BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND WORK AS A MOVIEMAKER

The Hudson Valley Film Commission is happy to announce that the Hudson Valley has been included in MovieMaker’s BEST PLACES TO LIVE AND WORK AS A MOVIEMAKER. Based on the number of Film & TV projects that were produced in the region, we would have liked being closer to the top, but we’re very grateful and happy that MovieMaker agreed to include multiple cities. Please note that we did provide specific locations for each project, but the magazine narrative (see below) only includes nearby cities.

10. THE HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK TOWNS OF POUGHKEEPSIE, KINGSTON AND NEWBURGH

We rank cities, not regions —but there’s no denying the rise of the Hudson Valley, a collection of small cities and towns making a huge impact on the industry. Poughkeepskie has welcomed productions including NBCUniversal’s The Endgame, Apple’s Invasion and Severance, Showtime’s The First Lady and HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls. Severance has also shot in nearby Kingston, and so have Netflix’s Manifest, HBO’s Full Circle and The Undoing, as well as many more productions. Newburgh, meanwhile, has welcomed Rian Johnson’s Peacock show Poker Face, HBO’s The White House Plumbers, and Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. The region’s stately, reserved beauty and century-long embrace of arts and culture have made it highly desirable, especially for thoughtful prestige productions. Many New York City residents found the area to be a refuge as they fled tight quarters during lockdowns, which may explain why so much creativity has spilled out of the valley. And it benefits from New York’s 25% tax credit on below the line costs, and an additional 10% on below-the-line labor. Massive Clouds, in Kingston, is among the superb local boutique post houses.

We’ve been compiling a list of states, countries and otherworldly locations that the Hudson Valley has been used for. If we’re missing anything that you can think of, please let us know.

Here's a short list...

Belarus – The Endgame

Belgium (Ardennes) – Foxhole

California – White House Plumbers

Cuba – White House Plumbers

Centerville – The Dead Don't Die

Colorado – Poker Face: Escape from Sh•t Mountain

Connecticut – I Know This Much is True

Earth – Avengers: Endgame / battle scene

Idaho – The Whale

Illinois – Driveways, The Better Angels, The Americans

India – Growing Up Smith

Kier – Severance

Louisiana / New Orleans – Monsterland

Maine – Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Massachussets – Diane

Midwest – Skin

Minnesota – Poker Face, The Thing About My Folks

Montana – The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Nevada – Poker Face

New Jersey – Poker Face, The Plot Against America

North Carolina – What Happened Miss Simone

Ohio – Linoleum

Oklahoma – Growing Up Smith

Oregon – Antarctica

Outer Space, Mars – Approaching the Unknown, Save Yourselves

Pennsylvania / Millwood – Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

Tennessee – Poker Face: The Future of the Game

Texas – Poker Face, Cold in July, One Armed Man, Approaching the Unknown

Vermont – The Sex Lives of College Girls, Shirley, Last Vermont Christmas

Virginia – Stay Awake, White House Plumbers

Washington, DC – The White House Plumbers

Wisconsin – Poker Face, The Night Listeners


2022 was in fact a record breaking year. To analyze the impact of regional FILM, TV and MEDIA production, the Hudson Valley Film Commission collects and studies data to show how jobs and direct spending benefit local economic development. Important factors for local production include availability of trained professionals and the wide variety of locations available. NYS Film Tax Credits continue to be the principal factor cited for filming in the Hudson Valley.

2022 DATA INCLUDES:
• Direct Local Spending: $62-million+
• Room Nights at Local Lodging: 45,757 
• Scouting Days: 540 
• Production Days: 448 
• Locations: 214 
• Crew Jobs Created: 790 
• Cast Jobs for Actors & Background Extra: 3,383+


The Hudson Valley Film Commission is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that has engaged, supported and promoted hundreds of regional Film & TV productions since 2000. As part of its mission, the Film Commission refers locations, local crew, cast, vendors, qualified production facilities, post production houses and more. As a result, thousands of jobs have been created and more than $400-million in regional economic development.  

RECENT local productions:
Stream regional films at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/streamfest
Neil Gaiman Masterclass • To Have and To Kill • New Amsterdam • Post Truth • Blackout • Manifest (Netflix) • Full Circle (HBO) • Figments of Freedom • A Paracosm • Sing Sing • Fallout • Poker Face (Peacock) • Lost on a Mountain in Maine • Family • Theater Camp • Blue Light • A Holiday Spectacular (Hallmark) • Three Women (Showtime) • The Adults • New Me • Pinball • The First Lady (Showtime) • One December Night (Hallmark) • Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max) • The Endgame (NBC Universal) • Crumb Catcher • Stay Awake • Redemption in Cherry Springs (Hallmark) • Life & Beth (Hulu) • The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO Max) • The White House Plumbers (HBO) • Remote • The Gilded Age (HBO) • Severance (Apple TV+) • The Whale (A24) • Old Man • Master (Amazon Studios) • Adopting Audrey • The Hating Game (BCDF Pictures) • Invasion (Apple TV+) • The Green Veil • Linoleum • The Sixth Reel • The Secret Diaries of an Exchange Student • Werewolves Within (Ubisoft/IFC Films) • Things Heard and Seen (Netflix) • Billions (Showtime) • Monsterland (Hulu) • The Plot Against America (HBO) • Silent Retreat (Miramax) • Black Bear • Follow Her • Lapsis • Foxhole • The Undoing (HBO) • I Know This Much Is True (HBO)