Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2025

8 2025 Scenic 395 Ridgecrest A Kia car commercial is filmed on site at the Trona Pinnacles in 2023. Courtesy Photo Filming brings Hollywood dollars to our desert community By Darla A. Baker For Scenic 395 Most people either love the desert or they hate it. For those who reside here, the pros out- weigh the cons when choosing a location to call home. Good air, less crime, and na- ture’s beauty for as far as the eye can see. However, the residents are not alone in their love for the terrain. Movie and commercial producers also gravitate to the desert as they make unique backdrops to any film production. Popular shooting locations include the Trona Pinnacles, Cuddeback Dry Lake, Jawbone Canyon, Fossil Falls, and Olancha Dunes, which are not only unique to the area but oftentimes referred to as “surreal.” Some of the most recognizable produc- tions include the latest Top Gun, Maver- ick movie, and the Planet of the Apes. It is also a favored shooting site for Lady Gaga, a return customer for her music videos such as “Stupid Love,” filmed at the Tro- na Pinnacles. But with filming often comes challeng- es. “When they were filming the music video, we were having a heat wave and all the air conditioning at the filming location went out. They had to bring in all sorts of portable air conditioning, so that was a huge challenge,” said Kari Crutcher, executive director of the Ridgecrest Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and film commissioner. In 2022, the IndianWells Valley was home to 35 film productions. Crutcher noted that in 2023, the Ridgecrest region hosted fewer productions as the film industry endured two union strikes. The region provides the perfect backdrop for automobile commercials, and in spite of the ongoing strikes, the film commission reported ten automobile commercials were filmed in the area in 2023. So what does that mean to our econo- my? One of the best ways to deal with tough economic times is to attract new busi- ness, and that includes film production crews who favor the beauty of our land- scape over large town suburban life. Local communities reap from the influx of filming dollars which can typically total thousands of dollars per day whenever production crews are in town for hotels, restaurants, gas stations, hardware stores and extra labor. More jobs are created and money flows into local businesses as well as generate tax revenues. According to a recent report, the Kern Continued on Page 9