GOSHEN – One of Orange County’s well-known productions will be aired to the largest television audience of the year in Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The commercial highlights NBC’s streaming network Peacock TV show “Poker Face.”
Familiar Orange County landmarks like the Tuxedo Motel, the Castle Fun Center Chester, the Orange County Speedway in the Town of Wallkill and the former Orange County Hops in Walden are among the locations featured in the series.
While the airing of this commercial on the national stage is a first for the county, it is one of many productions that took place last year in Orange County, according to the Director of Tourism and Film Amanda Dana.
Dana noted that they worked with a total of 22 productions that were filmed in Orange County in 2022. Among the most notable, “The Whale” starring Brendan Fraser, “Inventing Anna,” Hallmark’s “A Holiday Spectacular,” Theater Camp,” and “White House Plumbers” (2021-2022) with Woody Harrelson, which is scheduled to be released in March.
Dana emphasized the immediate community benefit of increased film activity in the county as one of the primary benefits to residents in the region. “Small business such as cleaning services, caterers, restaurants, hotels, security companies, and rental companies, just to name a few, all benefit when a production comes to the county,” said Dana.
The county’s film office serves as a concierge service for production companies looking to film in the region. Dana, along with Nora Martinez, Orange County’s Film Specialist, work with both local municipalities and businesses to assist filmmakers secure the necessary permits, provide location support, crew and resource referrals, and casting call support.
In 2022, the county announced that Umbra Stages was going to convert Anthony’s Pier 9 on Route 9W in the Town of New Windsor into two sound stages. Sound stages and qualified production facilities are locations where productions are filmed. When asked about the transformation of the former catering hall, Dana said, “It’s notable that Umbra has made a significant, permanent investment in Orange County to expand their sound stage footprint.” Dana indicated that Umbra Stages, combined with Choice Films, attracts and hosts major production companies such as HBO, Peacock, and others. One of HBO’s most popular series, “Pretty Little Liars” is being filmed in Orange County in 2023.
In addition to feature film and television series production, Orange County has hosted several television commercials. BMW, Chevrolet, and Rivian have filmed car commercials in the area, and several reality shows have found success in the county, including the Food Network’s popular “Restaurant Impossible” and HGTV’s “HomeTown Kickstart.”
“The success of film in Orange County is largely to the credit of the county’s leadership for having the foresight to invest in the film department,” said Dana. Orange County is one of the major players in the Hudson Valley region with film activity and is slated to have another record year this year with many productions already scheduled, she said.
