Reality television stars, trendsetting artists, earnest filmmakers and flashy advertisers all want to look good in Detroit.
The Detroit Film Office granted permission for 83 productions to film in the city last year. The list obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request shows how Detroit’s image is used to tell stories, like an Idris Elba-produced documentary on racism in the music industry, and sell products like Ford trucks and Crown Royal whiskey.
A handful of small-scale independent films released in the last year are inspired by Detroit, feature city talent and filming locations.
A Detroit gangster unknowingly married to an FBI agent takes on a powerful crime family and corrupt politicians in “Gun Play,” an independent action movie released on Tubi last year. Director K.C. Carson, an east side Detroiter, said a pivotal scene filmed downtown needed a permit from the city, and most of the production was shot on private property across Detroit.
Carson said virtually the entire cast and crew is from Detroit. He made it a point to showcase familiar businesses in the movie like East English Village mainstay Good Vibes Lounge. In one scene, the main characters ordered a Kash Doll cocktail and other items from the lounge’s real menu. The film crew held a party at the bar after the film’s premiere.
“The Good Vibes owners are products of Detroit Public Schools and they came together and opened a bar and grill that survived the pandemic,” Carson said. “It shows the resilience that Detroiters have.
“You want to show locations that you want people to visit, locations that people may not know exist. My thing is to work with independent businesses. Marketing and advertising is one of the most expensive things, to give someone that opportunity is huge.”
The production had other direct ties to Detroit. Carson dressed fictional gang members in pieces from the Detroit clothing brand Stone Jungle Apparel and cast the store’s owner Brian Wilbert as “Smoke,” a villainous member of the Stone Jungle Boys gang. Wilbert is given top billing on the movie’s poster. Other parts of the film were shot at Superbad Boxing Gym in Detroit, Westfield Preparatory High School in Redford and Big Bo’s Grill in Madison Heights.
Carson said the independent film scene in metro Detroit is thriving, in large part thanks to the collaborative nature of people who are lifting each other up.
“Independent film is not sports,” Carson said. “There’s no championship belt if you win, no title at the end of the year. Sharing the knowledge that I learned, sharing my experiences, doesn’t hurt me at all.”
In the last 20 years, Detroit was featured in major motion pictures like “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “8 Mile,” “Transformers” and “It Follows.” That was back when Michigan films could receive an income tax credit used to offset the cost of productions. The tax credit was eliminated in 2015.
Black creators from Detroit persisted, bootstrapping a local industry of independent film productions often found streaming on Tubi.
Detroit’s City Council supported an effort by state lawmakers to restore the tax breaks, hoping to prevent young artists from moving away and entice more film productions to the state. Bills introduced in 2023 haven’t yet been voted on.
If signed into law, film productions could receive tax credits up to 30% plus a separate 30% credit for hiring Michigan residents. It would apply to feature films, TV shows, commercials, commercial photography and short films.
All film productions in the city require an approved permit from the Detroit Film Office two weeks prior to filming. There’s no cost to obtain a permit, but productions must provide proof of insurance and notify the city of shooting locations, anticipated impacts on city services and planned special effects.
Film crews need special permission to use drones, divert traffic; film at parks, freeways, bridges, on the Detroit People Mover, courts and police stations; show business signs, murals or other artwork; and use prop guns or police cars. Any costs for police and parking must be reimbursed.
Carson credited Film Office Manager Jennifer Jordan with making the permitting process easy to navigate. Jordan could not be reached for comment.
Besides Elba, Barry Sanders was another high-profile name who received permission to shoot in Detroit. An untitled Sanders documentary shot footage across two days. “Bye Bye Barry” was released a few months later, produced by Amazon Prime Video.
“Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music” highlights efforts to secure reparations for Black artists who were denied credit and payment for their work. The three-part series premieres Sept. 21 on BBC. One episode will focus on the emergence of Black-owned labels like Motown Records.
“Sacrifice Zones: The 48217” is a documentary centered on residents impacted by industrial pollution in Southwest Detroit. The project received a grant from The Redford Center, a nonprofit founded by actor Robert Redford. It was created by Ben Corona and Wayne State University professor Toni Cunningham.
Starz crime drama “BMF” came back to Detroit for its third season, which aired earlier this year. It chronicles the lives of cocaine traffickers brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory and features familiar Detroit landmarks.
Detroit attracted a handful of independent feature films, including Romantic comedy “I Love You Forever,” which premiered at South by Southwest earlier this year. It was produced by Hantz Motion Pictures. The Detroit-based company was launched by businessman and real estate mogul John Hantz, and his daughter Lauren, to finance and produce indie films.
“Quase Deserto,” a thriller based in Detroit that follows undocumented immigrants who witness a murder was shot in the city last year. It was made by a Brazilian director and film crew.
Robert Butler, an Ortonville native, shot a day in Detroit for supernatural crime thriller “Phantom Moon.” “A Secret to Die For” collected footage for its fictional depiction of an affluent suburban family for television.
Several reality television shows also shot footage in Detroit. The third season of HGTV’s Detroit-focused “Bargain Block” aired last summer after several months of shooting.
Season two of “Love & Marriage Detroit” started airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network this month. It was filmed from November 2023 to March of this year. The show focuses on the lives of three Black couples.
The first season of Lifetime reality show “Prison Brides” aired earlier this year, which focuses on women whose romantic partners are incarcerated. The production spent roughly a week in Detroit last October.
TLC reality show “90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After” obtained three permits to film in Detroit across several weeks in July and November.
Paranormal ghost hunter reality show “Expedition X” had an episode focused on the supposedly haunted Eloise Asylum in Westland. The show described it as a Detroit mental hospital and shot footage in the city.
Episodes for A&E true crime shows “Accused: Guilty or Innocent?” and “Tell Me How I Died” were also shot in Detroit.
Several car commercials were shot, showing off products like the Lincoln Nautilus, Chevy RS SUVs and trucks, the Ford F-150 Police Interceptor and General Motors electric vans.
Crown Royal whisky, Cooper Tires, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Priority Health and Detroit Design House were among the other brands that received permission to shoot in Detroit.