"Ninety percent of Portlandia’s crew are local residents, according to Portland resident and Portlandia producer David Cress. The show employs 80-120 people, depending upon shoot schedules. 'Most of these jobs are family-friendly with good wages,” [David] Cress says. “Even training duties that don’t offer benefits, provide crew members opportunities to advance up the ranks into living wage jobs in our industry.'"
- Green, Mike (February 22, 2017), "Doing business with Portlandia," Oregon Business Magazine,
In 2009, Portland’s local economy was being hit hard by the national recession. Hit especially hard, was Portland and Oregon’s local film and video industry. Local producer David Cress reached out to Adams about Portland competing for a yet-to-be-picked up show that began as “ThunderAnt” on the web in 2005.
“The Oregon Film Commission and Mayor Sam Adams really went to work with Broadway Video to secure Portland as Portlandia,” said Cress.
Tim Williams, executive director of Oregon Film, says Portlandia established Portland as a creative mecca in the film and entertainment industry. “The humor, the creativity —The show has been great for Oregon. For jobs, for exposure. It’s all locally produced. It’s all Portland.”
“As successful shows like Grimm and Portlandia end, we’re always asking who’s next? But Portlandia will leave a lasting legacy upon the film and entertainment industry in our state,” he says.