About Denver
Denver, a city that has become synonymous with life in the Old Western tradition, is the capital city of Colorado, the Centennial State. Well-renowned for its many cultural attractions, Larimer Square is one of the most frequented areas of the region. It is a stately presence that is the oldest block in the city, and its buildings are designed in the architecture popular in the 19th century.
For those looking to enjoy some rare and precious artworks, a trip to the Denver Art Museum is not to be missed. Housed in a facility quite contemporary in its outer façade, this popular museum is home to many artworks prepared, painted, or sculpted by local artisans. Another popular attraction in the city is the home once owned by Molly Brown, the well-known survivor of the Titanic.
Found at the mouth of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is an extremely scenic city. Because of its high elevation, this urban center is sometimes called the Mile High City. With such incredible views to offer, Denver has been the inspiration for many popular works, including poems, short stories, photographs, songs, and even novels.
Denver is the perfect filming location for anything from a Western bar scene to modern car chases. There are many stunning filming locations in Denver, like Pearl Street, the Pepsi Center, and Monarch Pass, that will all inspire you to add new scenes to your story when you see them!
So many well-known and popular films have been shot in Denver, like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Die Hard 2," "Blades of Glory," “Furious 7,” and "True Grit."
You may have also heard of movies like "The Lone Ranger," "Independence Day," "In the Line of Fire," "The Shining," "The Hateful Eight," "Christmas Vacation," "Dumb and Dumber," and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" - they were all shot in the Denver area as well!
Celebrities like Will Ferrell, Jeff Daniels, Brad Pitt, Armie Hammer, Robert Redford, Johnny Depp, Jim Carrey, Bruce Willis, Jon Heder, Jennifer Garner, Clint Eastwood, Rodney Dangerfield, and Quentin Tarantino have been spotted out and about in downtown Denver when they were shooting for the Silver Screen. You never know who you might see - a deceptively harmless looking woman who could actually be a star, or an FBI agent or a recovering alcoholic who's a mega action star.
A city that is a haven for those with a love for the true outdoors, it is not hard to see why Denver filming locales are always so high in demand by local and international filmmakers. You could also recognize some scenes in the city where Jack Nicholson drove the RV to attend his estranged daughter's wedding.
Filming Options in Denver
Finding the right place for your filming location can take some time. Once you have settled on your John Wayne looking locale, it is time to get your film set properly equipped, so production can begin. Like San Francisco, New York, Washington, and Las Vegas, Denver boasts many top-tier supply vendors, rental companies, and set designers that can help you get your film venue ready in no time.
- Audio-Visual Equipment Rentals
If you are looking to upgrade your equipment at the filming location but do not have a lot of money to spend, an experienced audiovisual equipment rental company could be the answer to your dreams. Offering an excellent selection of the latest equipment for prices that you can easily afford, one of Denver’s best audio-visual rental equipment companies can help. They can help with the setup and takedown of equipment at various filming locations like Mega Mountain Amusement Park, Denver Botanic Gardens, Dulles International Airport, and more.
- Truck Rentals
If you are coming from another city or state, like Los Angeles in California, to do some filming, you will need to transport your equipment to your filming location. Since most vehicles are too small to transport everything properly, it is a great idea to rent or lease a cube van, U-Haul, or big box truck to help move your equipment and tools efficiently. Offering affordable short—and long-term rentals, you are sure to find a vehicle large enough to get the job done at a price you can easily afford in this city. These vendors are also experienced with transport to and from multiple filming locations and can make life easy.
- Catering
Keeping your cast and crew well-fed is an excellent way to keep morale and energy levels primed during your filming sessions in Denver. Denver is a city that is rich in cuisine, representing many diverse cultures from all over the world. Whether your staff has a hankering for Mexican, Italian, Indian, Chinese, sushi, good old American junk food, or something entirely different, the right catering company can design a menu and serve what you need. Since scenes take time to shoot, and your production team may get hungry, it's best to organize everything beforehand.
Filming Companies in Denver
Once you have found the perfect spot to do some movie filming, the next task on your to-do list is putting the finishing touches in place for the filming location, so you can begin to shoot some footage. If you have too much to do and too little time to do it, then why not hire some of Denver’s top professionals to give you a helping hand? All you need to do is to search for the best rental providers in the city.
