Written by on Jul 9, 2014. Posted in On Location

Las Vegas location filming deals made with dedicated hotel movie units

Hotels and casinos in Las Vegas are making Nevada filming more viable for Hollywood productions through the use of dedicated film units. Productions like the comedies Last Vegas and the upcoming Think Like A Man Too have made special deals to use hotels as filming locations.

Think Like A Man Too stars US comedian Kevin Hart and filmed largely on location at the iconic Caesars Palace through a special deal between the hotel and studio Screen Gems, reports the LA Times.

Caesars has a dedicated film unit and deals generally involve reducing or waiving filming fees in exchange for the location featuring prominently in the finished film.

“We view movies as a great way to expose our brand in an entertaining way,” says Gary Selesner, regional President of Caesars Entertainment, in comments to the outlet: “It's much more effective than just taking out a TV commercial.”

Wynn Las Vegas, a rival brand to Caesars, started its own film unit earlier this year and MGM International also sees the value of attracting film and TV productions.

“There’s certainly an impact to having these kinds of productions,” Stacy Hamilton, spokeswoman for MGM Resorts International, told the outlet: “It keeps Las Vegas top of mind for moviegoers. When they see the stars having these fun experiences in Las Vegas, they want to experience something similar to that.”

Las Vegas has long been a popular setting for movies and TV shows, but the cost has meant actual filming has tended to be based in California studios in recent years. This may change on a larger scale now that Nevada has launched its first formal filming incentive, which offers a base 15% tax credit with an annual fund of USD20 million.