Film South - Preview Issue by Ryan Jurgensen

FILM The Resource for Film, Video, & Gaming

SOUTH

Welcome to the Preview Issue

features Pre-Production for Fiction Films 4 A brief primer ...

Peachy Productions

The film climate in Georgia

How Badly Do You Need to See It? 10 Greg “Noodles” Johnson of RF FilM

Why Virginia?

Q&A with Mary Nelson of the Virginia Film Office

departments Welcome Product Spotlight Gaming News

Cover photography courtesy of Georgia Film Commission

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welcome Hello Film Tradespeople! Welcome to the preview issue of Film South Magazine. In our coverage of film incentives and ongoing shooting projects in the sixteen southernmost states, we aim to bring you the best information about the amazing options available to your production company in this part of the country. In this issue, we have a guest article from Deke Simon, author of Film & Video Budgets. In the article Deke explains the steps necessary for putting a low-budget movie through pre-production. We also have a feature on Greg “Noodles” Johnson, the inventive president of RF Film, one of the industry’s top technical consulting companies. “Noodles” has been on-set for many of recent years’ blockbusters, and he has some great stories for us. Also included in this issue are primers on the film climate in two beautiful southern states. Georgia and Virginia have a lot to offer the industry in terms of working conditions and locations, and we are proud to provide a showcase for them. In video game news, we have an interview with Elliot Adams, the director of the Louisiana Entertainment Office. If you still can’t get enough Film South, check out our website, filmsouthmagazine.com. Thanks for reading. Give us some feedback; we’d love to hear from you. Until then, enjoy the magazine! Jack Frink Editor, Film South Magazine

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FILM The Resource for Film, Video, & Gaming

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Vol. 1, No. 1 President Gary L. Pittman Editorial Brona Stockton Director Editor Jack Frink jackf@pcinews.com Contributing Deke Simon Writers Art Director Kim Worley Advertising Dennis Carter Executives (512) 637-0371

BLOCKBUSTER LOCATION,

INDIE BUDGET CUT THE BUDGET,

NOT THE STORY

Since 2000, MovieMaker magazine has named Austin one of the “Top 10 Cities for Moviemakers.”And with new filmmaking incentives, there’s now even more reason to film here. Find out if your film qualifies for production grants, sales tax exemptions or refunds of state occupancy and fuel taxes.

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT GARY BOND AT 512.583.7229 OR VISIT AUSTINTEXAS.ORG/FILM

Mike Leifeste (512) 381-0577 Gary Pittman Jr. (512) 637-0373

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CAPITAL OF THE WORLD®

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Postmaster: Send change of address to Circulation Department 13581 Pond Springs Rd., #450 Austin, TX 78729 512.250.9023

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Film South (ISSN 2151-9188) is published bimonthly by Publications & Communications, Inc., Gary L. Pittman, President. Subscriptions are available for $22 per year, single copy price $4.95. Foreign subscriptions are available for $45 per year. Payment must accompany orders. Copyright 2010 by Publications & Communications, Inc.. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Pre-Production for Fiction Films A brief primer… From Film & Video Budgets (5th ed.) by Deke Simon mwp.com

t will make you or break you. Pre-Production is where plans are made for Production and Post. It’s a grand scheme with thousands of details. One production manager made big points with the producer by handing him a cup of espresso on location in the desert. That’s attention to detail. But it wouldn’t have amounted to a hill of coffee beans if he had forgotten to order lunch for the crew. Pre-Production has a method, and for fiction films it’s different than for non-fiction. Whole books are written about both, so let’s sketch the standard method for fiction films.

Pre-Production for Fiction Films Once the script is “locked,” meaning major characters, locations, stunts, effects, big scenes, and major sets are decided, we go through a process called “script breakdown.” There is software to help (see www.writersstore.com). Comb through each scene of the script and highlight everything needed to shoot it (characters, props, vehicles, significant wardrobe, set dressing, extras, special effects etc.). Enter that information into a Scheduling program. I prefer Movie Magic Scheduling. We next create a shooting schedule according to a number of factors, such as:

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Location

If we have scenes in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, we would not shoot one scene in Canada, hop a plane to the U.S., shoot a scene, travel to Mexico and shoot a scene, then return to Canada. We would “shoot out” as they say, all our Canada scenes, then move to the U.S., then finish in Mexico. The same logic applies regionally. If possible, shoot all the scenes in “A” County or City, then move to “B” County or City. Scheduling by locations keeps globe-trotting to a minimum.

