On the surface, Western and Central New York doesn't have much in common Hollywood - both in terms of climate and culture.

But for filmmaker Gerald Webb, the Buffalo-Niagara Region has become a haven for movie making. Webb was in Buffalo late last year producing the action thriller "Assault on VA-33" starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, and Rob Van Dam.

The production was one of over a dozen that Webb has filmed in the Buffalo area, including "Sharknado 2: The Second One" and "A Christmas in Vermont".

2013's "Battledogs" was the film that initially brought Webb's business partner, Christopher Ray to Buffalo after securing Buffalo-Niagara Airport as a filming location, doubling for JFK in New York City.

"That kind of started our journey with filming in Upstate New York and Western New York. And now we're on film number thirteen," Webb said.

It's a mutually beneficial relationship between Webb and Ray's company, DeInstitutionalized Films, and the state through the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission. While New York offers a tax incentive to film productions, the region benefits financially as well.

"We spend a lot of money on hotel rooms and rent cars from local car agencies. We buy food for those crews. We hire our local crew, we hire local actors. So, it's all about us putting money into the economy here, giving people jobs (and) supporting local businesses," Webb said.

Although Webb's productions are generally lower budget, he said the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission has used smaller productions like his as an example of why the Buffalo area is an ideal filming location. In turn, larger movies like "Marshall," "A Quiet Place 2" and "Nightmare Alley" have been drawn to the area. 

"I mean, we're in a weird position where we may get pushed out, too. The crew… we come to town sometimes when we want to hire people, and they're like, 'I'm working on this, I'm working that,'" Webb said.

It's not just tax breaks that draw movie productions to the Buffalo area. Webb said municipalities and private businesses have embraced requests to film. Cast members and crews have been charmed by local businesses like Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant in Blasdell and Vidler's 5&10 variety store in East Aurora.

"Overall the city and the region has been amazingly cooperative. And we've made great friends throughout the region as a result. But I got to give a ton of credit to the Film Commission and (Buffalo) Mayor Byron Brown, who, on our behalf, behind the scenes goes, 'Hey, let's find a way to make it work for these guys to keep your business coming to the City of Buffalo."

Webb was born in Philadelphia and began acting in the late 1990s after a successful career in music. Webb has appeared in TV shows like "Barry", "Bull" and "Workaholics" along with his long list of credits as a director, producer and more. He said the Buffalo area allows for a wide range of locations that film writers are familiar with and often write specifically for.

"Well, the diversity that Western New York offers to us is awesome. We’ve filmed at the Cave of the Winds and we've filmed downtown Buffalo. We’ve filmed near a ski resort out by East Aurora," Webb said. "We can double New York City, the airport, we can shoot small town USA. We can shoot any urban environment in downtown Buffalo."