City Guide Filming in Wichita, KS
Production Permit Fees
- Permit Fee - $0
Minimum Insurance
Additional Permits
Discounts
About Wichita
You don't need to be considering making a movie called Doo Dah or Cowtown or be contemplating filming a remake of the Wizard of Oz to consider Wichita as a filming location, which is about three hours away from Kansas City, Missouri. You won't be the first filmmaker to head for this city in the southern central area of the state of Kansas. There have been quite a few film crews that have made their way across the Great Plains to Sedgwick County with their fingers crossed, hoping they don't run into a tornado on the way.
Some of the movies filmed in Wichita are memorable, and others should probably have been shelved in the development stage, but made in Wichita, they were. One legendary historic person who was characterized in several movies of the early silver screen days was Wyatt Earp. The 1955 movie Wichita and the much later 1994 biographical drama Wyatt Earp both told parts of his life story. There has also been a 2014 movie named Wichita that focused on a 19th-century bounty hunter rather than Wyatt Earp that was filmed entirely in the city.
British actor Donald Pleasance took his creepy presence to Wichita in the late 1970s, where he teamed up with Robert Vaughn and Anne Heywood in Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff. They were followed in the late 1980s by comedians Steve Martin and John Candy when he arrived in Wichita to film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
The decades of the 90s saw a screenplay by writer-producer Michael Crichton give the infamous Kansas tornados a starring role in the movie Twister, parts of which were filmed in Wichita. Tim Burton took his unique creativity and a multiple A-list cast to Wichita in the same era to film scenes from the cult sci-fi comedy Mars Attack. Wichita has probably never been quite the same since.
Other films, indie or otherwise, that have been filmed all or in part in Wichita include:
The Gypsy Moths
5 Conversations
The Attic
The Big Kahuna
Darkness
King Kung Fu
Mindfield
Night Screams
Plus, various Hallmark movies
One particular filming location in Wichita has been used time and time again, and that's The Old Cowtown Museum. Movies that have been shot there include:
Skylark
Touched By Fire
Bloody Dawn
The Only Good Indian
The Bender Claim
Road To Valhalla
Wichita – 2014 as previously mentioned
Midnight Shanghai
There's a good reason why producers and directors like to film in Wichita, and it's not because of the city streets, the landscapes, or the Arkansas River, either. You can discover why by reading further through this article.
If you've already started to feel a creeping curiosity for checking out filming locations in Wichita, take a look at Giggster. You can do that from the comfort of your office without having to dodge any incoming tornados. Then before you head for the Sunflower State, all you need to do is familiarize yourself with the local filming regulations. You'll be pleased to know there are not as many as you might imagine.
Do I Need a Filming Permit in Wichita?
The quick and simple answer to the question: do you need a film permit to film in Wichita is no. The city of Wichita and, in fact, the state of Kansas does not issue film permits to production companies.
Depending on the type and size of your production, if it will block roads or sidewalks or may be a danger to the public, you may need to liaise with the Wichita City Police Department for permissions and support.
Should you want to film on the state or interstate highways, then you will need to liaise with the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Department of Transport to obtain permission and traffic control assistance.
If your film shoot involves the use of pyrotechnics or open flames either indoors or out, you may need to obtain a special permit from the State Fire Marshal and have a set inspection carried out by the City Of Wichita Fire Department before filming commences. You can find out more in the special requirements section of this article.
Permit Management in Wichita
Wichita Film Commission
No authority manages film permits in Wichita, as film permits are not issued in the city or in the state of Kansas.
Tip: If you’re looking for additional resources to assist you with filming your production in Wichita, then you should contact the Wichita Film Commission or the Kansas Film Commission. Just because they don’t require you to get a permit doesn’t mean they won’t offer you support while you’re filming in the city.
What Insurance Do I Need in Wichita?
There are no legal requirements for any production company to have insurance when filming in Wichita. That said, though, if you want to film in some public or private properties, they may require you to have general liability insurance, so always check with them before arriving to film.
While you don't need to have insurance, is it really wise in this day and age to undertake any activity which includes employees, actors, and crew members, or is in a public place without having some sort of insurance coverage? Think you'll probably agree that the answer to that is no.
If anything should go wrong, as it so easily can, then the production company will be liable. It might be that one of the cast slips and hurts themselves during filming, a crew member could hurt their back picking up heavy equipment, or your equipment or someone else's property could get damaged. Should anyone make a claim against you without insurance, that expense would come out of your pocket, and it can amount to thousands of dollars.
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 Wichita?
Wichita is what can only be called an absolute minefield of amazing filming locations, both internal and external. Even the producers of Hallmark movies would agree it's ideal for Little House on the Prairie-type films where you need wide open spaces on occasion. It's also perfect for filming movies that need a low-key city without too much of a New York-style skyline.
Wichita might once have been just a trading post, but it's developed a lot since the Wyatt Earp days. Downtown Wichita is a smart, modern neighborhood fronted by the Arkansas River. There you'll find event venues, deluxe apartment complexes, and as a complete contrast, Old Town, where there's a vibrant nightlife scene and loft apartments in renovated warehouses.
There are several multicultural communities in the older neighborhoods of Wichita where the residents live in housing dating from the 1940s. If that's the sort of filming location in Wichita you're scouting for, then take a look around Planeview, Hilltop, or Oaklawn, and you're sure to find what you're looking for.
Wichita is a very green city and has over 5,000 acres of parklands distributed between more than 150 parks. Plan to film in Central Riverside Park, and you can have your actors finish a stroll by feeding the vultures in the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit. That would add all sorts of interesting connotations to the scene. Central Riverside Park also contains floating sculptures and a solar calendar that resembles Stonehenge but on a smaller scale.
