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| Founded | 1980 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Raleigh, North Carolina |
Key people | Guy Gaster (Chairman and Managing director) |
Number of employees | 4 |
| Website | www |
The North Carolina Film Office, originally called the North Carolina Film Commission, is a member of the Association of Film Commissioners International. [1]
Founded in 1980 by Governor James B. Hunt, the office was commissioned to help facilitate and provide a base of operation for North Carolina's burgeoning film industry. Governor Hunt appointed William "Bill" Arnold to lead the office. [2] In 1984, producer Dino De Laurentiis created De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG). He built and based a studio complex (owned next by Carolco Pictures and then sold to EUE/Screen Gems in 1996; [3] [4] now owned by Cinespace Studios [5] ) in Wilmington, North Carolina. The area quickly became one of the biggest production centers for film and television east of Hollywood. The North Carolina Film Office was created when new technology, audience demand for location authenticity, and film studios' need for lower production costs were driving filmmakers to search for new locations in the US to make movies. [2]
With Bill Arnold leading, the North Carolina Film Commission saw a major increase in film production during the 1980s and 1990s. Notable films made during this time include: The Color Purple (1985), [6] Dirty Dancing (1987), [7] Bull Durham (1988), [8] Days of Thunder (1990), [9] Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), [10] Last of the Mohicans (1992), [11] The Fugitive (1993), [12] and The Crow (1994). [13] In 1998 Wilmington became the home of the WB's critically acclaimed television network series Dawson's Creek . The series remained in Wilmington until 2003 when it was cancelled and replaced with One Tree Hill —a series on The WB/CW that calls North Carolina "home." One Tree Hill ended in 2012 after nine seasons. [14]
While Wilmington, NC continued to sustain itself with television, the international film climate began to shift out of North Carolina's favor. In an effort to keep production costs even cheaper, early 2000 saw production companies making films internationally. [15] The North Carolina Film Commission was made most aware of this trend when it lost Charles Frazier's North Carolina tale, Cold Mountain , [16] to the country of Romania. [17] Hoping to bring an international industry back to the United States, many lawmakers across the US began creating incentives packages to encourage filming in individual states. North Carolina's legislature decided on pursuing a competitive incentive program. [18] On August 8, 2006, Governor Mike F. Easley signed into law a legislation offering productions a full 15% tax credit on a minimum $250,000 spend in North Carolina (and not to exceed a $7.5M credit.) [19] Since this program's inception, the NC Film Office has seen a substantial increase in production, as have other state's that have established similar programs. [20] Since 2006, the North Carolina Film Office has recruited the following films: George Clooney's Leatherheads (2008); [21] Nights in Rodanthe (2008), [22] starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane; The Marc Pease Experience (2008), [23] with Ben Stiller; and Bolden (2019), [24] a film about the life of jazz legend Buddy Bolden.
In September 2006, Commissioner Bill Arnold retired after 26 years of service to North Carolina's film industry. [25] The North Carolina Film Office is now part of the NC Department of Commerce's Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. Aaron Syrett (former Director of the Utah Film Commission) was hired as Director of the North Carolina Film Office in spring 2007; his tenure ended at the end of July 2014. [26] [27] While building upon North Carolina's legacy, Syrett is taking a 21st-century approach to boost the global visibility of North Carolina's resources. [28]
The North Carolina Film Office has 3 main responsibilities: market the State of North Carolina, serve the film industry, and serve the State of North Carolina. The office actively works to create a healthy climate in which to grow film industry economic development. A marketing agency as well, the film office educates the film industry on North Carolina's incentives program, promotes the state's infrastructure, and showcases North Carolina's diverse locations.
Projects (including film, television and commercial) are actively recruited and nurtured by the office. The office encourages industry-related companies to headquarter or have satellite companies in the state. The office ultimately serves the State of North Carolina by keeping and creating jobs in North Carolina for film crew and related businesses. As such, the film office must serve the film industry in an efficient and engaging capacity. The office hosts location scouts for producers and also provides on-the-ground assistance before and during filming. The North Carolina Film Office is the official liaison between the industry and state agencies for state property use, highway assistance, and other issues.
The office has always maintained sophisticated communications with the film industry. Not only has it maintained an informative website, but also it has supported the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and for 9 years sponsored the American Film Market. Every spring the office participates in the Locations Trade Show hosted by the Association of Film Commissioners International in Santa Monica, CA. Members of the office make regular trips to Los Angeles, CA to meet with producers and also visit Park City, UT every January to network at the Sundance Film Festival.
The North Carolina Film Office works in tandem with six affiliate offices that are both publicly and privately maintained. All are certified by the Association of Film Commissioners International. [29]
The North Carolina Film Office has a staff of 4. Until July 2014, [27] the director of the North Carolina Film Office was Aaron Syrett (2007–2014). In addition to working with affiliate commissions, the North Carolina Film Office is also supported by a governor-appointed group who offer advice and guidance in the interest of North Carolina's film industry. Notable members include casting director, Craig Fincannon, founder of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Nancy Buirski, and former president of Universal Pictures, Thom Mount. Studio executive Frank Capra Jr. was also a member of the council until his death in 2007. [36]
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the United States, with Cary and Raleigh being the 8th- and 15th-fastest growing communities, respectively.
