Whidbey and Camano Islands are amazing places to call home, and islanders are proud of all the things that make these communities unique and special. Residents of these islands are creative people who love welcoming fellow artists and helping to achieve your vision, but you are asked to keep this tradition of hospitality alive by Creating Responsibly:
#CreateResponsibly in the outdoors, Island Edition
Know Before You Go
Connect with land managers about permit requirements, weather, and local guidelines. Research and contact the location well in advance. Reach out to the Film Liaison for help!
- Permits may be required and take time to process.
- Check for weather and hazards prior to arrival.
- Consider “under-visited” locations to limit your impact and bring added value to your production.
- There are many land managers on the islands and each organization has their own requirements, contact the Film Liaison for help.
Plan and Prepare
Conditions can change quickly outdoors, be ready with the right camera gear and the right clothes. The amount of daylight hours is dramatically different in the Pacific Northwest depending on the time of year. Be aware of areas where drones are not allowed, such as Navy air space and near the ferries.
- Consider terrain and arrange adequate transportation.
- Know and understand drone “no fly zones”.
- Try to film near your vehicle(s) when possible, or stick to existing trails if you need to “hike in” with gear.
- Bring plenty of water, a first aid kit, and shelter or wet weather gear for potential rain.
“Everyone on Whidbey Island was incredibly accommodating and helpful: from the staff at the Harbor Inn being flexible with our dates changing, to Sherrye and Laura at the film commission who helped us get everything in order and helped us find local crew, to Jack Ng, our amazing fixer, who helped us find and secure locations and gave us the red carpet treatment. Overall, the community of Whidbey Island really made our shoot special and a memorable experience for the cast and crew.”
-Edrei Hutson
Producer, Bleacher Report
Build a Safe and Inclusive Outdoors
Inspire others to see themselves in nature. Historically, access to the outdoors has been inequitable-we can change that. Showcase diverse backgrounds, abilities, and meanings of the “outdoors” whenever possible.
- Consider the historic inhabitants of the land.
- Showcase all backgrounds and abilities.
- Embrace different meanings of “outdoors”.
- Celebrate the many ways people connect with nature.
Respect Others
Minimize impacts to others’ outdoor experiences. Islanders love to get outdoors, so avoid blocking trails and give space to other people.
- Avoid blocking trails, vistas, or byways.
- Give space to people recreating, working, or volunteering.
- Think about how your presence impacts the space.
- Try to blend in with the landscape if possible.
Leave No Trace
Respect the land, water, wildlife, and Native and local communities. Avoid sensitive habitats. Showcase responsible use.
- Follow the seven Leave No Trace principles.
- Always avoid sensitive habitats, both land and marine.
- Consider the impact of disclosing specific locations.
- Use your art to educate; showcase responsible use.
Make It Better
Inspire others to respect and nurture our outdoor spaces. Depict responsible recreation in action-and behind the scenes.
- Depict responsible recreation in action.
- Provide characters with attributes that tie work, play or culture to the outdoors.
- Create behind the scenes content to celebrate your backdrop and sustainable practices.
- Consider making a donation to a stewardship non-profit or volunteering on the land.
“The experience was amazing. Everyone at Fort Casey and the Washington State Parks Northwest Region Headquarters were incredibly supportive, accommodating and willing to work with all of the requests. Fort Casey is visually unique and fit the creative needs of the episode perfectly. And maybe more importantly, the cast and crew that stayed in Coupeville and Oak Harbor thoroughly enjoyed their time on the island and found great food, friendly locals and wonderful accommodations. I’m sure everyone would love to come back and film more on the westside and would also like to come visit during a break in production.”
-Marc Dahlstron
Production Supervisor, Z Nation
Island Insider Tips:
- Be aware of driving times. It takes about an hour to drive from one end of Whidbey to the other, and almost half an hour from the entrance of Camano to the southern tip. Double those times for round trips!
- Avoid driving in the dark if you’re unfamiliar with island roads and do so with caution when you must. There are far fewer street lights than many people are used to, and it gets truly dark. Also be aware of our native deer population when driving in the dark, and scan the shoulders as you go.
- Camano is known as the “Easy Island” because it’s accessible by bridge. Aim for the city of Stanwood in Snohomish County, this is the entryway to Camano Island’s gateway bridge.
- Whidbey Island is accessible by Deception Pass Bridge on the north end, Keystone ferry in the central region (connecting with Port Townsend), and the Clinton ferry on the south end (connecting with Mukilteo). Be aware that the Keystone passage is the least reliable entry point, due to popular sailings that book out (pro tip: make a reservation for this ferry) or inclement weather that sometimes cancels sailings. The Mukilteo-Clinton ferry runs every half hour throughout most of the day, but be aware that there are no ferries off the south end between about midnight or 1am, and about 5am (depending on the time of year). Always leave yourself more time than you think you’ll need with the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry, as it’s the most popular route in the WA ferry system and can experience long lines or crew shortages. On a summer weekend it is not unusual to wait 3+ hours for this first come, first served ferry route. It’s an awfully beautiful trip once you’re aboard though!
- Plan your meal services carefully because there are many local restaurants but some struggle with staffing and occasionally must close early or offer fewer business days. Call ahead with large orders and try to give folks plenty of lead time.
- Often things happen in what feel like miraculous chain reactions on the islands. One connection can open you up to a whole string of helpful islanders and amazing resources. Reach out to the Film Liaison to start getting local introductions and chat with whomever you can when visiting in person, it’s a tightknit community and people love to help each other out.
- Leave as much time as you possibly can when applying for permits. Locals will bend over backwards to get things processed in time for you, but staffs are often small and sometimes there’s a limit to how quickly it can happen.
- You’ll find more than you think here, and once you arrive you won’t want to leave! There may be a location you think you can only find on the mainland, but speak to the Film Liaison about possibilities so you can keep your production in one spot for longer.