With miles of beaches, 300-plus days of sunshine and a diverse array of scenic landscapes, San Diego is known as a favorite destination for tourists and an ideal location for living. What many do not know about the area is that it is also a choice location for shooting scenes for the silver screen. The San Diego Film Commission, based in downtown offices on second Avenue, is responsible for drawing projects to the county, assisting the film crews in finding the right locations and atmosphere; streamlining the film permit process; collaborating with local, state and federal agencies to obtain clearances; and advocating on behalf of local film businesses to encourage local hiring. The San Diego Film Commission was established in 1976 by San Diego’s then-Mayor Pete Wilson in response to complaints from the film industry that production in the city required too much red tape. According to the Film Commission’s Economic Impact Report, film, television and advertising projects produced within San Diego County generated more than $34 million for the local economy in Fiscal Year 2009 alone. San Diego’s first recorded brush with fame dates back to 1898, when The Edison Company shot a silent movie in the downtown area. Since then, hundreds of movies, TV shows, documentaries, commercials and advertisements have been shot throughout the county. One of the most recent productions to hit San Diego is the television show “Terriers,” which is described by Variety as “a comedic take on the private-eye world, revolving around an ex-cop turned detective who teams up with a young hot-shot.” The show is set in Ocean Beach, but the production crew is filming the first season at locations throughout San Diego County. The series, which will debut on the FX channel, stars Donal Logue (a film and TV veteran) and Michael Raymond-James (“Black Snake Moan”). San Diego has many noteworthy credits on both the small and silver screens. Episodes of “24,” “Entourage,” “Monk” and “The Bachelor” have featured the area in recent seasons. The show “Veronica Mars” shot its entire three-season run within San Diego County. Major motion pictures on the area’s resume include “Almost Famous,” “Bruce Almighty,” “Top Gun,” “The Sum of All Fears” and “Anchorman.” The presence of film crews can be exciting for local residents, who have occasionally had the chance to appear on the big screen themselves. When “Bring It On,” a movie based on the world of competitive cheerleading, was filmed in San Diego in 1999, producers used local cheer squads from around the county as competitors in key scenes. Of course, not every aspect of filming is glamorous. Some projects shoot scenes or photos that require road closures, public transportation detours, crowd control or pyrotechnic feats that can be inconvenient for residents and tourists alike. In order to mitigate the impact, directors and producers turn to the non-profit San Diego Film Commission to oversee the production process for every project within San Diego County from start to finish. “We are told over and over that people like to come here because we make it easy and safe,” said Film Commissioner Cathy Anderson. “We’ve never had a lawsuit or an accident. We are problem solvers — we are trying to avoid problems and we are proactive.” All of the commission’s employees have years of previous film experience so that they understand the unique needs of the production crews they work with. This experience yields an advantage that can help San Diego win business from competing locations like Hawaii, New Mexico and Canada. “It’s a competition and everyone in the world wants this business,” Anderson said. “We offer a unique attraction by providing people who are specialists in their field, and when [film crews] get here, I’m very confident because my people have massive skill sets.” Producers also turn to the Film Commission when they need information or resources that will help them set the tone for their production. That was the case in 2003 when the crew of “Anchorman” was looking for inspiration to portray the news scene in the 1970s. “The producers came to us because they wanted some resources on what the news industry was like in the 1970s,” Anderson said. “Our first thought was to put them in touch with [former San Diego anchorman] Jack White, because he was an institution in the San Diego news scene for years, and we also knew that he was an archivist.” The movie was originally slated to film in Portland, but producers were so impressed with White’s knowledge that they hired him as a consultant for “Anchorman” and moved production to San Diego. Main character Ron Burgundy (played by Will Farrell) brought further notoriety to America’s Finest City with his memorable sign-off, “Stay classy, San Diego.” The Film Commission will continue to look for new projects to bring to the county and Anderson said San Diego is already in the running as a location for two major motion pictures set to film this year.