One of my favorite movies was partially filmed in Utah. Anytime I see this movie, it reminds me of many trips I have taken South to Arches National Park. I love the familiar red rock at the beginning of the Indiana Jones movie, The Last Crusade, as the scout troop makes their way past the balancing rock and down to the double arch. I have hiked in that area multiple times, and I love how well-known and iconic that scenery is to those from Utah. Anyone driving along the scenic route in Arches passes the balancing rock and will instantly recognize it as such, and will usually remind everyone around them that this was where they filmed the opening for The Last Crusade.
On top of Indiana Jones, more than 900 other films have been filmed in Utah. Some very popular ones, such as Footloose, Independence Day, High School Musical, Galaxy Quest, The Sandlot, and many more. Filmmakers are drawn to Utah as we provide them an incentive if they use local crews, talent, and locations. Directors can get a very large tax credit if they come to Utah to make their movies. The Governor’s office has even established a Film Commission that helps attract newcomers to film in Utah, and they have sent scouts all over the place to find the best locations to film. They can also put directors in touch with the copious amounts of talent that Utah has to offer.
Utah is also home to some very diverse scenery, as we have deserts, mountains, salt flats, rivers, lakes, and all other types of backgrounds available. You can create all sorts of different movies this way, as we have it all here within the state. According to the Utah Film Commission, the industry has provided $463 million in spending while creating nearly 35,000 jobs and over $6 billion in film tourism over the last ten years.1 I read an article in the Deseret News from a few years back that describes the film industry in Utah and suggests that investment from locals can help the economy even more and have them take pride in their State.
I think some of the challenges for Utah with the increase of films being made here are that the weather in Utah can be very temperamental. We have extremely high heat in some places in the summer and extreme cold with snow in the winter. Another challenge will be for locals, as they will have to work around park or street closures when something is being filmed. The frustration that can be created could be a negative for those who live and work here. Overall, I think there are more positives than negatives, and I hope that Utah will continue to attract many filmmakers to use our beautiful scenery as their backdrop.
Sources:
Phillips, J. (2016, November 16). Utah has long been a great state for filming. Here's how to make it even better. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/2016/11/16/20600594/utah-has-long-been-a-great-state-for-filming-here-s-how-to-make-it-even-better/ [deseret.com]
Porter, E. (2023, May 17). Utah's growing film industry brings economic benefits to the state. BYU Daily Universe. https://universe.byu.edu/2023/05/17/utahs-growing-film-industry-brings-economic-benefits-to-the-state/
[Written for GEOG 3200 class UVU Summer 2023]
aB . All Right Reserved . 2025
