40 Productions Filed “Intent to Film” Forms As Sunset Date Approaches

As of the first of July, “film production companies have spent nearly $268 million, and have offered approximately 19,000 industry jobs.  Forty production companies have filed ‘Intent to Film’ forms this past July as the sunset date on the Tarheel State’s film incentive program ends on January 1, 2015”.    

This means that 40 production companies have already filmed their projects, or plan to film their projects in the state.  “The job opportunities that these film companies have provided includes more than 3,000 crew positions for North Carolina’s highly skilled film professionals, 500 well paying talent opportunities, and 15,000 background talent positions.  The reported profit increase into the states revenue is also due to the many projects that were completed in the first six months of this year”.

Many television shows that have called North Carolina home, and have been producing their shows here include Under The Dome, Banshee, and Sleepy Hollow.  The new television show which first aired in Australia, but due to low ratings, was cancelled called Secrets and Lies also began shooting earlier this year.  In an earlier post, I introduced this new series, which was filmed in Wilmington, will air on ABC, in March 2015.

Be on the look out in your favorite theater for some more featured films that were filmed in the first part of the year.  Look for, Max, The Longest Ride, Max Steel, along and an Untitled Armored Car Project, and two Independent films, Ashby, and Union Bound to be on the screens in 2015-2016. 

Television shows and films were not the only projects that were completed earlier this year, and also contributed to the state’s revenue growth and industry jobs.  There were some commercials that were produced in North Carolina for such products as Biomet, Pepsi, Xarelto, and a commercial was also shot for one of HGTV’s lifestyle series, Love It or Leave It.

Author, Nicholas Sparks, has seen several of his romance-drama novels turned into films.  The movie, “The Choice”, which was written in 2007, will be the last of his novels that will be filmed in the state this month.  Some of the other novels he has written, that were turned in to films include “Message in a Bottle” and one of my favorites, “A Walk to Remember”.  Theresa Park, the producer of “The Cloud” feels “it’s a shame that the state is ending the long-standing tax credit program at the end of 2014 in favor of a far smaller grant program, with incentives scaled back due to fervent Tea Party opposition.  The successful initiative that has been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of job earnings and the growth of a thriving community of film and TV professionals,” she said. “Thousands will be forced to relocate” if incentives end.

This past May, House Bill 1142 was introduced by two Republican, and two Democrat members, that would eliminate the sunset date on the state’s 25% refundable incentive program for production companies.  The bill was introduced before the assembly recessed for the summer. As to date, the House bill still has not been brought to the floor for a vote”.