Venice Beach, a storied cinematic backdrop since the silent film era, continues to play a starring role in Hollywood. In fact, the beach community enjoyed a major resurgence in 2011, ranking as the second-busiest place for location shooting, in contrast to its last-place standing a year earlier among the 10 top film sites in Los Angeles. Perennial favorite Griffith Park came in first.
Venice Beach generated 184 production days this year, nearly doubling the number it clocked in 2010, according to a 2011 survey by FilmL. A. Inc., which tracks filming on city streets, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County and noncertified soundstages.
Film industry officials attributed part of the increase in filming activity in Venice Beach this year to an upswing in commercial production. The community attracted dozens of still photography shoots and commercials from such brands as Chevrolet, T.J. Maxx, L'Oreal and Geico.
"We had a high number of commercials that chose to use the beach, and we suspect that contributed to the increase in standing vs. last year," said Todd Lindgren, spokesman for FilmL. A.
Venice is especially appealing because it is seen as a symbol of the Southern California lifestyle, with the beach, palm trees and colorful characters who frequent the boardwalk.
When scouting for a location for an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, Salome said he noticed an elderly homeless woman wearing a giant hat adorned with fake birds. "The director said, 'We've got to have that woman,' " recalled Salome, adding that the woman became the inspiration for a minor character in the episode.
Location managers also note that it is easier to film in Venice than in Santa Monica, in part because of the greater availability of parking lots north and south of Venice Boulevard.
