The Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) announced the establishment of Film Solvang, a strategic marketing service to assist filmmakers, local businesses, residents, and government representatives with planning film productions throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.
“Filming is an important source of revenue for our economy in the short and long term,” SCVB Executive Director Tracy Farhad said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to launch Film Solvang now and reap long-lasting positive economic benefits for the city.”
Film Solvang’s website, filmsolvang.com, will soon feature a complete library of local talent and Santa Ynez Valley locations for film producers and others to browse through. The site will also offer free support “packages” for filmmakers, which include local laws, permits, ordinances, timelines, and contacts for film production use.
The new service is to be led by SCVB staffer Daniel Lahr (pictured above), who has been named the first Film Solvang liaison.
“We can help connect local residents and businesses with interested producers for mutual benefits,” Lahr said in the release. “We are very excited about adding Film Solvang services to our outreach.”
Prior to joining the SCVB management staff in 2017, Lahr worked as an assistant visual effects editor on several films, including Spider-Man 3, as well as in operations positions at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Lahr currently volunteers as the executive director of the Central Coast Film Society.
For more information on Film Solvang, contact Lahr at (805) 688-6144 or through email: daniel.lahr@solvangusa.com.
This article appears in May 9-16, 2019.