Size isn't everything; why small towns can offer big returns

From Miami to Cleveland, smaller cities are seeing a huge influx of productions due to great locations and crews.

In terms of high end commercial production, my hometown of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania might not be your first thought when it comes to where to film. People assume we’re shrouded in smog, surrounded by steel, and set in the middle of nowhere.

Smaller cities are seeing a huge influx of productions due to great locations and crews.

But, as I know from running a production company here, we have a lot to offer when it comes to a thriving commercial production scene. 

Above: As one of the US's many smaller cities, Pittsburgh might not be your first thought for a location, but your money will likely go a lot further.

Lately, I’ve been getting a ton of requests to film prospective jobs in cities like Toronto, or Mexico City. The specific reason being that the client and agency think this will make their funds go further. And it might. 

But, as I know firsthand, more money can end up on screen in mid-sized markets as well. And, while it takes a lot more to convince clients to head to Pittsburgh, once they see brownstones that resemble Brooklyn, skyscrapers that look like a modern tech-hub, or the access to rural scenes just fifteen minutes outside the city, they are convinced. 

Not only are smaller cities rich with eager and hard-working crew, but plenty of smaller cities often have locations and resources that are full of authenticity.

While there will always be the right location for the right job, the name of the game, in my opinion, is squeezing as much high-level production as you can out of a budget. A production company wants your commercial to look amazing, and a large part of that comes down to trusting it when you're told you can achieve that amazing look in a smaller market. 

Not only are smaller cities rich with eager and hard-working crews who have great production experience, but plenty of smaller cities you may be familiar with often have locations and resources that are full of authenticity. And these days, in advertising, we all want more authenticity. Instead of manufacturing a small business on a stage, you can easily convince a local bakery on a real Main Street to document their early morning routine. 

Above: Dessert Before Dinner's Pokemon project put Pittsburgh in the frame. 

Take a global job we produced a few years back for the game launch of Pokémon Legends, Archeus. The client originally pushed for filming in London but, when they realised we could stretch their budget much further in Pittsburgh, we successfully changed their minds. The result was six spots being created across the city over the course of a carefully planned week, ultimately maximising their production funds. We tapped into real, beautiful locations, for the absurd campaign. 

Manny Izquierdo knows this well. As owner of production company Mi Media Pro, he fights to keep large commercial production local, in his hometown of Miami. His company blends live-action and VFX, along with completing dozens of corporate projects.

"The beautiful thing about Miami is that you can dress it up as this lavish, coastal city, or you can dress it down to be nondescript.” 

While people typically associate south Florida as filming sites for music videos and Dexter, Manny knows what a strong commercial production option the city can offer. “It’s got cultural diversity not commonly seen in other US cities,” Manny says. “You have crew members from all over who are multicultural and multilingual, bringing their own unique flair to every project you're on. The beautiful thing about Miami is that you can dress it up as this lavish, coastal city, or you can dress it down to be nondescript.”