Was the show set in Albuquerque from the beginning?
I actually conceived it to be in Riverside, Calif., because I knew a DEA agent stationed there. But New Mexico had the 25 percent rebate, so I thought, “Well, no state has a corner on the meth market.”
What are some of the logistical bonuses of shooting there?
I don’t have to spend 20 bucks on a fake license plate or put up different street signs or worry about sandy peaks showing up in the background.
How does it help the look of the show to be away from L.A.?
I love California, I live there. But there isn’t a square centimenter of the L.A. basin that hasn’t been photographed. New Mexico is virgin territory. You swing a lens on a neighborhood, there’s a good possibility it’s never been on film.
Would you ever move there?
I actually own a condo in Albuquerque now. I’m a taxpayer too. It’s great; I love the people.
What is your most-used location?
The prairie behind our soundstages, where Walt and Jesse cook meth, characters murder someone — or hide a body. You name it!
