About Buffalo...

The Buffalo, New York area is commonly referred to by locals as Western New York, Buffalo/Niagara, or the Niagara Frontier. The City of Buffalo has a population of about 270,000 while the County of Erie which encompasses Buffalo and its surrounding suburbs has a total population of about 900,000.

Winters in Western New York are generally cloudy, cold and snowy, but are changeable and include frequent thaws and rain as well. It's not uncommon to see temperatures of 50 degrees in February and near zero in January. Snow covers the ground more often than not from Christmas into early March, but periods of bare ground are not uncommon. Over half of the annual snowfall comes from the "lake-effect" process and is very localized. Spring comes slowly to the Buffalo area. The ice pack on Lake Erie does not usually disappear until mid April and the lake remains chilly through most of May. Summer is pleasant in the Buffalo area with generally 2 weeks total of uncomfortable heat and humidity in mid summer. Sunshine is plentiful, temperatures are warm, and humidity levels are generally moderate. Rainfall is adequate, but it shows an overnight maximum, so it is seldom a problem for outdoor activities. In general the weather in the Buffalo area is changeable with sudden wind, rain, or snow a common occurance.

Buffalo is a waterfront city with a significant amount of its former waterfront industrial space currently being transformed into a focal point for social and recreational activity.

Architecture in Buffalo is diverse and features a great deal of intact structures designed by a number of renowned architects as well as being home to the country's largest intact parks system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Welcome to Buffalo!

This site is intended to act as a "ground level" gateway to crucial film production resources for filmmakers and producers who have a need for local crew or film/video/photography related support services. Please visit the official Buffalo Niagara Film Commission Website for a database of local crew and services but please feel free to ask producer/filmmaker Chris Santucci for suggestions (see contact info on following page).

Where is Buffalo?

The City of Buffalo is 400 miles West of New York City, 4 hours North of Pittsburgh, an hour and a half South of Toronto, Canada, and about 20 minutes South of Niagara Falls.

Production in Buffalo

The Buffalo area is home to a small number of experienced film crew and minimal infrastructure suitable for film production. Rochester, New York is an hour East of Buffalo and is similarly configured. If you are considering film production in Buffalo and you are either not familiar with the production community here or you are an outsider, it is advisable to hire FIRST a local producer with experience producing film and video projects in Buffalo in your budget range.

If you are an experienced producer or filmmaker, you no doubt already understand the importance of having a local producer who can bridge the gap between your expectations in terms of production needs and what is available here in Buffalo. Why start from scratch and waste man-hours and budget trying to figure out who and what can or will work for your production?

It Ain't Hollywood

"I think a lot more films like ours can be done here. The costs are pretty reasonable, the town is so helpful. There's no reason not to.

- Kevin Logie (producer - Poundcake)

Positive Aspects of Filming in Buffalo

• WIDE variety of affordable locations with diverse architecture
• Locals are friendly
• Union presence is low
• Cost of living is low
• High New York State tax incentive