Written by Murray Ashton on Dec 14, 2011. Posted in Interviews

Filming in Wyoming with Todd Jones

Todd is a Co-Founder and Executive Producer for Teton Gravity Research (TGR), an action sports entertainment company based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. His recent directorial work has included national spots for Ford, Under Armour and North Face.

Todd has worked extensively in the Action Sports sector as Second Unit Director for Nissan, Energizer, Hewlett Packard and Gatorade.

Todd is also a specialist in aerial cinematography and focuses on working in remote environments bridging the gap between Action Sports and mainstream productions. He was the first person to shoot the RED camera on snow and recently pioneered 3D production in Action Sports.

Tell me about Wyoming.

Wyoming is a huge state with stand-out locations. We have huge mountainous regions in the Teton and Wind River ranges, red rock desert terrain in the Dubois area, vast open plains, three national parks, rivers and lakes. We have bears, elks, moose, eagles, buffalo, wolves and more. Wyoming offers amazing cowboy and Wild West locations.

People don’t typically associate our state with desert terrain, but the area around Dubois has a unique red rock desert feel to it.

What locations are most commonly used by film and TV crews when they film in Wyoming?

The Tetons are a very popular backdrop for TV, film and commercial crews. Wyoming is also used frequently for authentic Western, ranching and wildlife locations. Modern Family recently used one of our popular dude ranches for its season opener.

What are the rare, more unusual locations that our readers would not necessarily associate with Wyoming?

The plains of Wyoming offer some amazing vast landscapes that can be used for a variety of unique film perspectives. Also, people don’t typically associate our state with desert terrain, but the area around Dubois has a unique red rock desert feel to it.

What has been your most difficult location assignment to date and why?

We received a call from Green Dot Films late last September. They were looking for a location where we could film snowboarders hitting a jump and crashing for one of their winter iPhone spots. Finding snow safe to jump in late September is a challenge. We were able to pull it off by working with the Grand Targhee Ski Resort, which had recently had a big snow storm. The forest service and the resort were very quick to help us make it happen and we were filming within two days of the initial contact.

What types of production do you work on most?

We work in film, TV and commercial production. Numerous auto commercials have been filmed here. We personally have worked on a TV show, an iPhone commercial, two Action Sports films and a television documentary in the last year in Wyoming.

Is there anything else you would like to share about filming Wyoming?

Wyoming is a wild and untamed state. You must have solid local resources to assist with weather, heat, cold and animals.

Which are the best airports to use to film in the region?

There are nine commercial airports that access most areas of the state. Wyoming is the tenth largest state in the country so driving will usually be required to access a location.

You can also use Idaho Falls airport to access the north-west part of the state or DIA (Denver International Airport) to access the southern part of the state [from Colorado]. You typically do not clear customs in Wyoming.

What are the most film-crew-friendly hotels in your region?

The Jackson Hole region has tons of lodging options including a Four Seasons down to a Super 8. Accommodations around the rest of the state vary depending on the remoteness of the location.

What would you recommend film crew and cast to do to relax?

Wyoming offers some of the best skiing, wildlife viewing, fishing, kayaking, rafting, boating and climbing in the world.