Local areas provide stage for movies, TV shows
Mike Watt and Amy Lynn Best, co-owners of Happy Cloud Media, LLC, in Eighty Four, at the Hundred Acres Manor in Bethel Park Haunted House
Courtesy of Happy Cloud Media, LLC
Amy Lynn Best, co-owner of Happy Cloud Media, LLC, in a promo shot in her role as Anita in 鈥淩azor Days.鈥�
鈥淚 Am Not Okay With This鈥� was filmed in and around Brownsville. Fiddles Restaurant was featured in the show. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
This photo originally ran in the 缅北禁地 when 鈥淢aria鈥檚 Lovers鈥� was filmed in Brownsville.
Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis, which was used in the movie, 鈥淭he Silence of the Lambs,鈥� is now a place where people can stay on the weekends. The movie is strongly represented at the house. (Photo courtesy of Alexis Fatalsky Photography)
Courtesy of Alexis Fatalsky Photography
Another room in Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis.
Courtesy of Alexis Fatalsky Photography
The living room quarters at Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis.
Courtesy of Alexis Fatalsky Photography
A porch view of Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis.
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College
The Netflix series, 鈥淢indhunter鈥� was filmed partially at Washington & Jefferson College.
Courtesy of Washington & Jefferson
The Netflix series, 鈥淢indhunter,鈥� was filmed partially at Washington & Jefferson College. This set is in the Lezear Chemistry Hall.
A classroom setting from the Netflix series, 鈥淭he Chair,鈥� that was filmed partially at Washington & Jefferson College. (Photo courtesy of Washington & Jefferson College)
Courtesy of Alexis Falatsky Photography
A twilight view of Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis, which was used in the filming of 鈥淭he Silence of the Lambs.鈥�
Scott Beveridge
Scott Beveridge
The restored 鈥淢aria鈥檚 Lovers鈥� house at 208 Bank St. in Brownsville.
news@greenecountymessenger.com
鈥淟ights, camera, action,鈥� a phrase associated with film and television, has been said plenty of times in this area.
The charm and history of Greene, Fayette and Washington counties have attracted a number of productions to the area. Plus, the Pittsburgh Film Office, which represents 10 counties to the film industry, offers a state film tax credit that is one of the best in the country.
Local people in the film industry like to film locally, too, since it鈥檚 more cost effective. That has been the case for husband and wife Mike Watt and Amy Lynn Best, who own Happy Cloud Media, LLC, now based in Eighty Four and once based in Waynesburg.
The couple鈥檚 locally filmed movies include 鈥淲ere-Grrl,鈥� 鈥淪evere Injuries,鈥� 鈥淎 Feast of Flesh,鈥� 鈥淒emon Divas and the Lanes of Damnation鈥� and 鈥淩azor Days.鈥� Parts of 鈥淩azor Days鈥� were shot in Fayette County鈥檚 Laurel Caverns and throughout Waynesburg.
鈥淲e found that we鈥檇 rather use the money on local people than fly people in. It鈥檚 a very welcoming environment,鈥� Watt said.
There are also other reasons.
鈥淲e can do any sort of terrain,鈥� Best said. 鈥淵ou can make it out to be anything you want. In western Pennsylvania, you have so many different terrains and so many different possibilities.鈥�
Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, said southwestern Pennsylvania can offer just about any kind of scenery 鈥� with the exception of a beach or a desert.
鈥淥ur most requested location is places that look like New York,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 far easier to film here than it is in the city of New York. It鈥檚 all here, which makes it easier to work here.鈥�
Jeff Monahan, a Connellsville producer, writer, director and actor, has been involved in a number of local projects. He said a house and hotel in Uniontown, Fayette County, were used in 鈥淕eorge Romero Presents: Deadtime Stories,鈥� a 2009 horror film.
鈥淭he great thing about being around here is you have the city and the country,鈥� Monahan said. 鈥淐ows are just 20 minutes away from downtown Pittsburgh. You have a lot of different looks, a lot of different architecture, you can have all the different weather you want.鈥�
Monahan, owner of 72nd St. Films LLC, said a pilot for a series called 鈥淎ctors on: MacBeth,鈥� shot partially at the Edwin S. Porter Theatre in Connellsville, as well as at the outdoor stage at East Park in Connellsville.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great area to work out of as much as you can,鈥� Monahan said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had so many people open their doors for locations and things that you can use. You can keep costs down, work locally and work with local talent.鈥�
Fayette County has also been the home for some classic cinema. Buffalo Bill鈥檚 House in Perryopolis was used in the Academy Award winning film, 鈥淭he Silence of the Lambs.鈥�
Chris Rowan, an art director and prop stylist, purchased the house in Perryopolis in January 2021. The admitted fan of the horror genre opened it later that year as a place where people can stay for the weekend.
鈥淯sing my background, I wanted to create a unique aesthetic that would become memorable and create an immersive experience for the guests,鈥� Rowan said. 鈥淚 peppered in kind of the dark overtones of 鈥楽ilence of the Lambs鈥� throughout the home. It鈥檚 an absolutely stunning piece of property. It鈥檚 such a grandiose home and it certainly hearkens to a time of past architecture. There鈥檚 just a timeless classic feel to the home.鈥�
Filming was done in Brownsville for a movie called 鈥淢aria鈥檚 Lovers鈥� in 1984. A house used as the primary film location has since been transformed into a bed and breakfast with a theme from the movie. And Fiddles Diner, a Brownsville landmark that鈥檚 more than a century old, has been used for filming many times. 鈥淢aria鈥檚 Lovers鈥� used the diner, and so did the movie 鈥淎bduction鈥� and the Netflix series, 鈥淚鈥檓 Am Not Okay With This.鈥�
鈥淚 think (they use Fiddles) because of the age of it,鈥� said Debbie Santello, the restaurant鈥檚 owner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an authentic old-school diner and there鈥檚 not too many of those around much anymore that are authentic.鈥�
Washington & Jefferson College and California University of Pennsylvania each have been popular destinations for filming, too.
The movie 鈥淔oxcatcher鈥� used both campuses. W&J served as a backdrop, while Cal U.鈥檚 arena was transformed into a site for an international wrestling tournament in the movie. A bathroom in the lobby of Cal U.鈥檚 convocation center was used for an airport bathroom scene.
鈥淭he opportunities we鈥檝e had for students to shadow (people working with the movie or show) and to witness that and give them exposure to a career field they may be interested in or may have never seen before, I think is really exciting for our campus,鈥� said Becky McMillen, director of student auxiliary operations at Cal U.
The Showtime series, 鈥淎merican Rust,鈥� also has used Cal U.鈥檚 campus.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously the aesthetics,鈥� McMillen said of what the campus offers filmmakers. 鈥淐al U. has that classic college look that a lot of films are looking for.鈥