Countywide : County Acts to Lure Movie, TV Crews

By KEVIN JOHNSON

June 29, 1994 12 AM PT

Roll ‘em!

Orange County supervisors gave final approval Tuesday to funding of a film office that would attempt to bring more television and motion picture productions to county locations.

The board’s unanimous vote came as actress Melissa Gilbert was across the street in Santa Ana filming a television courtroom drama at the Old Orange County Courthouse. Gilbert, who is starring in “A Touch of Truth,” said she was pleased to hear of the county’s decision.

“Oh, neat,” Gilbert said Tuesday during a break in filming. “Any place has a chance of attracting business as long as there is cooperation. A lot of actors live south of Los Angeles in places like Newport Beach and they might find it easier to get to work.”

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, who initiated the drive to increase the area’s profile in Hollywood, said Orange County has been “missing out” on big economic opportunities by failing to market its beaches, parks and cities as film locations.

Officials estimated that film crews spent $250,000 in Orange County last year, compared to $27 million in San Diego, $20 million in Tucson and $17 million in Phoenix.

The county’s attempt at staking a stronger claim to film business will start with paying for office space at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. The county will provide up to $242,502 over three years, with additional funding coming from the chamber.

Cristi Silverberg, who has been involved in the initial planning, will work as the first office director at an annual salary of about $61,000.

“You only need to look across the street to see what this can do,” Vasquez said, nodding toward the old courthouse on Santa Ana Boulevard. “That film crew has been on location for seven days, staying in our hotels and eating in our restaurants. It’s this kind of business that we need to attract on a more consistent basis.”

Tuesday, the old courthouse parking lot was jammed with production trucks and dressing trailers while lighting equipment was spread across its grounds. The historic courthouse has been a popular location in past years for production crews, but officials said the county has never attempted to market itself as other communities have.

“We have not hustled for business, but we can change that trend today,” Vasquez said. “Great days are ahead if we pursue this aggressively.”

On Location

Here are some of the movies recently filmed, at least in part, in Orange County:

“Clear and Present Danger” * Star: Harrison Ford

* Location: John Wayne Airport, Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Center

“Demolition Man” * Star: Sylvester Stallone

* Location: Koll Center Office Park, Irvine; Newport Coast Drive

“North” * Star: Alan Arkin and Julia Louis-Dreyfus

* Location: Old Orange County Courthouse

“Mighty Ducks II” * Star: Emilio Estevez

* Location: The Pond of Anaheim

“Defending Your Life” * Star: Meryl Streep