Set

The same logic applies to sets. If we’re shooting in a house or on a stage, when possible, try to “shoot out” each set. Avoid returning to the same set twice. Why be in a bedroom, dress and light it, and then return two days later to repeat the process unless you must?

Cast

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When actors are available only on certain days, scheduling by Set takes second fiddle. In that case, start with the actors’ schedules, and try to schedule them on consecutive days. For SAG/ AFTRA shoots, non-work days are “Hold” days, and actors get paid. More than 10 Hold days and you must do a “Drop/Pick-up,” meaning the actor is dropped from his/her contract and picked up again. This can only happen once per film. For non-union actors these rules do not apply but try to work them consecutively anyway. It’s more efficient.

Day/Night

• “Turnaround” is the time between camera wrap and next crew call. Ten hours is customary for crew, 12 for SAG/AFTRA actors. Check local rules.

• Don’t schedule an all night EXTERIOR (EXT) NIGHT followed by an EXT DAY. There must a break in between. • Try to schedule all EXT NIGHTS together so people are on the same biological clock. Allow a day off before resuming a day schedule.

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Exterior/Interior

• It’s generally wise to shoot exteriors early in the schedule. If there’s bad weather, you can cover yourself by shooting interiors (aka “cover sets”). If you wait until the end to shoot exteriors, and bad weather hits, you pay for cast, crew and equipment to sit around playing pinochle until the sun returns. • Arrange all cover sets/locations with owners in advance. The First Law of Production is “Never Assume Anything.”

Time of Year/Climate

• How much available light is there this time of year? • What’s the prevailing weather? • Check weather/wind forecasts before and during your shoot.

Children

There are SAG/AFTRA and state Dept. of Labor rules for children under 18 about permits, working hours, rest breaks, meals and school. You may need a teacher and a social worker, or more than one depending on the number of children. Find out the driving distance from the child’s home to set. If they are outside certain limits (in LA it’s “the 30 Mile Zone”), the child’s day may begin earlier than you think.

Special Effects/Stunts

Is a stunt coordinator on hand for run of show? If not, try to schedule all stunts and special effects (mechanical/physical) together. Stunts/ effects need prep time.

Key Scenes

• If possible, make the first shoot day light on work to allow for crew and talent to get up to speed. • Consider when to schedule highly emotional scenes. Discuss with your actors and team.

FYI…A few good books about fiction film scheduling:

Film Scheduling by Ralph Singleton The Hollywood Guide to Film Budgeting and Script Breakdown for Low Budget Features by Danford Chamness

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Once you have a schedule, you know a lot more about your production: how many shoot days, how many actors and extras, your props, locations and dates of use, major sets and dates of use, key picture vehicles, prep time needed for special effects, and more. Thus armed, you can begin the next phase of Pre-Production, the Budget. There are sample budgets for fiction projects in my book, Film & Video Budgets (5th ed.). A budget is not the end of pre-production. If you were thinking it was, stop reading and take a little nap. You’ll need fresh eyes when you see what remains to be done before you shoot:

PRE-PRODUCTION CHECKLIST

advice

COMPLETED PRIOR TO THREE WEEKS BEFORE PRODUCTION ❒ SCRIPT REVISIONS (“final” draft script) ❒ SCRIPT RESEARCH REPORT (send “final” draft to script research co. for clearance) ❒ A.D. BREAKDOWN PAGES COMPLETE ❒ SHOOTING SCHEDULE ❒ LOCKED BUDGET ❒ COST REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT COSTS (or CLOSE OUT OF DEVELOPMENT COSTS) ❒ PAYROLL SERVICE (make deal/prelim sched) ❒ CREWING KEYS AND REST OF CREW ❒ CASTING - STARS AND SUPPORT CAST ❒ CREW DEAL MEMOS ❒ UNION NEGOTIATIONS (as needed) ❒ CREW LIST (names/contact info) ❒ CAST CONTRACTS ❒ CAST LIST (names/contact info) ❒ TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS FOR CAST/CREW ❒ STUDIO (sound stage) ❒ LOCATIONS SCOUTING/SURVEYING ❒ POST HOUSE (make selection/discuss workflow/negotiate deal/do tests/prelim sched) ❒ DIGITAL/FILM/AUDIO STOCK (place orders) ❒ EQUIPMENT ORDERS (all departments - prelim orders) ❒ INSURANCE (prod. ins./general liability/workers comp) ❒ COMPLETION BOND (or COMPLETION GUARANTEE) ❒ ISAN APPLICATION* ❒ OTHER SUPPLIERS (place orders) ❒ UNIT PUBLICITY PLAN (ONLINE & ON SET) ❒ SET UP OFFICE AND FTP SITE ❒ CATERING CHOICE (make selection/negotiate/prelim sched)

