behavior erupts. Get the right community manager, and they'll be able to undertake outreach without batting an eyelid, keep the locals happy, and keep your budget within the expected range. In the long run, employing a community manager will be much more cost-effective than paying Phoenix City employees double time, so don't hesitate to add one to your payroll.
Conclusion
When you're planning on filming in the state of Arizona, or more specifically in the city of Phoenix, while it doesn't have a significant filmmaking history so far, there's no reason not to choose the village of Encanto.
Encanto has some great attributes that can elevate any film production from ordinary to extra-special if the choice of locations and the direction are correct. Maybe it's time to say cue Encanto and let this urban village find its true filmmaking calling, but as always, the final decision will be in your camera lens.