"Make it Here"
The Real Reason to Produce Creative Work in Oregon: The People
So many potential filming locations tell you what makes them special. Especially now. Most focus on the incentives, the diversity of locations, the infrastructure, the ease of travel. Many talk about the local crews and the talent that call their place home.
We’re biased, but we think Oregon is very unique when it comes to its creative workforce. It’s in the air and in the water. Film production has been a part of Oregon’s culture since the turn of the 20th Century and the “studio system” started here a decade or two later before it discovered the year-round sunshine of southern California.
That history and legacy has created a groundwork that has been build upon for more than a century.
“Make It Here” is a short film produced by Oregon Film in partnership with CineRent West and director Devin Boss that celebrates what makes Oregon such a vibrant, inspiring, and filmmaker-friendly place to produce creative work. It showcases both the people and the places that help bring projects to life, highlighting local talent, crew, landscapes, and the passion that animates Oregon’s creative community.
Rather than being just another “why film here?” pitch, the piece is designed to visually and emotionally convey why filmmakers choose Oregon and why they live here. It emphasizes the strength of the local filmmaking community, where crews, artisans, and storytellers support one another and contribute to a collaborative environment alongside the joy and creative energy of making work in Oregon.
Production here isn’t just practical, it’s personal.
The video’s core message is clear: Oregon is not just a backdrop, it’s a home for creative projects, where talent, locations, and supportive networks make it a place people want to create and “Make it Here.”
This piece emphasizes the local community that conveys a creative culture. This is a place where production feels integrated rather than intrusive. Neighborhoods and historic districts offer a range of urban visuals while coastal bluffs, rolling hills, and open desert expanses remind filmmakers why more than 500 films and TV shows have been shot across Oregon. This has been true for more than a century creating seminal films like Buster Keaton’s “The General” in 1926, “Sometimes a Great Notion” in 1970, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975, “The Goonies” in 1985 and “Stand By Me” in 1986 with more recent collaborations finding their way to Sundance awards and Emmy nominations including “Twinless,” “I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore,” “It’s What’s Inside” and “Portlandia.”
In short, “Make it Here” isn’t just a video, it’s an argument by example for why Oregon is the best place to shoot and live as a filmmaker.