TWO WEEKS BEFORE PRODUCTION ❒ STUNT CONTRACTS ❒ PRE-CALCULATE EXTRA DAY COSTS, EXTRA OT COSTS ❒ REHEARSAL ROOM (book and schedule)s ❒ CHOOSE FORMS FOR CALL SHEET AND PRODUCTION REPORT ❒ CATERING DEAL MEMO ❒ DIGITAL/FILM/AUDIO STOCK IN ❒ CRAFT SERVICE (place orders) ❒ BATTERY STOCK IN ❒ POLAROID FILM STOCK (or digital still cams) ❒ EXPENDIBLES ORDER ❒ PRODUCTION AND DEPARTMENT MEETINGS ❒ LOCATION/TECH SURVEYS ONE WEEK BEFORE PRODUCTION ❒ FINAL PRODUCTION MEETING (all departments) ❒ FINAL LOCATION/TECH SURVEYS ❒ FIRST CALL SHEET ❒ CAMERA TEST/EQUIPMENT PICKUP ❒ CREW DEAL MEMOS DONE *ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number) is a global identifier for audio-visual projects (www.isan.org). The above Pre-Production Checklist is edited from Deborah S. Patz’s fine book, Film Production Management 101 (www.mwp.com). ■

A final word of advice. Is this your first fiction project? Hire an experienced line producer or production manager. There are just too many hurdles to risk going over budget/over schedule, and you’ll get to be in producer’s school as you watch and learn. Deke Simon

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Georgia’s 5 Best Filming Locations Georgia’s location versatility – the ability to be anything from a period-piece small town to a bustling modern city – is one of the state’s main calling cards for attracting film and video productions. Based on the number of productions and the diversity in each locale, these are the top five locations to film in the Peach State.

Atlanta, GA It’s no wonder that Georgia’s capital is the top filming location in the state. Atlanta has been home to many movies and TV shows – Drop Dead Diva, The Real Housewives, House of Payne (all three seasons), The Tyler Perry Show, Faith to Fruition, The Preacher’s Kid, and Madea Goes to Jail. Lee Thomas, the Senior Locations Specialist for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, says that “Atlanta is definitely the most versatile city in Georgia. It has doubled for New York, Washington, Virginia and Detroit, among others. Atlanta is capable of looking idyllic in one shot and very urban and industrial in another.”

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Savannah, GA Savannah is full of historical landmarks and buildings, and with such a colorful and dramatic past it’s no wonder the city has been the birth place for over 73 movies since 1973. Some of the bigger titles are The Gift, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and The General’s Daughter. Savannah has also been home to numerous television shows like Paula’s Home Cooking, which moved from New York to Savannah (where Paula Deen lives) in 2006. Others are House Hunters, Most Shocking Ghost, Trading Spaces, and Wife Swap.

Actor Quinton Aaron and Academy-Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock on set in The Blind Side, filmed partially in Atlanta, GA.

Peachy Productions

The Film Climate in Georgia By Jack Frink | Photos Courtesy of Georgia Film Commission

f you have gone to the movies at all in the past few years, chances are that you’ve seen something filmed in Georgia. In 2009 alone, the state boasted 14 independent projects. Among these were Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2, Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself and the horror film The Crazies. Other big recent titles are the delicious horror-comedy Zombieland and the Oscar-winning Sandra Bullock vehicle The Blind Side. More productions are currently in pre-production for 2010. The pandemic horror flick The Crazies was shot two hours south of Atlanta in Perry, Georgia. Rob Cowan, one of the film’s producers, says that Georgia “offered the wideopen farmland we were looking for. There was also a strong crew base set up already.” Most importantly, Cowan was pleased with Georgia’s incentive program. “It made the decision to shoot here easy. You always have to start with the tax incentives these days.” “In my opinion, the tax incentive program here is just one of the better programs in the country,” Cowan continues. “That’s coupled with a wide array of locations and support systems. I’ve currently got another project that I’m considering filming in Georgia.” Georgia’s appealing incentive system is based off of a tax credit system. In May of 2008 Governor Sonny Perdue signed the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act into law. The legislation pushed the credit up to 30 percent for qualifying produc-

left Mel Gibson filming We Were Soldiers. below Set of 2009 film Zombieland in Newnan, GA.