Brunswick County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,693. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With a nominal growth rate of approximately 47% in ten years, much of the growth is centered in the eastern section of the county in the suburbs of Wilmington such as Leland, Belville and Southport. The county seat is Bolivia, which at a population of around 150 people is among the least populous county seats in the state.
Tabor City is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. It is the southernmost town in the county. It is located just north of the North Carolina/South Carolina line, about 39 miles (63 km) north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is just north of Loris, South Carolina. The population was 2,511 as of the 2010 census.
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 in the 2020 census, it is the eighth-most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties in southeastern North Carolina, which had a population of 285,905 in 2020.
Rodanthe is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on Hatteras Island, part of North Carolina's Outer Banks. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 213. Rodanthe, along with Waves and Salvo, are part of the settlement of Chicamacomico. Rodanthe includes the original Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, decommissioned in 1954, but now a museum.
WECT is a television station in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television, which provides certain services to Fox affiliate WSFX-TV under a shared services agreement (SSA) with American Spirit Media. Both stations share studios on Shipyard Boulevard in Wilmington, while WECT's transmitter is located near Winnabow, North Carolina.
Wilmington International Airport is a public airport located just north of Wilmington, North Carolina, in unincorporated Wrightsboro. ILM covers 1,800 acres.
North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12) is a 148.0-mile-long (238.2 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina, linking the peninsulas and islands of the northern Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide, and there are also two North Carolina Ferry System routes which maintain continuity of the route as it traverses the Outer Banks region. NC 12 is part of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway. The first NC 12 appeared on the 1924 North Carolina Official Map and at its greatest length ran from NC 30 in Pollocksville to NC 48 near Murfreesboro. Over time it was replaced by both U.S. Route 258 (US 258) and NC 58 and ceased to exist in 1958. The current NC 12 first appeared on the 1964 state highway map running from US 158 in Nags Head to Ocracoke. In 1976 NC 12 was extended to US 70 on the mainland and in 1987 was extended north to Corolla.
Figure Eight Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of North Carolina, just north of Wrightsville Beach, widely known as an affluent summer colony and vacation destination. The island is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Area, and lies between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. As a private island, Figure Eight can only be reached by boat or via a guarded causeway swing bridge—the only private bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in the American Southeast.
EUE/Screen Gems Ltd. is an American film and television studio that owns and operates facilities in Miami, Florida. The company collaborates with other studios and producers for the development, production, marketing, and distribution of entertainment for feature film, television, and digital content.
Delco is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 348 at the 2010 census.
Patricia Swinney Kaufman is the executive director of the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development and the deputy commissioner of Empire State Development. Kaufman is the former president of the Association of Film Commissioners International, where she still serves on the board of directors. She is the secretary for the Hamptons International Film Festival and has also acted in some films directed by her husband, Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma Entertainment.
Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is a public community college in Wilmington, North Carolina. It enrolls nearly 23,000 students each year. The service area of Cape Fear Community College includes New Hanover and Pender counties with a main campus located in downtown Wilmington and satellite campuses in Castle Hayne, Burgaw, and Surf City.
In 2019, North Carolina's total gross state product was around $591 billion.
North Carolina Black Film Festival is a yearly film festival that focuses primarily on works by Black or ethnic members of the film industry. The festival is held annually and features full-length narratives, short films, mobile entertainment as "all short form content including experimental films, music videos and webisodes", and documentaries, all by and/or featuring Black or ethnic writers, directors, actors, and actresses. The purpose of the North Carolina Black Film Festival is to publicly recognize, celebrate, and promote the work of ethnic film makers and to encourage film production and culture within the film industry in a highly competitive selection process.
Michael Cogdill is an American journalist, anchor, novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. His work as a journalist has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNBC, MSNBC, and CNN. He has been the recipient of 32 Emmys and a National Edward R. Murrow Award.
Good Behavior is an American drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Blake Crouch. The series stars Michelle Dockery as Leticia "Letty" Raines, a professional thief who becomes involved with a hitman named Javier Pereira, played by Juan Diego Botto.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, United States.
Cinespace Film Studios is a series of film studio facilities founded in 1988, by Greek-Canadian Nick Mirkopoulos. It includes a facility in Vaughan, that has been in operation since the 1960s. In 2007 Mirkopoulos helped his Greek American nephew Alex Pissios found a branch in Chicago, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. In 2023, Cinespace acquired the Atlanta and Wilmington studio facilities from EUE/Screen Gems.
Film and television shot/produced in Wilmington are usually independent and/or low-budget films, mainly due to Wilmington, North Carolina being relatively more affordable than other cities to film in. Other reasons for Wilmington's appeal include its local university (UNCW), its location on the coast, the presence of many historic buildings/sites, and vast swamps and waterways outside of Wilmington. It has remained the largest film and television production area in North Carolina since the 1980s, when the first major productions started to be made in the region.
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