Automotive spots especially are drawn to Arizona's rugged terrain and wide highways: Doug Taub, a director out of M-80 in Santa Monica, CA recently shot an Acura spot in the Sedona area for RP alpha, Santa Monica and Kier McFarlane, of Propaganda, Hollywood CA, shot a Chrysler commercial on the Hualapai Indian Reserve. Hualapai territory contains the western tip of the Grand Canyon and is "film friendly." Bill Kirkpatrick, locations manager for the Arizona Film Commission says commercial shoots happen frequently but are hard to track.

"Usually when an agency awards the job there is already an air date for the spot so [production companies] scream in here and scream out," he says. "They bring the director and DP and pick up local people to work. Commercials are the mainstay of a lot of the local crew."

Bob Williamson of Propaganda was the production manager on the recent Chrysler shoot. He says the decision to shoot in Arizona was location-motivated.

"We would have been there strike or not, since we needed the Grand Canyon and the part run by the government is not open to filming until the tourism season is over," says Williamson. He praised everyone from location scout Orville Cisco to the caterers for making the production work: "It's nice to have what we are used to when filming in the middle of nowhere."

Another recent job shot in Arizona is the Metallica video "I Disappear," directed by Wayne Isham of A Band Apart, Los Angeles; both mountainous and city terrain were used for this Mission: Impossible 2-inspired promo.

WEB.FILES

Arizona Film Commission> www.azcommerce.com/azfilmcommission.htm