The North Carolina Film Office reveals that state location filming in the first half of 2012 has already surpassed the figure for the whole of 2011. Nearly 40 different projects have set out plans to shoot, perhaps taking inspiration from major state showcase The Hunger Games.
A conservative organisation in North Carolina has criticised the state’s location filming incentive programme. Governor Bev Perdue has officially extended the incentive as Iron Man 3 films in the state, but the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh has condemned it as “corporate welfare”.
North Carolina has extended its location filming incentive by a year to the end of 2014 as it eyes Marvel’s upcoming Captain America sequel. The state already has a relationship with the studio as Iron Man 3 is filming at the moment, using EUE/Screen Gem Studios as a base.
The AFCI Locations Show starts on June 15th in Los Angeles and The Location Guide will be there. It takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center and this year is aligned with the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Ohio’s location filming incentive now has a richer film fund, boosting its Hollywood appeal. The state now has USD40 million through the 2013 fiscal year to help attract more shoots like Marvel's Avengers, although spending is limited to USD20 million each year.
New Mexico paid nearly USD23 million in tax credits to Marvel’s Avengers feature when it filmed on location in the state, but got a return of around USD90 million in production spending. The film has been a stunning success, making a billion dollars worldwide in just a few weeks.
Filming incentives and flexibility with shoot locations were the main reasons why Marvel’s Avengers Assemble doubled Cleveland, Ohio, for New York City in the summer of 2011. The film - which now boasts the biggest cinema opening in history - is a huge boost for Ohio.
North Carolina is planning new funding to boost its film crew base. Announced from EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the programme would include ten new training courses to be set up in Wilmington and would take in as many as 400 people over a five-week period.