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national Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). “In the dark days of HB2 [the so-called Bathroom Bill] … many talented crew members began renting apartments and living weekly in the Atlanta market. They left their families in North Carolina; some have moved everyone over to the ‘State too Big to Fail’ in content creation. In Georgia, the studios enjoy the less-stringent job incentive monies they qualify for.”
Despite what Georgia has done to lure projects, IATSE Local 491 has grown, and some key department heads have returned to North Carolina with beefed-up resumes from their time in the Atlanta market, McGlamery added.
IATSE is working with the city of Wilmington and the state’s Film Partnership on the launch of a $400,000 workforce training program, paid for by the city’s American Rescue Plan funds. Training is scheduled to begin in several weeks with about 100 locals enrolled. The city and its film community are excited at the prospect of creating a pipeline of job-ready crew members, Hamilton said.
“We have a solid [workforce] foundation – we did slip a bit from 2016 to 2020, but we understand where we are now and have to build on that foundation,” Hamilton said. “But that skilled workforce is not as diverse as it should be. There needs to be a conscious effort to diversify all aspects of that workforce. Wilmington has taken that big first step; now we’re in discussions with others across the state who are interested in doing what Wilmington has done.”
MovieMaker’s just-announced list of top small cities to live and work in as a moviemaker in 2022 ranked Wilmington eighth nationally. Editor-in-chief Tim Molloy believes the area has many assets.
“I think the future is very, very bright for Wilmington,” he said. “It’s a very livable, very affordable community. A lot of people are going to look for somewhere other than Los Angeles or New York to live in. They realize they don’t have to live in a big city at all as a filmmaker. They can live in a place that has a small-city quality of life.”
Molloy said that, per capita, Wilmington probably has more film activity than many other film centers like Atlanta. But he, too, emphasized the need to ensure a sustainable workforce.
“Albuquerque and Santa Fe [both of which ranked high on MovieMaker’s list] have a program to train up locals. Georgia is doing it too,” Molloy said. “Communities investing in their own people are going to do better, and cities will see the benefits of this. There will be more jobs for local people, as opposed to outsiders coming in and taking advantage of these opportunities.”
Hamilton pointed to the fact that California sets aside a small portion of its film incentive to support workforce training and development with an eye to diversity, equity and inclusion. The state of New York conducts workforce training, and the Georgia Film Academy has a sustained source of revenue for paid training.
“We do anticipate creating the foundation for a sustainable program with the city of Wilmington, and we’re currently working with other partners in the private sector,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have some announcements in the coming months from around the state. I do believe the legislature has settled into a better routine as it relates to film.”
Setting the scene
SOUTHEAST PROPS
1901-D BLUE CLAY ROAD, WILMINGTON
Number of employees: 2 Year founded: 2010 Top local officials: Matthew Sullivan and Adam Cameron, co-owners What does the company do? Sullivan: “We provide props and set decorating materials for prop masters and set decorators for [feature] film and television projects. When Adam and I work together on a project, I am the set decorator; he is the lead man (or lead person). He runs our crew of set dressers and takes my direction. I work with the production designer. The designer designs the set, and I figure out what all the elements are going to be.” Where do you work? Sullivan: “We sometimes work on a sound stage, which is a more controlled environment and which we prefer, but we also shoot exteriors from the beach to downtown, and interiors in restaurants, residences, businesses. We’ve decorated anything from a network of underground tunnels to hospital settings.” What is your most memorable project? Sullivan: “The Hudsucker Proxy, a film made here by the Coen brothers in the early ’90s. I was the on-set dresser. It was the most well-organized project I’ve ever been part of, and the Coens are the most intelligent filmmakers I’ve ever worked with.” What was 2021 like for you? Sullivan: “We had our best year in 2021 because the state has finally figured out the incentives program and has reinstated it. There were more films made this past year than in many years. Both Adam and I are members of Local 491 of IATSE [International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees]. Pretty much everyone here is in that union, and they have done a great job of keeping wages up and ensuring benefits, like health insurance.” Does SouthEast PROPS have any sidelines? Sullivan: “We are open to the public for parties or events, and we rent out props for special events. I’m thinking about doing home consulting as well because I get so many requests to consult on home décor for people who might like a cinematic take on their house.”
Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a monthly series looking at the people and businesses that are local vendors to the film industry. To be considered for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s Film Focus feature, contact newsroom@wilmingtonbiz.com.
Chamber Highlights
CONNECTING
143 NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS IN 2021, UP 59%
ADVOCATING
WORKING ON A FUNDING SOLUTION FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT IN OUR REGION
CONNECTING
EVENTS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS HOSTED IN 2021
86
ADVOCATING $1.2 Billion
ENDOWMENT CREATED FROM NHRMC’S SALE TO NOVANT HEALTH, WHICH WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CHAMBER’S BOARD
LEADERSHIP
VP OF MARKETING MEGAN MULLINS NAMED 40 UNDER 40 NATIONALLY BY CHAMBER EXECUTIVE
LEADERSHIP 194%
INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP WILMINGTON IN 2021
GROWING
HIRED JOSH HALLINGSE AS VICE PRESIDENT OF SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & RETENTION
ADVOCATING $4.5Million
GRANT PROGRAM FOR SMALL, LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESSES
CREATING
LEADERSHIP WILMINGTON ALUMNI COUNCIL CREATED IN 2021 WITH MORE THAN 50 MEMBERS
