Showcasing our Region on the Big Screen

EL DORADO LAKE TAHOE FILM AND MEDIA OFFICE big screen El Dorado Lake Tahoe Film and Media Off ice showcasing our region on the

by BILL ROMANELLI photography by PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SKYDANCE and JERRY BRUCKHEIMER FILMS

When Kathleen Dodge answered the phone and heard Mike Fantasia on the line, she knew it was going to be something special. Fantasia, the supervising location manager who had worked on “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Memoirs of a Geisha” was looking for a location to shoot a new fi lm. When he told her it was “Top Gun: Maverick,” Dodge, a 30-year professional in the fi lm industry, lost her cool.

“I said, in a very colorful way, ‘You’re ____ kidding me!’” Dodge says. “He laughed out loud, put me on speaker phone, and made me say it again for everyone in his conference room.”

Dodge has been the executive director of the El Dorado Lake Tahoe Film and Media Offi ce since she moved here from Los Angeles in the early 1990s. Her job is to do everything she can to convince movie companies to come and fi lm in El Dorado County.

big screen

Kathleen Dodge with Tom Cruise on the set of “Top Gun: Maverick”

Kathleen Dodge at the Sacramento premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick”

e fi lm offi ce is part of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce and, as such, it’s a huge driver of local economic development. Every year, the movie industry brings anywhere from $1 million to $6 million to the region, as crews buy materials for sets, clothes for costumes, and food and lodging for everyone. at’s to say nothing of the jobs and careers it creates for locals who are interested in getting into the movie business.

“ ere’s also a huge sense of community pride that comes with seeing our region on the big screen,” Dodge says. “A project like ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ could have been shot anywhere in the world, and they chose South Lake Tahoe.”

Much of the fi lm offi ce’s success is due to Dodge. She is the only employee, but she is backed by chamber staff and the incredible cooperation of local agencies and businesses.

“It takes so much more than a village to make a fi lm company successful here,” Dodge says. “It takes at least 75 local agencies, often more, all working in cooperation to permit motion picture projects and help them get what they need to get

“There’s also a huge sense of community pride that comes with seeing our region on the big screen,” Dodge says. “A project like ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ could have been shot anywhere in the world, and they chose South Lake Tahoe.”

their jobs done. We get a lot of repeat business because companies know we’ll help them get what they need as quickly, productively and safely as we can.”

To foster that cooperation, the fi lm offi ce also conducts a lot of community outreach, teaching residents everything from how to get jobs in the industry to explaining what’s involved in having a home or a property selected and used as a fi lming location. Note to Serrano residents: If you don’t mind having a lot of people in your home for days or weeks and you want to get paid for it, the fi lm offi ce can tell you everything you need to know. e economic development benefi ts aside, however, it’s hard to beat the pure “cool factor” that comes with seeing your hometown in a movie. Ask Dodge which parts of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ were fi lmed in Tahoe, and she’ll say, “almost any scenes with snow.” A discerning eye also can catch glimpses of the region in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Almost Famous,” “ e Bodyguard,” “ e Horse Whisperer” and “City of Angels,” among others.

For the true fan, the fi lm offi ce off ers a map and self-guided tour of 44 fi lm projects shot here in recent years, so you can visit each site for yourself, including one of Dodge’s favorites.

“‘Modern Family’ shot an entire episode, ‘Lake Life,’” so, of course we have a Modern Family Vacation Tour on the website, too.”

For more information on jobs in the industry, the work of the fi lm offi ce, or to download the map and self-guided tour, visit fi lmtahoe.com.