Alabama
P3 Update article 5/08: Americas-east-south-central-region - May 2008
The East South Central Region ─ comprised of Kentucky,
Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi ─ extends all the way from
Cincinnati in the north to Biloxi on the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way,
these four diverse states encompass the iconic cities of Memphis,
Nashville, Birmingham, Mobile and Tupelo, and a landscape that ranges
from the ultra-urban high-rises of bustling city centers to the steamy
flats of the sleepy, rural south. While the region offers film, commercial, and TV
producers and directors a host of reasons to shoot, it faces stiff
competition from neighboring states ─ such as Louisiana, Indiana, and
the Carolinas ─ that are pushing big tax breaks and fighting for
production. This month, P3 spotlights these four states, their
incentive programs, and the current and future state of production in
the region................
ALABAMA
The state is currently waiting on new legislation, with
regard to tax breaks. “The Alabama Film Office ─ working with
Alabama Representative Richard Lindsey, Senators Roger Bedford and Tom
Butler, and allies of the industry ─ believes that HB356/SB440
(Entertainment Industry Incentive Act of 2008) represents an excellent
opportunity to encourage the return of the film industry to our
state,” says Linda Swann, director of the state’s film
office. “Our Southeastern neighbors have been able to capture
great benefit from the legislative packages they put in place over the
last six years while Alabama’s business continued to decline. The
legislation ─ when passed ─ will help us turn that corner and build a
new industry sector for Alabama.” While Alabama is working to
have a film incentive bill passed through its legislature, the Alabama
Film Office is still aggressively pursuing film, documentaries, and
commercial projects. Many of the contacts through the Alabama Film
Office are focused on Alabama-based stories.
Due to Alabama's impressive variety of locations and terrains — from beaches and deserts to mountains and forests — and successful recruitment of the automotive, aeronautics and manufacturing industries, many of the local film crews have benefited from commercials shooting in Alabama. Mercedes has been headquartered in Vance, Alabama since 1994, and Courtney Murphy of the Alabama Film Office reports, “Mercedes shot commercials in the Mobile area at the end of 2007 and early 2008, and another Mercedes commercial in the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas. Sporting events for 2007 included the Bassmaster Classic, the Senior Bowl and the Talladega Super Speedway races. Other national commercials included Kawasaki, Lowe's, Cracker Barrel, and Ford.”
Murphy notes that Mobile was one of the cities that Ken Burns used as the backdrop for The War, and stories and interviews were woven around Mobile survivors throughout the entire series. “Several documentaries filmed in the state, with Holman Prison being the subject of Lock Up: Holman Prison Extended Stay,” she adds. “Other documentaries were based on Civil Rights stories and shot in various locations around the state. BBC shot around Montgomery and Selma for a documentary about Martin Luther King, Jr. Another documentary series, African-American Lives, completed a segment in the Selma and Camden areas. Different television segments during 2007 included Pink Slips, Twice A Hero and Chris Rock's HBO television special, all lensed in Birmingham. Harpo Productions shot in Montgomery for The Oprah Show and Mobile began 2008 with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”..................read more
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Louisiana pioneered film industry incentives in 2002 by offering tax breaks, catapulting itself into the top three states for film-making (behind only California and New York). Film company expenditures in Louisiana jumped from $10 million in 2002 to $500 million in 2007.
In the meantime, 41 states took notice of Louisiana's success and moved to pass incentives of their own. But Alabama hasn't acted, despite evidence that the state's film industry activity has dwindled to a fraction of what it had been. In 2003, filmmakers spent more than $30 million in Alabama; in 2006, they spent less than $7 million.
Even low-budget movies can inject millions into a local economy. A big-budget movie such as "Under Siege," filmed in Alabama in 1992, can flood a local economy with as much as $20 million.
Alabama has much to offer film-makers. Its mild climate, di versified geography, mix of urban and rural settings, and unique sites have attracted film-makers since 1949, when "Twelve O'Clock High" was filmed at Fort Rucker.
Indeed, Alabama has often been in the spotlight of moviemaking. Nearly 100 films have been shot at least in part in the Heart of Dixie.
For the past three years, some legislators have tried unsuccessfully to get their colleagues to approve incentives for the film industry. The latest attempt is a bill languishing in a House committee that would give rebates to film companies that shoot in Alabama.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Richard Lindsey of Centre, would authorize the Revenue Department to give certified film production companies a 25 percent rebate on production expenses and a 35 percent rebate on salaries paid to Alabama residents. The legislation also would exempt production companies from sales, use and lodging taxes.
A similar bill in the Senate hasn't moved forward because sponsors Sen. Roger Bedford of Russellville and Sen. Tom Butler of Madison are waiting for the House to act on Rep. Lindsey's legislation first.
Granted, incentives don't come without a cost, but the cost is worth paying. Louisiana has proved that the payback can be huge.
If Rep. Lindsey's bill doesn't make it this year and it doesn't appear it will he should introduce it again. With the example of New Line Cinema's appearance in Irvington as a reminder, legislators may be willing to do what they should by next session to attract more movie companies to Alabama.
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Locations DatabaseAlabama Film office
• Alabama Film Office
Director: Linda Swann -- (334) 353-0221 linda.swann@ado.alabama.gov
o Phone (334) 242-4195
o Website www.alabamafilm.org/index2.htm.
