Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2018/2019

By Jessica Weston Reprinted by permission of The Daily Independent I f you have ever seen a movie, music video, car commercial or magazine layout with familiar desert scenery in the background, chances are the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission had some- thing to do with bringing that image to you. Simply put, the RRFC is the first stop for anyone contemplating a film project in the greater Ridgecrest area. They accept applications for film permits, assist with casting, work with the Bureau of Land Management on locations and pretty much help expedite every aspect of filming. Locations promoted by the RRFC include the Trona Pinnacles, Randsburg, Charlie's Place, Cuddeback Lakebed, the Inyokern Air- port, Poison Canyon, and Sugarloaf Mountain as well as locations within the city of Ridgecrest itself and local scenes including military buildings. Ridgecrest Regional Film Commissioner Doug Lueck and Execu- tive Director Assistant Elizabeth Nalagan sat down with Sierra Views recently to talk about what they do. The conversation took place in a conference room at the Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bu- reau tourism (the RRFC is affiliated with the RACVB). Throughout the room were reminders of the longstanding relationship between Hollywood and the Mojave Desert. The walls featured posters from well-known films including Hulk, Star Trek V, Planet of the Apes, Bulletproof, Hidalgo, Dinosaur, A Man Apart, Wayne's World 2, Holes, Terminal Velocity, Tremors and Jurassic Park, all of which filmed in this area. The RRFC was first recognized by the California Film Commission in 1993, although various projects filmed out here prior to that. According to Lueck, prior to that the Bureau of Land Management dealt with the film process. The RRFC was formed to help expedite things and provide a central location to assist with information and 2018-2019 Scenic 395 15 Ridgecrest Continued on Page 16 RRFC: Bringing the desert to a screen near you SUBMITTED PHOTO Elizabeth Nalagan (left) and Doug Lueck with Alison Taylor of “A Wrinkle in Time” at the 2017 California on Location Awards. First weekend in November • rpfestival.com