From left, Adirondack Film Commission Director Eric Granger and Jerry Stoeffhaas, former head of the Finger Lakes Film Commission, pose on Saturday, Oct. 22. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Since the beginning of the silent film era, feature films and documentaries have been made in the Adirondacks.

In the early days, Hollywood was on the Hudson River, or to be exact, across from Manhattan in and around Menlo Park and then in West Orange, New Jersey, where Thomas Edison established the first film studio in America.

Edison’s employee, the gifted engineer William Dickson, deserves much of the credit for developing the first projector in 1891, then called a Kinetograph, which Edison installed in penny arcades. From that modest beginning, the film industry was initially developed by Edison, whose studio would eventually produce over 1,200 films, mostly shorts. Consequently, the film industry was launched on the East Coast, and the Adirondacks provided a setting for many films.

The Adirondacks had two key attractions: the dramatic landscape and the Trudeau Sanitorium, where many actors, directors and screenwriters stayed while taking the “cure” for tuberculosis. Trudeau encouraged his patients to become involved in the arts to remain active and engaged, and for those in the film industry, what better way than by making movies?

One, the 1924 Revolutionary War silent “Janice Meredith,” played by actress Marion Davies, was mainly filmed in Plattsburgh but with many scenes depicting Valley Forge set at the Highland Farm in Lake Placid’s Averyville. In September 1979, the film was again screened in Lake Placid to celebrate the restoration of the Palace Theatre’s historic Robert Morton theater organ, one of just three still operating in the country. The screening was such a success that it laid the foundation for an annual silent film festival and helped launch the Adirondack Film Society and what is now the Lake Placid Film Festival.

Jeff Jones, president John Brown Lives!, and Adirondack Park Agency board member Benita Law-Diao pose on Oct. 22. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

On Saturday morning, Oct. 22, Eric Granger, director of the Adirondack Film Commission, Jerry Stoeffhaas, former head of the Finger Lakes Film Commission, and filmmaker Michael Hanson led a lively discussion on increasing film production in the Adirondacks.

Perhaps the three best-known films or series recently shot in the Adirondack region are Ben Stiller’s 2018 “Escape from Dannemora,” starring Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, and Benicio del Toro; scenes for the 2014 film “Ninja Mutant Turtles” at the former Big Tupper Ski area; and two episodes of HB0’s hit series “Succession” in Lake Placid and Queensbury. All three benefited the respective communities financially.

Like the 1960s “Scotland? No. New York State” ads, the Adirondacks can imitate a wide area of landscapes. The region has castles and can be used to portray everything from Appalachia to hideaways for the rich and famous and old mill or university towns.

The challenge for filmmakers is that the Adirondacks do not have many skilled film crew hands in the immediate area; the talent and core film crew must be brought in. The good news is that an increasing number of professional film crew members are based in the Albany and Syracuse areas and in Montreal. The other hopeful news is that the high rents are forcing many to move out of New York City, which thus far has benefited the Hudson Valley/Catskill area and, to a degree, Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse.

“When studios mostly made films, they don’t leave the city,” said Jerry Stoeffhaas. “But with the streamers going more and more afield, we’ve seen quite a few films made in Buffalo and the Hudson Valley. During COVID, most of ‘Modern Love’ was shot in Schenectady because it was easier to control the environment in their armory than in the city where restrictions are harder.”

From left are Adirondack Film Administrator Matt Fretz and Catalyst Story Institute Executive Director Philip Gilpin. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Attractive to communities seeking productions is the growing number of streaming series looking for unique locations and many multi-year efforts produced by cable channels like Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu, Netflix and Showtime. Also, two-thirds of the production cost remains in the region. As an example, then Empire State Development Assistant Director of Public Affairs Jola Szubielski reported that “Ninja” resulted in a million-dollar benefit to Tupper Lake and revitalized several businesses.

“Important when a film does come here is to have all-hands-on-deck,” said Stoeffhaas. “The film company needs to be reassured that they will be welcomed and supported. They want to know if a skilled crew is around, potential extras and support services. They may come back if they have a good experience, as ‘Succession’s’ producers did.”

“I am putting together a collation of shooters, PAs, hairdressers, caterers and that kind of stuff for this area,” said Granger. “We haven’t had a formal list of what’s available, the resources needed. I’m working to create that.”

Granger is also working on strengthening relationships with Albany and other large nearby film commissions. Next is to build relations with the New York Region of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Union, which seeks to increase its crew base north of New York City.

Not all films shot in the Adirondacks have a sizeable economic impact. One, “Shades Inside the Blueline,” a documentary that explores attitudes about race over time in the North Country, has the potential to foster dialogue about this timely and sensitive issue. Created by Michael Hansen and showcased at the Lake Placid Film Festival, the well-attended film was enthusiastically received. No less impressive was the post-screen discussion lasted over 45 minutes, with nearly all seeing the film remaining in their seats. The discussion ended only to make space for the next movie to be screened.

Hansen, editor of “Arts in Exile and On the Home Ground,” which have aired on over 100 PBS stations and whose films have won several Emmys, now works with Mountain Lakes PBS. He self-funded “Shades Inside the Blueline” and is now trying to get it aired by PBS and local arts and educational institutions throughout the North Country.

“I’m happy that a good crowd showed up,” said Hansen. “The other thing is, you’d rather have 10 people see a film who are very enthusiastic about it rather than 100 who have walked out the door and will just go on with their lives. I was thrilled to see the enthusiasm; nobody left.”

“I thought it was a powerful film that dug deep, revealing several layers of some of the issues that are under-discussed, let’s say,” said Donathan Brown, assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment at RIT. “I love that a local filmmaker made this film. To him, I say, well done, make plenty more.”

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley. He has been covering events for the News for more than 15 years.)