It’s kind of a legendary story now.
Guillermo del Toro was searching for the perfect place to film his 2021 neo-noir psychological thriller film “Nightmare Ally.” He found it in the most unexpected of places – a little city tucked away in upstate New York – Buffalo.
The director walked away from his experience in Buffalo brimming with praise. “This city has a pristine reputation as a place to shoot,” del Toro said.
He had even more praise for Buffalo in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment‘s senior correspondent Kevin Polowy during the promotion tour. “First of all, life in Buffalo is fantastic in terms of the cultural scene. The food scene is fantastic. Two things that are very important for me,” del Toro says. “You cannot find a better film office in the world. And it’s basically a sampler of every style of architecture in the 20th century. You want to set it in the 1900s, the 1800s even… You want [art] deco. You want classical architecture from 1940. You get everything. It’s effortless to make a period picture in that city.”
On the set of Guilermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley features Buffalo’s historic architecture and another local touch— cars from Pierce Arrow Museum were featured in shots filmed in Niagara Square.
“I have actually considered and discussed with [my wife], getting a place in Buffalo, I love the energy, the artistic movement; there’s great food,” added the director. He indicated he planned to film future films in the city.
While del Toro’s love of Buffalo might be surprising to some, for the hundreds of film professionals that live there, del Toro is just the latest artist to discover the amazing Buffalo film scene.
The city has a thriving film production sector – and it is the proud home of the largest indoor stage in the world.
Located at Buffalo Filmworks, this 80,000 square foot stage is truly massive. It’s 828 feet long with no dividers.
“We have been developing this space for about three years,” says Jennifer O’Neill, President of Buffalo Filmworks, “it is something that is incredibly unique to us. This space really isn’t something you have at other locations.”
She’s right. The size of one of their stages alone sets the studio apart. But Buffalo Filmworks is far more than just a single stage. In fact, the studio not only boasts one of the largest stages in the world, but it has ever amenity a filmmaker could ask for – stage spaces, production offices, four private dressing rooms – they are building thirteen more – hair and makeup stations, a production cafeteria which seats 300 people, parking for up to 300 cars and 80 semi-trucks, all spread across 11 idyllic acres right outside of the city.
“We are ready to host a large production,” says Jennifer O’Neill, “We have the space for it – we really do have the capacity for a big-budget show or a Marvel movie – we are just that big.”
She’s not kidding. Besides their massive centerpiece stage, Buffalo Filmworks currently offers three alternative stages, one of which is a 5,000 square foot vertical stage, two additional stages totaling 20,000 square feet, and has a 40-feet of tress line available, as well as a 70 foot green-screen. For context, these stages are perfect for an indoor chase scene, or the re-creation of a full city street.
The studio also has access to an additional 250,000 feet of flex space close to studio grounds and is hoping to rehab 30,000 square feet of that space into screening rooms and more production offices. Currently, the productions that use Buffalo Filmworks utilize the space for overflow capacity which cannot be accommodated in the 60,000 square feet of flex space the studio has on-site.
Buffalo Filmworks – Home to one of the largest film stages in the world
The aforementioned Nightmare Alley used Buffalo Filmworks as a basecamp. The First Purge – another large production – also utilized Buffalo Filmworks. It was actually that production which inspired Buffalo Filmworks to start re-tooling some of their excess space into larger soundstages.
On top of all it has to offer on its massive campus, Buffalo Filmworks is centrally located – close to the downtown and nearly every point of interest in the city.
“We really want the people who use our facilities to have the best experience they can.” Jennifer says. “We have everything from restaurant recommendations (Chefs’ is an old favorite) to lists of vendors for everything a filmmaker could need.”
For instance, Montonto Trailers can provide custom trailers for cast and crew, Sloan’s Antiques is a versatile prop house which has supplied props of all sorts, Expressway Cameras provides every kind of set up and lens a production could need, and Modtech Labs – a 3D Imaging and Visual Effects house – has recently opened just minutes away from Buffalo Filmworks.
In addition to its work in film production, Buffalo Filmworks also places a strong emphasis on community engagement and education. The company regularly partners with local schools, community centers, and youth organizations to provide workshops, screenings, and mentorship opportunities for aspiring filmmakers. By nurturing the next generation of talent and offering resources and support to emerging artists, Buffalo Filmworks is dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive film community with the skill to join any production.
“We really try to be accommodating and conscious of the needs of the productions that come here.” Jennifer says. “We are a community, and we want our productions to feel that.”
This attitude is very much in line with the ethos of the city of Buffalo itself. There are few places outside of Los Angeles itself that are more filmmaker friendly than Buffalo.
“We have a really great film commissioner, Tim Clark.” Jennifer says, “He really will do anything someone needs. Help with permits, locations, catering. He knows everything about the city and is really willing to go above and beyond for the productions that come to this city.”
Tim Clark is known for meeting with filmmakers, asking them what they need, and then going to get it for them. He really wants to ensure that filmmakers have access to all the resources the city has to offer.
Buffalo bills itself as an alternative to New York City. In New York, the city prices that need to be paid are astronomical compared to the cost of hiring crew in Buffalo. Permits in New York City cost significantly more, and there are far too many people filming in the City to allow for the kind of personalized, tailored attention that Buffalo can offer.
“A film coming here is such a big deal.” Jennifer continues. “It can change people’s lives. It means owning a house, sending their kids to private schools. It’s incredibly important and that is really reflected in the work ethic that people have here.”
Buffalo offers small town charm with preserved architecture, making it a premier location for period films
