A new study has been commissioned by the European Audiovisual Observatory to evaluate the effectiveness of filming incentives throughout Europe. Consultancy firm Olsberg SPI will lead the report and the results will help clarify advantages and disadvantages of each programme.
Shoots for international shows like Elementary accounted for most of the TV spending in the UK in 2013 as a result of the new TV tax credit, according to the British Film Institute. Just over GBP230 million was spent by TV productions and nearly 65% of this came from international shoots.
A filming incentive deal helped secure new AMC TV war drama Turn for a location shoot in Virginia, rather than Georgia. The series stars British actor Jamie Bell and follows the spy ring that helped George Washington win America’s Revolutionary War in the late 18th Century.
A pilot for new FX comedy How & Why will film on location in Wilmington, North Carolina, with US comedy star Michael Cera. The state’s generous 25% filming incentive was a crucial factor in securing the production, which will double the region for upstate New York.
Mark Wahlberg’s true-life Special Forces drama Lone Survivor chased a competitive filming incentive programme to double the mountains of New Mexico for Afghanistan. The film tells the story of a failed 2005 mission where Navy SEALs set out to capture a Taliban commander.
Film New Zealand Chief Executive Gisella Carr has reiterated the importance of attracting high-end TV productions. Under new rules, TV series on the scale of Game of Thrones will be able to access New Zealand’s filming incentives with much lower production budgets.
Los Angeles’ new ‘film czar’ has said that a plan to boost filming in California will be prepared before May this year. Tom Sherak is a former movie studio boss and has been appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to tackle the city’s runaway production problem.
Nevada in the western US has launched a new filming incentive designed to boost the state’s production industry. The new programme is worth up to 19% of local production spending and has an annual film fund of USD20 million.