- Spectrum Audio Visual Services
Providing top equipment and tools for events of all sizes for more than 30 years, Spectrum Audio Visual Services is the most highly recommended audio-visual equipment rental company in the region. Assisting their customers through customized service and one-on-one attention, Spectrum Audio Visual Services not only rents, leases, and sells equipment but also provides delivery, installation, and technical support assistance at multiple filming locations. With their assistance, you can bring to life the story of how a Louisiana football legend struggles or help your production become the next big hit like the Glenn Miller story. There are also other ways audio-visual services have helped with filming, like in the case of Stealing Sandy's Identity, Marvel's Civil War, Around the World in Eighty Days, and more.
- Penske Truck Rentals
Penske Truck Rentals is a national chain offering small- to large-sized trucks to assist their customers with all their moving needs. With more than 50 years of experience, Penske Truck Rentals has the skills needed to help its customers select the right truck for the job. They also provide packing advice to ensure their belongings remain safe and secure during transport. In addition to their truck rentals, Penske Truck Rentals can also supply you with everything from boxes, packing tape, and rope to mattress bags, furniture pads, padlocks, and dollies, ensuring part of the props needed for your film is covered.
- TBD Foods
For a cuisine that prioritizes the farm-to-table model with a focus on fresh flavors, you cannot go wrong by hiring TBD Foods to manage all the catering needs at your filming location. TBD Foods collaborates with its clients to help them receive the food they desire, whether their function is a small family BBQ, a corporate luncheon, a wedding, a filming location, or even a hot buffet lunch or supper at a film or photo shoot. In addition to their incredibly delicious cuisine, TBD Foods also offers a wide selection of rental items, including tables, chairs, linens, glassware, cutlery, and décor.
Pros and Cons of Filming in Denver
When it comes to a filming location in Denver, the city offers some real benefits, including its rich history. However, there are positives and negatives to every large city, and Denver is no exception to this rule.
Advantages
- Located near many mountains
Colorado is blessed with many mountains, and Denver certainly enjoys more than its fair share. In addition to the nearby Rocky Mountain range, Denver is also situated near sixty mountains, all with amazing views, including the famous Pikes Peak, and also is very close to Colorado Springs, the ski village of Aspen, and Estes Park, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains.
- Scenic locations and natural backdrops
Just outside the city, you'll find stunning settings perfect for natural, outdoor film or photo shoot locations, including Glenwood Canyon, Pagosa Springs, and Monarch Pass. You could also see the famous train robbery scene or recollect a scene with a certain serial killer running away from the secret service agent.
- Small towns perfect for Westerns, thrillers, and dramas
While Colorado has many mountains, it also has some wonderful country towns that are perfect for shooting period or modern films. Check out other picture-perfect locations in small towns in the Rockies, like Creede, Copper Mountain, Ouray, Montrose, Breckenridge, Durango, Boulder, Silverton, and Telluride, for your next film location and adventure.
- Many exciting outdoor activities
Denver is renowned for its world-class skiing and hiking opportunities. Still, there is a lot more to do than simply hitting the slopes or the trails. Among the other popular outdoor activities are jet skiing, white water rafting, hang gliding, and rock climbing. Your movie can also be filmed in one of the premium sites in America.
- Lots of sports teams to cheer for
Whether your passion is for hockey, football, basketball, or even lacrosse, you will find lots of opportunities to view a game in Denver.
Disadvantages
- High altitude
Denver is called the Mile High City for a very good reason: it is situated approximately one mile above sea level. As a result, its residents sometimes suffer from dry skin and hair, nosebleeds, headaches, and breathing challenges.
- The outrageous cost of living
Denver is a wonderful place in which to live, work, and play. However, it is an awfully expensive place to purchase anything so add extra funds to your budget for your next Hollywood movie!
- Few water attractions
Unfortunately, it is a landlocked city with little to offer in the way of water attractions and virtually no beaches.
Famous Locations in Denver
- Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art
The Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art houses a large sampling of unique artworks from the years 1880 through 1980. Featuring pieces from every influential art period throughout those years, you will also find some interesting items representing the Arts and Crafts and Pop Art movements. The site outside the museum is quite popular for movie filming and music videos.
- Coors Field
For ardent fans of baseball, you will not want to miss the chance to see the Colorado Rockies in action at Coors Field. A stadium that first welcomed the public in 1995, Coors Stadium can house up to 50,200 people, offering incredible views of the Rocky Mountains from each seat. When you choose a filming location in this city, you are bound to see the next best player making the most of his college career.
- Denver Zoo
The Denver Zoo is one of the most frequented destinations in the city. First opened in the late 17th century, this animal facility has a focus on conservation efforts and offers many interesting exhibits for you to enjoy. On 80 acres, the zoo has more than 3,500 animals in 550 different species to see. Some of them can be seen up close and personal.