Covington, GA Covington has been the filming location for many TV shows and movies. Series like In the Heat of the Night and the first five episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard were shot in Covington. Major film projects include My Cousin Vinny, Remember the Titans, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. Currently, The CW series The Vampire Diaries uses downtown Covington as the location for the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. “Covington is always popular because it has a beautiful town square with the iconic Southern Courthouse. Magnolia trees in the square mean it stays green throughout the year, and it’s still within an Atlanta production zone,” says Thomas. Madison, GA Madison is a small agricultural town in Georgia with a total estimated population of 3,636. This historical spot is full of beautiful Victorian homes and antique shops and trails. It’s a pure small town, one that hasn’t been stripped of its historical roots by malls and fast food restaurants. Madison has been home to several major movies: Road Trip, My Cousin Vinny and Friday the 13th: Jason Lives. It also was home to the HBO drama Warm Springs. Griffin, GA Griffin is another small town that can mimic most time periods with ease. For example, the 30’sset Stroke of Genius was filmed in Griffin in 2004. The town was turned into the 1960’s for the 1999 TV movie Selma, Lord, Selma, where it stood in for Selma, Alabama. Griffin also has a great historical district and is close to Riverwood Studios in Senoia. This proximity is very handy to production companies who need to build sets for a movie based someplace like Paris or the Wild West without leaving Georgia.

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tion and post-production expenditures on film and video projects. Georgia also offers a flat tax credit of 20 percent (minimum investment of $500,000) on qualifying projects. On top of that, companies can get another 10 percent if they use the animated Georgia logo on their project. “We have an infrastructure that has been in place for decades,” says Bill Thompson, Director of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “We have tons of crew members, sound stages, production companies, sound and lighting techs, and much more. Having so many different crews and vendors makes it easier for the production companies because they don’t have to pay extra to bring crew members in. Having these options is what makes production companies interested in Georgia; we don’t have an expenditure cap and our incentive program is always consistent. Production companies don’t have to worry about our incentives changing every year because of the appropriation cycle or us not being capable of funding their project.” “It’s a bit of a perfect storm,” says Cowan. “The weather is generally pretty mild year ‘round and there’s a great crew and equipment base. Also, you work off the Area Standards crew rates. I would and I have recommended Georgia to other production companies.” ■

By Jack Frink

How Badly Do You Need to See It? Greg “Noodles” Johnson of RF FilM

above Greg “Noodles” Johnson and the Tumbler from Batman Begins. below Body mapping technology used in the production of Avatar.

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“G

et the shot that makes jaws drop,” reads the opening page from RF Film’s website (rffilm.com). A microwave transmitter company operating out of Van Nuys, California, RF Film has been a major part of production for many of the blockbuster movies that have set theaters ablaze in the recent years. Greg “Noodles” Johnson, the company’s president, was recently at work creating transmitters for the facial imaging FX that defined the most successful movie of all time, James Cameron’s (who Johnson casually refers to as “Jim”) Avatar. “We work in high-definition video or standard-definition video and audio. 99% of our work is film-based,” Johnson says. “All of the gear testing takes place on site here in Van Nuys Airport. We share a space with a helicopter company (National Helicopter) and work with a lot of big cameras like the Eclipse and Cine-plex. Anything that you can’t run a wire to, wireless stuff, we do. We’re capable of sending full HD or SD or traditional composite signal.” Johnson got his start in sports television, where he saw the need for high-end video transmission. “I had already used and

