Speakers at the Produced By Conference in Los Angeles were encouraged but cautious over the weekend about California’s boosted filming incentives. The Weinstein Company (TWC) was among the firms noting the importance of a large and secure incentive support structure.
The Norwegian government has announced plans to launch a national filming incentive inspired by Iceland’s support programme. Details are set to be confirmed in the next few months for a launch sometime in 2016, but a reimbursement of 20% to 25% is reportedly being targeted.
Washington, DC, has launched a small film fund for the first time in half a decade. The success of TV shows like Veep and House of Cards have sustained Washington as a hugely popular setting, but the city is not regarded as film-friendly and supports very few production days.
The Mayor of Los Angeles has called on TV companies to apply for California’s boosted filming incentive programme. Producers have until next Sunday (17 May) to apply for the new financial support for this year, which is designed to tackle California’s long-term runaway production problem.
Kentucky in the eastern US has increased its filming incentive from 20% to 30% and has made the programme more accessible by lowering spending thresholds. Over the past decade productions filmed in Kentucky have included George Clooney’s The Ides of March.
Producers of the long-running US TV series Haven have appealed to Nova Scotia to keep the Canadian province’s filming tax credit. They add Haven will have to relocate from Nova Scotia if authorities decide to downgrade the film tax credit to a funding programme.
North Carolina paid out USD 60 million in filming tax credits in 2014 and made over USD 240 million in direct production spending, according to official figures. At the height of its filming incentive popularity, North Carolina hosted the first Hunger Games movie and Iron Man 3.
Television drama Nashville has been offered an USD 8 million filming incentive payment to shoot a fourth season on location in its namesake city. The series follows a fading country music star forced to work with a young starlet to sustain her singing career.