Film Industry Influx Expands Rich Creative Scene
Published Jun 27, 2008
Getting some new blood into an artistic community is always a good thing, even for those that already are rich and diverse.
Northwest Louisiana already had a strong regional arts presence before local film making took off in recent years. Now, as more talent is coming to – and staying in – the area, a hub of creative activity is being created here, says Pam Atchison, executive director of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
“The incredible thing about the film industry is that they’re bringing in larger numbers of people who really understand the nature of supporting community art,” Atchison says. “They’re also an economic driver that actually builds a cultural economy.”
The arts council has been a force for artistic growth since its 1976 founding. It oversees the distribution of $525,000 in city and state grants to support the arts, and operates artspace, a multi-use arts center. With the addition of the newly opened Robinson Film Center and the planned Nu Image/Millennium Films studio, a $10.3 million complex in the nearby Ledbetter Heights neighborhood, the council is now at the heart of a growing art and commercial center of town, Atchison says.
“We’re going to have this influx of people who work at the studio come down the street and have lunches at our cafés or see what else is going on, and there will be all this incredible energy on Texas Street,” Atchison says.
Add the Strand Theatre, the Southern University Museum of Art and other destinations, and it’s easy to see why Atchison is excited.
“With this new commitment we’re seeing to the permanency of the film industry, people are not just visiting here, but are living here,” she says. “They validate the area arts and cultural community, and they demonstrate what the next step really is for local art production at a professional level.”
THE ACCOLADES
From 2007 to 2008, Shreveport moved up from No. 6 to No. 3 on MovieMaker magazine’s annual list of the best places to live, work and make movies.
In 2006 and 2007, Louisiana has been ranked the No. 1 location in the United States to shoot film by P3 Production Update magazine.
BY THE NUMBERS
Film projects and estimated dollar amounts spent in Northwest Louisiana:
2005: 6 projects, $147.8 million
2006: 8 projects, $90.7 million
2007: 24 projects, $181.5 million
(Sources: Louisiana Economic Development Department; Shreveport Mayor’s Office of Film, Media and Entertainment)
Estimated dollar amounts spent by film industry companies statewide:
2002: $10.5 million
2003: $241 million
2004: $431 million
2005: $748 million
2006: $530.5 million.
2007: $500 million estimated
(Sources: Louisiana Economic Development Department)
Film Industry Payroll Growth (In-state):
2002: $75,000
2003: $19 million
2004: $39 million
2005: $46.5 million
2006: $78 million
(Source: Louisiana Economic Development Department)
TAX INCENTIVES
The Motion Picture Industry Development Tax Credit is a transferable credit of 25 percent for motion picture production and an additional 10 percent on Louisiana labor, plus a 40 percent credit for infrastructure development.
The Music/Sound Recording Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit of 25 percent for sound recording and infrastructure development.
The Digital Media Tax Credit is a credit enabling producers of digital media, such as videogame developers, to earn up to a 20 percent tax credit against expenditures in Louisiana.
NOTABLE PROJECTS IN RECENT YEARS
Tekken, Comeback, Soul Men, Factory Girl, The Guardian, Harold & Kumar 2, The Mist, Midnight Man, Mr. Brooks, Premonition, Speed Freaks, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, The Great Debaters, Mad Money, Wonderful World, The Last Lullaby, Major Movie Star, Year One
INFRASTRUCTURE & AMENITIES
StageWorks of Louisiana offers two sound stages; 25,000 square feet of networked production offices; mill and paint areas, make up/dressing rooms; a cafeteria; secure lock ups; a commercial commissary; exterior hook ups for mobile kitchens; and more. Additional information: (318) 221-3175 or www.stageworksla.com.
Stage West, in association TurnKey|Louisiana, is a full-service facility with 20,000 sq feet in office space and 25,000 in stage space. The facility includes Cinelease & Expendables Plus, one of the largest lighting companies in the entertainment industry, Avid Meridian offline edit suites, fully furnished and rentable production office space, wireless broadband, on-site parking and more. A stage area of approximately 25,000 square feet of space [22 feet to grid] is also available for rental. Other services include catering, production sound equipment, and ancillary services. Additional information: (318) 470-2409 or www.tk-la.com or www.cinelease.com
Mansfield Studios, in association with Louisiana Production Consultants, has more than 80,000 square feet of office space, six acres of paved, secured parking, and 120,000 square-feet of converted, air-conditioned stage space with 26-foot clear ceilings. Additional square footage is available for vendors and tenants with build out to suit – including mill space and scene docks. The facility has full service production offices and vendor support services. Additional information: Mansfield Studios (318) 219-2011 or www.mansfieldstudios.net
Louisiana Wave Studio is the only feature-film facility that can automatically generate waves in the United States. The large tank is 100 feet long, 80 feet wide and eight feet deep and holds 750,000 gallons of water. Originally built for Walt Disney’s film, The Guardian, the tank is capable of generating a variety of waves of up to nine feet, as well as recreating storm conditions. On one side, drums can be mounted 50 feet in the air and attached to chutes so that water can be dumped on actors or set pieces. Additional information: 888-WAV-TANK (928-8265) or www.thelouisianawavestudio.com
Story by Joe Morris
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