While Hollywood is known for being the home of the entertainment industry, Santa Clarita is no stranger to film. Otherwise known as Hollywood’s backlot, the Santa Clarita Valley has played an important role in the movie industry. In fact, it has become a local hot spot, with the City of Santa Clarita announcing this was the best fiscal year ever for film and television shoots.
Tucked away just a few miles off the 14 freeway and Placerita Canyon is 200 acres of filming paradise…Rancho Deluxe. With a variety of natural exteriors and fully functional interior sets, Rancho Deluxe is one of the film industry’s sought out locations. Take a tour with élite and see why
Family owned since the late 1950’s, it wasn’t until 1985 when Steve Arklin began living and working on Rancho Deluxe. With 200 acres of beautiful natural terrain, shoot houses, water features and a diverse amount of interior and exterior sets, Rancho Deluxe has become a popular place to film amongst filmmakers.
Home to a variety of homes and cabins, the Mediterranean Villa boast beauty, grace and elegance on the inside and out. Other homes on the lot include a ranch house, hilltop house, both a modern and rustic cabin, a hacienda home and dilapidated house. One of the homes hosts a swimming pool, complete with beautiful mountain views.
Rancho Deluxe’s rustic charm and natural backdrop lends its beauty and makes for the perfect location for filming on the property. From the historical log cabins to the newer Frenchman’s Cabin, Miner’s Cabin and Mine Shaft, the interior sets combined with the beautiful natural exterior surroundings, can be a filmmakers dream.
Santa Clarita is no stranger to western films, and at Rancho Deluxe, the western town has numerous types of interior and exterior sets. Saddle up as Rancho Deluxe’s western town includes buildings all with functional interiors, a gas station, barn, a general store, trading post and even a Martial Arts Dojo.
A man cave is a male’s sanctuary, and at Rancho Deluxe they have included the ultimate man cave filming set which is complete with a game room, a complete set of arcade machines, billiards, ping pong table, workout equipment, rustic furnishings, a kitchen and of course…a bar.
Rancho Deluxe’s backyard is home to stunning views, natural desert-scapes with cliffs, and desert terrain with trails, roads, abundant space to create the environment for the perfect desert landscape.
Though there are acres upon acres of desert scenery, Rancho Deluxe’s natural exteriors feature terrain that changes along with the scenery, including an orchard, gorgeous artificial lake, mountaintop vista, greenhouse, rolling hillsides, roads, trails, creek beds, meadows, target range and a variety of wooded areas. The movie ranch also has several ponds including a lake completely stocked with fish, featuring a waterfall and rock formation resembling Vasquez Rocks.
Rancho Deluxe also has several additional sets throughout the property, which include the Indian Camp, Barn, Tree House and a lifesize Playhouse.
Their bait shop is fully functional, complete with real working live bait tanks.
Rancho Deluxe has been home to many film projects including television series, reality shows, shorts and feature films, commercials, photo shoots and more. Films include Iron Man 3, Bad Teacher, Lords of Salem, Time Machine, Eddie Murphy’s Haunted House, Rush Hour 3 to name a few. You may recognize the Rancho Deluxe scenery in reality and television series Top Shop, Whodunit, Make It or Break It, Heroes, NCIS, Sons of Anarchy, The Mentalist, Knight Rider and Wipe Out.
Located within the 30-mile studio zone of Hollywood, Rancho Deluxe movie ranch filming offers an abundance of beauty and charm. Film production continues to be alive and well on the ranch.
For more information about Rancho Deluxe, visit www.aranchodeluxe.com or call 661-252-FILM (3456).
photos by Joie De Vivre Photographie
