Edward Vega posts on Vox “Why your favourite movies fake their locations and why so many of them are shot in Vancouver.”
It all boils down to money.
Some of the reasons he points out:
- Locations: Vancouver has got it all: downtowns, suburbs, rural areas, mountains and forests, all within easy travel times
- Infrastructure: officials, crews and the general public are film-friendly and eager to make movies
- Tax incentives: provincial and federal dollars are readily available as tax rebates.
btw, the whole video is sponsored by Destination Vancouver.
See also:
My take: Another reason is that British Columbia and California share the same time zone. And a further reason is the exchange rate — the Loonie is worth 69 US cents, so every dollar Hollywood spends automatically goes over 40% further north of the border. (btw, you get even more tax incentive to film in Victoria or on Vancouver Island!)