worked with wireless gear all the time,” Johnson recalls. “I came up with my own gear and after some trial and error I made it work. I started showing it to guys, going on movies and showing it to the crews. All the gear is tailored to the camera and custom-built so it meshes with video assist people in the camera department.” “I just took bits and pieces and knew there was a way to make this work,” he continues. Johnson earned his nickname of “Noodles” for his ceaseless tinkering and inventing. By now he is well-known by Hollywood as a technical virtuoso and the nickname has stuck. “A lot of people don’t even know my real name.” Other than Avatar, Johnson has worked on both Christopher Nolan-helmed Batman films. His equipment is the reason The Joker’s now-famous dialogue can be heard during the unforgettable 18-wheeler/Batpod chase sequence in the middle of The Dark Knight. “For Batman, we used Compex feeds so the director can hear dialogue during action that is two to three city blocks away. The sound mixers have wireless mics on, they take the outputs and send it to the director.” RF Film is in high demand, obviously. They have traveled far and wide beyond California. “We’ve been to Europe, Asia, Africa; we’ve been all over the world,” Johnson says. “Right now we’re in New Mexico working with Steven Soderbergh on the movie Knockout. Steven’s shooting with the Red camera. We are providing a wireless digital video link for a camera operator on a snowmobile. The snowmobile is used as a camera vehicle that is hurtling through the forest. We’re panning and tilting the camera signals to the camera operator, who can pull and focus. The guy working it is a great tech. His name

gamingnews By Jack Frink Elliot Adams is director of the Louisiana Entertainment Office, one of the southern states’ major sources for video game production companies. He also shares initials with EA, one of the biggest and most successful gaming companies in the country that just happens to house its testing facility in the state. Coincidence? Maybe. Adams sat down with Film South for a chat about the state of video game development in Louisiana. Film South: What are you doing to build the video game crew base in Louisiana? Elliot Adams: Video games are a different type of creative project than movies. Unlike the film industry, video game employment often consists of full-time, permanent positions that require highly developed skills, as well as a bachelor’s degree in either art or programming. Louisiana’s network of secondary education institutions – community and technical colleges – help to create an employee pipeline. That pipeline is already being tapped by the steadily growing community of entrepreneurial video game studios that dot the state. These studios, in turn, are part of the overall attraction of Louisiana’s interactive landscape to firms like EA that elect to invest in larger operations here. FS: How many video games were produced in Louisiana last year? EA: Twenty-four were under development. The ones that Louisiana is aware of at the moment are EA’s producing NCAA Football 2010, Madden 2010, Tiger PGA 2010, NBA Live 2010 and NCAA Basketball 2010. From Dreamforge there’s Mad Doc Doom Rails, Monster Wrangler, Rowtopia, Jewel Spinner and Friends vs. Missiles. Other studios are introducing titles like Supremacy Part 1. We’ve also currently reviewing cost reports for Say-N-Play and IAPPTWO. FS: How does the amount of game production compare with the amount of film production in your state? EA: Louisiana’s film production incentive system was among the nation’s first two programs introduced back in 2002. As a result, the film industry in Louisiana is now more mature, stable and robust than that offered in many other places. Nearly every aspect of film pre-production and production can be accomplished using Louisiana-based companies; post-production is growing as well. In comparison, the digital media and video game sphere is relatively young. Louisiana’s investment in this area was propelled by several important factors: the globally increasing convergence of technology and cross-pollination of talent across entertainment industries such as film, music, live performance and interactive; a desire by state government to grow an entertainment sector that offered full-time, permanent jobs in addition to the contract-based or independent employment more typical of other entertainment sectors; and an ongoing commitment by state government to create economic opportunities based on Louisiana’s indigenous creative culture. The entrepreneurial sector of the interactive industry continues to grow and thrive and is expected to help attract new investments from larger organizations, just as it attracted EA’s testing facility. FS: What is the Louisiana Entertainment Office doing to promote video game production? EA: Louisiana continues to cultivate the atmosphere of entrepreneurship that channels our native creative culture into well-paid jobs and highly satisfying careers across all entertainment sectors, including video game and interactive development. This effort consists of workforce development, investment incentive programs, helping to form statewide chapters in trade associations like the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), aggressive public relations and marketing campaigns like our ads in Wired and The Wall Street Journal, marketing the state at key industry trade conferences and recruiting companies to set up new ventures here. The recruiting is probably the most important step of all. ■