Chisholm Creek Park is a spot of truly outstanding beauty where there are wooden boardwalks running through the marshy wetlands. Need a skatepark? Then you need to be in Edgemoor Park, where there's one that covers a whole 25 acres. Need a boating lake? Then you need to be in the OJ Watson Park, where you can get your cast out on the water in pedalos. These are just a few of Wichita's parks, and there are many more, including one with resident flamingos.
If you're looking for something unusual for a 1950s-era film, then don't tell everyone, but the original hut used by the founders of Pizza Hut to make their very first pizzas is kept on the campus of Wichita State University. Now that’s a curiosity without a doubt. For an authentic Wild West set, you only have to go to the Old Cowtown Museum. It's been the set for many Western movies and has all the timber houses, saloon bars, storefronts, stagecoaches, hitching posts, and dirt streets you could ever hope to find in one place.
The Arkansas River is a major feature of Wichita. It meanders through the heart of the city from north to south, and while it might not be the ideal waterway for a speedboat chase, it's a fine and scenic spot for a leisurely cruise.
Many filmmakers go to this part of Kansas to film in the farmlands around Wichita. Depending on the time of year, there could be fields of sunflowers, corn, or wheat waiting to be harvested. If you're looking for that sort of scenario, you can check the growth and harvest patterns for different crops on the Kansas Film Commission website.
Wichita has been an important component of the aircraft manufacturing industry since its inception, so if you're hoping to find an old Boeing, Cessna, or Learjet to film on, you could well be in the right place. As you discover more about this Kansas city, you’ll have to agree that the filming locations in Wichita are really on the next level and truly leave nothing to be desired.
Special Requirements in Wichita
Filming With Children
The state of Kansas has strict laws about child employment, and if you are going to be filming with child actors, you need to make sure you adhere to them, or you could find yourself in big trouble.
You will need to carefully study the regulations set in place by the Kansas Department of Human Resources before starting to film scenes involving children. They have restricted the use of infants in filming and have set rules in place about establishing trust funds for child actors who earn over a certain amount for their work.
There are also guidelines in place that must be followed to ensure the safety and well-being of any minor employed on a film set. You can get a full breakdown of the regulations for employing children in the state of Kansas from the Kansas Department of Labor.
Filming With Special Effects
When your film shoot involves the use of pyrotechnics or flame effects, you will need to obtain permission to use them from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. If your pyrotechnics operator has a valid license, then this may be accepted, but if not, you will need to get them to apply for a permit that allows them to operate in Wichita and the state of Kansas. Permits are only issued to operators that are over 21 years of age and have written proof of previous pyrotechnics experience. For more clarification on this subject, contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
What Does it Cost to Film in Wichita?
The only expenses you will incur for filming in Wichita will be location rental fees and insurance coverage if you decide to contract some. If your production requires traffic control assistance or the attendance of a fire department specialist, you will be charged by the relevant authority. Fees for those services are billed on a project-by-project basis. As neither the City of Wichita nor the state of Kansas requires production companies to be in possession of a film permit, there are no fees to pay on that score.
Additional Fees
It is best to check with the community departments for details on local ordinances and private property managers and/or owners for rentals or additional fees for the services, facilities, or other resources required in your production. The rates may depend on the scope and nature of the production, the equipment needed, and how long they are required.
Geographical Jurisdiction of Wichita?
Wichita covers a total area in south central Kansas of over 165 square miles. Four and a half square miles of that territory is taken up by water which includes the Arkansas River. Wichita ranks 49th on the list of the US's most populated cities and is home to just under 400,000 people.
The borders of Wichita form an irregular shape, with parts of the city spreading out into the surrounding prairie lands, where there are numerous small cities, towns, and hamlets. To the south of Wichita are Haysville and Derby, and to the east are Andover and Augusta.
To the northeast of Wichita is Bel Aire and to the north is Park City. Maize and Colwich are to the northwest of the city, while Goddard, Schulte, and Oatville line its western boundary.
When any of your chosen filming locations fall outside of the jurisdiction of Wichita, in the state of Kansas, the no-film permit rules will still apply. That said, though, it's always a good idea to make your presence known to the local authorities before starting shooting.
Outreach in Wichita
There are no rules or guidelines in place for conducting outreach when you're filming in Wichita. The question is though, is it a good idea to film in urban areas without letting the community around your chosen filming location know? The answer to that is no.
No matter where you are going to be filming, it's a good idea to let the local residents and businesses know about what you're going to be doing. You don't have to make it complicated. Just distribute a simple notification to nearby households and businesses stating:
The name of the production company
The title of the production
The number of cast and crew
Times, dates, and precise location of the filming activity
A contact name and number
Any disruption they may encounter, such as parking restrictions or road closures.
Distribute the notification two or three days before the actual filming event is going to take place. That will give anyone who feels inclined time to ask any questions they may have or object to your activities.
Community Management in Wichita
As you won't have a film permit in your possession while filming in Wichita, it's a good idea to have a community manager in your crew. Any member of the general public can question what you are doing, as can employees of the local authorities.
Without an authorized piece of paper making your filming legit, you'll need someone to deal with any curious onlookers or star-struck police officers who might interrupt the shoot. A community manager will be able to reason politely with them all, diffuse any argumentative situation that might arise, and leave you to get on with getting your job done. For all that they can do for you, their salary is usually a bargain.
Conclusion
Wichita is an amazing filming location, and the no-permit regulations make it even more attractive. While there might not be any filming regulations in Kansas other than those concerning filming with children and pyrotechnics, that doesn't mean you can roll up and take over the city. When you have questions, the Wichita Film Commission or the Kansas Film Commission is the perfect place to start.
Remember to be respectful at all times during your time there and insist on your cast and crew are the same. That way, Wichita and Kansas will remain permit free for all future production companies who want to film there too.