Action! Your Humble Home Could Play a Starring Role on the Big Screen

Eric Trujillo; AMC

In life, everyone is famous for 15 minutes, give or take a Kardashian. But why wait for your turn on the wheel of fame to come up? We’ve uncovered a shortcut to grabbing a precious sliver of silver screen immortality. And to even make some money doing it!

It turns out, you’re living in it. If you’re stuck paying for a mortgage, you could put your personal property to use and offer it up as a filming location for a commercial, TV, or movie shoot.

And here’s the news: It’s not just folks near the coasts who can have their dwelling do double duty as an on-screen home. Because producers are forever hunting tax breaks, the net of filming locations is being cast wider and wider.

Hooray for cities other than Hollywood

In a bid to bring in film and TV production dollars and boost their economy, cities nationwide have become competitive in offering tax breaks and other incentives. According to MovieMaker magazine, large cities popular as production spots include Memphis, TN, Austin, TX, and Atlanta.

And it isn’t just giant metropolitan areas either. Smaller cities often act as a stand-in for bustling big cities. Towns that have played a supporting role include Savannah, GA, Baton Rouge, LA, and Albuquerque, NM—where they filmed the series “Breaking Bad.”

Street view of Jesse Pinkman’s house in “Breaking Bad,” shot in Albuquerque, NM

Eric Trujillo

Fun fact: Aaron Paul, who played stoner-turned-meth-chef Jess Pinkman in the AMC show, ended up loving New Mexico so much he bought a home there. (No, not the one above, which belonged to his character.)

Fun times at Jesse Pinkman’s house

AMC

Luxury isn’t mandatory

Although we’re addicted to the lives of rich and famous celebs, many movies and TV shows feature people just like us. So Us Weekly magazine has it (kinda) right.

And because the big and little screens feature characters from across the economic spectrum, homes that are outdated, average, or downright decrepit can find work. Recently, two of the humblest homes on my street in Studio City, CA, were selected as key locations for a couple of movies.

The one-story ranch below, for instance, served as the childhood home of Andy Samberg‘s character in the 2016 comedy (that you almost certainly never saw, even on cable) “Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping.”

The homeowners (who prefer to remain unnamed) told me they earned upward of $5,000 for about four days of filming—plus, they were put up in a hotel of their choice for the duration and received a $200 per diem for expenses like food and laundry. Although the home may have been a bit shabby, their return certainly wasn’t.

When they decided to sell, their listing proudly mentioned that it was a “movie location.” It’s currently being renovated by the new buyer, who intends to keep the facade intact. After all, it might be needed for the much-anticipated-by-no-one sequel “Pop Star 2”!

Humble home used in Andy Samberg’s “Pop Star”

Lisa Johnson Mandell

Meanwhile, the place pictured below—used as the home of Shailene Woodley’s boyfriend in the 2014 thriller “White Bird in a Blizzard”—was made to look even more rundown than it actually was. Film editors color-corrected the grass to look brown and dead.

House used in Shailene Woodley’s “White Bird in a Blizzard”

Lisa Johnson Mandell

Cashing in on your casa

Payoffs have a wide range—from $1,000 to $6,000 per day—depending on how much of your house is used, how many hours per day the crew will be there, how many people are in the crew, and how big/grand your house happens to be.

Madi Nassiri, who owns a traditional white frame house in McLean, VA, was paid about $1,000 a day to have her house serve as the home of Ben Affleck’s wife and son in the movie “Argo.” Now the house is forever connected to an Oscar-winning film—the type of publicity you truly can’t buy.

“Argo” house in McLean, VA

Peggy Pridemore

“Argo”

YouTube

Howdy, neighbor! Make money from nearby productions

Productions are massive undertakings. They require lots of equipment trucks, staging areas, portable dressing rooms, dining accommodations, snack tables, and room for a crew that can be over 200 strong.

Film crews and the folks who work on them often take up an entire block, and they’ll often strike deals with neighbors to use their yards and storage areas, too. So even if your house isn’t destined for stardom, you can have a nice side hustle.

David Freedman, a Hollywood home set veteran who lives in Los Angeles, was proactive when he saw equipment trucks rumble up his street.

He sought out the head of production and told him, “Hey, I’ve got a big garage and two houses up the street—do you need space for anything?” They did indeed, and set up a food services station in his garage at night. Because Freedman had to be available at all hours in case the crew needed access to his place, the film crew paid him an extra large fee of $700 to $1,000 a day.

David Freedman made hundreds of dollars just by allowing film crews to stash stuff in his garage.

David Freedman

Your house gets the white glove treatment

Sharon Steele owns the world-famous Malibu Chateau. The home’s been used in numerous commercials, videos, films, TV shows, and fashion shoots—you can see her house and grounds featured in Pink’s “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” video.

Pink’s “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” video

YouTube

Since her place is a posh estate with luxe furniture, finishes, and landscaping, Steele makes sure production companies sign strict contracts when shooting on her premises. Not only do they completely cover her floors, they also cover the walls and box up her furniture as shown below, so none of her possessions gets so much as a ding or scratch.

When shooting in the Malibu Chateau, the production crew makes sure to protect the floors, walls, and furniture.

Sharon Steele

If you’re lucky enough to have your home be selected, you should cover yourself with a contract. There are firm industry regulations that require crews to be careful with your home and to leave it in its original condition.

For example, if they’re filming in your living room, they might take your artwork down, paint the wall whatever color they like, and hang their own artwork that makes sense in that film or episode. When they’re finished, they will repaint the walls in the color of your choice (congratulations, you get a new paint job!) and rehang your wall art just the way you want it.

How do I make my home famous?

You can use websites that charge you to list the virtues of your house plus photos, but a cheaper option is to contact your local film commission; start with the Association of Film Commissions International.

If a production crew is planning to shoot in your area, that’s the first resource they’ll call. And the more locations commissions have to offer, the better! So they should happily hook you up with producers who’ll come by to scout out your home to assess its potential. Who knows? Maybe your home will become the next big star.

The post Action! Your Humble Home Could Play a Starring Role on the Big Screen appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.

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