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is Nathan Spencer; he’s working with Jon Philion, who’s the libra-head tech.” RF Film will be coming back to New Mexico for the production of Marvel Comics’ Thor. “We’re running helicopter feeds with an Eclipse camera on the helicopter. There’s also going to be car chase vehicles for an off-road chase sequence.” Johnson presses on. “The question is: how badly do you need to see it? We’re part of the pre-production process; people come to us in advance. We’re about increasing production value while reducing production cost. I’m the kinda guy who sees a wire out of place and wants to solder it back.” As always, RF Film is working on new advances for future films. “We’re working on a new audio/visual compressor known as the H.264,” Johnson reveals. “It allows you to send HD in a smaller bandwidth. Right now we use 16 MHz-wide channel, but with this we can use an 8 MHz-wide channel. It allows you to use less bandwidth but with the same quality. We’re also working with different companies on streaming video through the internet and more, smaller versions of our HD transmitters which are going to be about the size of an iPhone. “We’re constantly working,” he adds. “With JPL in our backyard we’re always being asked to send data from airstreams so we can see it in real time on the ground. We’re diversified in that way. We’re working on the Lunar Landing project which gets us into NASA through JPL.” Johnson also worked on Déjà vu in Lake Pontchartrain, LA and Nights in Rodanthe on the coast of North Carolina. As recently as October and November of 2009 RF Film was involved with the filming of Secretariat in Lafayette, Louisiana. The racehorse drama will hit theaters in October 2010. When asked about his favorite experiences, Johnson says he has fond memories of working with Steven Spielberg in New Mexico on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and going to Florida with Michael Mann to film Miami Vice’s central speedboat chase. He is excited about bringing more of RF Film’s innovations to the South. ■

q&a

Why Virginia? Q&A with Mary Nelson of the Virginia Film Office

By Jack Frink Virginia is a beautiful state that is cultivating a flourishing market for feature films and television. Mary Nelson, the Communications Manager of the Virginia Film Office, sat down with Film South to talk about the state of Virginia film productions. Film South: Could you give us an overview of the Virginia film scene? Mary Nelson: Virginia has a large and flourishing film industry that is centralized

in three areas of the state. Northern Virginia, near Washington DC, is primarily known for its post-production facilities, production of documentaries and government-based content. Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland are the headquarters for PBS, BET, National Geographic, and the Discovery and Learning Channels. The presence of these organizations helps stimulate the production and post-production community in this area of the state. Hampton Roads is located in the eastern part of the state and includes numerous communities centered around the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. This area has a vibrant community for the production of training videos, music videos and commercials. The third production area is in Richmond, which doubles for Washington, DC. The city has a rich history of film productions because of this. Films such as Dave, G.I. Jane, Hannibal and First Kid have all used the capitol area to replicate Washington. Central Virginia is also a hub for commercial production and independent film. FS: Virginia has a big role in American history. Does that translate at all into your film and TV activity? MN: The Commonwealth of Virginia is identified with many of the major historical

events that have shaped our nation. These include the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement and the aerospace industry to name a few. The state is a favorite for the filming of documentaries, features and television shows based on historical events. One of the most extensive projects ever produced in Virginia was the highly acclaimed HBO mini-series John Adams which went on to win 13 Emmy awards, and which made use of some of Virginia’s historic locations. FS: Does the state have an indie filmmaking presence? MN: Virginia has a highly active independent film community which

is enhanced by a number of exceptional film programs at state universities and community colleges, including Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia and Regent University. The Virginia Film Office sponsors initiatives to support and promote local filmmakers including the Virginia Screenwriting Competition and the Virginia Independent Film Festival, both of which feature the best new and emerging Virginia filmmakers. FS: What kind of incentives do you offer incoming productions? Emmy-award winning HBO mini-series John Adams was one of the most extensive projects ever produced in Virginia.

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MN: Virginia has two film incentive programs. The Governor’s Motion Picture Oppor-

tunity Fund takes the form of a cash grant that is issued at the Governor’s discretion and based on Virginia spending. The Virginia General Assembly has just passed the state’s first refundable tax credit program which is scheduled to take effect in January 2011 and which is also based on a percentage of Virginia spending. The Virginia Film Office works with productions on creating a customized package designed to minimize the cost of shooting in the state. FS: What kind of filming conditions are unique to Virginia? MN: Virginia is an exceptional state for filmmakers. The state’s natural beauty, its his-

tory and architecture make it one of the best choices for a successful shoot. The wide variety of location possibilities include ocean, mountain, valleys, small towns, large cities, rural and urban landscapes. The state is extremely film-friendly, the in-state crew is experiencedand the Film Office is knowledgeable and efficient. For more information, visit film.virginia.org. ■

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