About Torrance
Torrance is located in the south bay area of Los Angeles. The name means little hills, and the geography of the area explains why the name was chosen. Besides the city, there’s also Torrance Beach, wetlands, and green spaces. Before the Spanish arrival in 1784, it was home to the Tongva Native American people.
The city is where the American Youth Soccer Organization started and is home to around 147,000 people. Despite the city’s long history, it was only incorporated in 1921. Many businesses call the city home, from Honda and Acura to Pelican Products and Robinson Helicopters.
Filming Options in Torrance
Filming options in Torrance are popular because of the 1.5 miles of beach, the proximity to Los Angeles (only 20 miles), and the catering, rental, and transportation companies available. Indeed, many high-profile projects have been filmed in Torrance, including Beverly Hills 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and American Beauty, among others.
- Catering
Torrance has a large Japanese American population, so some of our favorite restaurants and caterers offer this cuisine. The catering companies in the city offer every other cuisine imaginable too, and everything you find is delicious.
- Furniture Rentals
The proximity to Los Angeles and a large number of businesses, filming projects, and residents means that there are plenty of furniture and equipment rental options in Torrance. Almost everything that your project needs is either already in the city, or easily brought in by one of the companies.
- Transportation
Torrance is still in Los Angeles County, and that means there is a bit more traffic than in some other parts of the country. That being said, the professional transportation companies in the city make travel a whole lot easier by taking care of it for us. All you have to do is let them know where you want to be and when, and they can take care of the rest.
Filming Companies in Torrance
The filming companies in Torrance are seasoned professionals who have “been there, done that,” but still approach every project with the same excitement and creativity that we love in new businesses. They can complement and add the finishing touches to your filming project.
- Shef’s Catering
Shef’s Catering has a passion for food, fresh ingredients, and service. All that comes together for the catering of your filming project. They cover all food genres and every event catered by Shef’s exceeds expectations.
- Bright Events
Bright Events has showrooms throughout California and Arizona and their design styles and furniture gallery are sure to include whatever you need for your filming project. They can help with everything from throwing a party to designing a filming space to look authentic and real.
- Hilltop Limousine Service
You know, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we admit, the first time we used Hilltop Limousine Service it was because of the picture of the hills and Torrance Beach shoreline on their website. The best part was that the service was as good as the photo, so we let them handle all our transportation needs every time we are in Torrance.
Pros and Cons of Filming Options in Torrance
There are pros and cons of filming options in Torrance – just like in all the other cities that you may consider. So, take a look at the following and figure out what’s most important for your project.
Advantages
- The best weather
There is a reason so many people want to live and work in Los Angeles County and southern California. You really can’t ask for a better climate, and Torrance is no exception. It has the best weather, and you can enjoy that weather when you finish filming for the day and head to one of the parks or the beach.
- Proximity
Torrance has a definite proximity advantage since it’s only 20 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles. It makes travel and everything else a little bit easier, but also gives you the feeling of being away from the pace and stress of the bigger city.
- Safety
The city of Torrance consistently ranks as the safest city in Los Angeles County. Safety is a huge advantage anytime.
Disadvantages
- The cost
Torrance has a higher cost compared to other cities, and part of that is because there are so many advantages to the city. The housing market, and in turn, everything else, from filming venues to catering, costs slightly more here than in other locations.
- Sales tax
The budget-busting continues with the sales tax rate in Torrance, which is 9.5%. Add this to the higher cost of the city in general, and you’ll want to consider a re-budget to allocate more funds to the filming location. But it’s true – you do get what you pay for!
- Heat and humidity
The weather is usually the sunny and warm climate we know and love in southern California. It does get hot and humid in the summer because of the location and proximity to the ocean. Not a big deal if you are indoors, but it makes outdoor work a little less comfortable.
Famous Locations in Torrance
- Western Museum of Flight
We can all appreciate the magnitude of flight and how much it has enabled us to do and become over the years. This museum chronicles its contributions, particularly in the western part of the United States.
- Los Arboles Rocketship Park
To continue on that flight theme for a minute, head to Los Arboles Rocketship Park. This is an urban park and greenspace. But the best part and the one that appeals to our inner child is the playground with a rocket ship structure. We won’t tell if you want to feed your inner child and check it out.
- Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge
Before we were flying, we had our railroad bridges, and the Pacific Electric Railroad Bridge is a historical landmark and architectural wonder. It’s on Torrance Boulevard and was built in 1913. It’s known for its graceful structure and was repaired and stabilized, winning a preservation award in 2015.
