Dear Reader
I recently bumped into one of my clients at a coffee shop; he was frustrated because he could not find the right location for his upcoming shoot. The client, my friend, indicated he was looking for something different and asked me if I had any ideas. I had many ideas, but I needed something more specific, he indicated he wanted to shoot in the dessert and he wanted mountains in the background. This idea presents many possibilities, and he was in luck because I had my laptop with me. After about fifteen minutes he was blown away by some pictures I just I just shot at Cougar Buttes, an hour
east of Victorville in the Lucerne Valley. My colleague Steve Nadder, a location scout/security guard, introduced me to the location last January. I had an extensive
portfolio of this location because I realized the value that such a location could offer my clients. This is also the site of many films including the latest Tom Cruise movie “Valkyrie”.
This is how I like to assist my clients, if they call me with a possible location they would like to shoot at; in my vast library of locations I probably have such a picture in my arsenal. If I do not have that picture on file, I will find that location for them; in Lucerne Valley, Steve Nadder is one of my best resources.
Cougar Buttes is off a dirt road that is grated for easy access. Once there, the possibilities are endless. In the winter the San Bernardino Mountains are snow capped, and form the perfect backdrop that one could not find elsewhere. There is a different shot at every angle of the buttes, and since there are
several buttes, one has many options.
Victorville and Apple Valley is less than an hour from Cougar Buttes, so lodging is snap for any size crew. Sheri Davis or Dan Taylor from the Inland Film Commission can assist you with film permits and or other questions one may have for planning a shoot at the buttes.