• Online Database - www.alabamafilm.org/dynamic/search-services.asp
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Selected Southern States Incentives Compared in an Informative Chart
Film Office Contact:
Alabama Center for Commerce
401 Adams Avenue
Suite 630
Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone: 334-242-4195 or 1-800-633-5898
Fax: 334-242-2077
Article
in Production Update Magazine Sept. 2004:
THE
SOUTH: Locations and New Incentives Beckon
By Tamra Keig Kjos
If you ask anyone involved in film production what the major criteria are for choosing a location, "incentives" seems to be very high on the priority list, if not number one in many cases.
.........................................A number of projects shot around Alabama this past year have had an international flavor, according to Tommy Fell, location coordinator for the Alabama Film Office. They include a Japanese television project, a French documentary on Alabama sharecroppers in the 1930s and a BBC/National Geographic documentary on the 1993 Amtrak train wreck in Mobile.
Alabama has also been host to projects ranging from regional television commercials for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Crystal Sugar, to a talent show in Birmingham for a segment on the Tonight Show, to a Hank Williams documentary for the American Masters series on PBS (Tremolo Productions).
Fell cited Alabama's sales and use and lodging tax exemptions as a key draw for the state, as well as the locals' legendary helpfulness. As an example, a small-town back lot was built for Tim Burton's Big Fish, and is now a resource made available to other productions.
Alabama has many other resources available to the independent filmmaker including locations and seasoned crew base. However, equipment rental had been difficult to negotiate untile Vazda Studios began renting light, grip and camera packages last year. In addition, Vazda has partnered with the Sidewalk Film Festival by offering discounts for member of Sidewalk. Vazda continues to support independent filmmaking whether in production or post production. For example, Vazda's ability to negotiate a 16mm camera rental along with camera support was an important factor for Camp DOA. This high level of support was one of the main reasons that lead them to work with Vazda.
This indie-friendly atmosphere resulted in a number of new films in the past 18 months. Mobile is now hosting the fourth of four films shot by D. Scott Lumpkin in this time frame, and the feature film Constellation is currently filming in Huntsville. Directed, produced and written by Jordan Walker-Pearlman, it features Billy Dee Williams, Lesley Ann Warren and Melissa DeSousa.
Scott Lumpkin, producer of The Novice (Murray Robinson, writer/director), is certainly no stranger to the Mobile, Alabama area; in June he started shooting his 18th picture there. "This film shows a slice of life in a Gulf Coast city," explained Lumpkin, "so we needed locations that capture the essence of the South." With help from Eva Golson at the Mobile Film Office and location coordinator Tommy Fell at the Alabama Film Office, Lumpkin said he found a wealth of settings: a quaint church right on Mobile Bay, an old country school, and Civil War-era fort, Conde, set conveniently in the center of town.
In film-friendly Mobile, Lumpkin said he felt that he was stepping back in time as he was welcomed into the personal residences they used in the shoot - stately antebellum homes along streets shaded by ancient oak trees, shrouded in Spanish moss. "People down here aren't jaded," says Lumpkin. "They would come over to see what was going on, offer us iced tea, and ask how they could help."
It seems the entire city of Mobile welcomed them with open arms. "The city is very, very supportive," raves Lumpkin. "They waive all permit fees and business license fees. The police are very supportive too," he adds. "They would come help out for several hours with no fees."
The three local colleges, the University of Southern Alabama, University of Mobile and Jesuit-based Spring Hill College, all offered the free services of many of their interns.
Local support services also helped keep the indie film's budget in line. Between help from the Convention and Visitors' Bureau and contacts from Fell at the Alabama Film Commission, Lumpkin says he got lodging rates "that would make the rest of the film world cry." Mobile-based Sign Studio did all the signage (as they have for other productions in the area), a local Penske location handled the moving, and all transport trucks were provided by Lightnin', out of Atlanta.
Lumpkin says that everyone involved in the project was incredibly helpful. "Eva [from the Mobile Film Office] would spend an entire day scouting locations, and gave us direct lines to the mayor's office and the police, and Tommy [Alabama Film Office] gave us all kinds of other contacts," he says.
"It's more of an education process rather than just resources, that make them invaluable," he continues. "They show you how things work in their town."
Eva Golson, the head of the Mobile Film Office also had great things to say about Scott Lumpkin. "I am very proud of this young man. He has so much motivation to work hard in the industry. And he makes my job a lot easier by bringing movies to Mobile."
Besides the filming of The Novice just ending, production of three recent commercials have kept the film office busy. Right now Mobile averages about 2-3 feature films a year, but Golson would like to see that number grow. "We are a great place to film and we're a film-friendly area."
Earl Hilliard, Jr., is another indie producer who enjoys the helpful, easygoing atmosphere of the South, especially in gaining access to the perfect location. Hilliard was the producer/director for Camp DOA, which shot in Birmingham from mid-January to mid-February.
"This is the first time I've shot out on location, and we needed a lot of different locations like mountains with rustic campgrounds, but we needed them in one place," explains Hilliard. "The Alabama Film Commission really came in handy - they gave us tours of a number of campgrounds, and they got us access to the Tannehills Iron Works, which is situated where the Confederate army built their artillery." The log cabins they found for Hilliard were from the mid-1800s, and were just what he was looking for. "They looked rustic but had modern electrical and spacious shooting areas," Hilliard enthuses.
Besides finding the right locations, Hilliard appreciates the additional help the Alabama Film Commission gave him. "Tannehill had never allowed a film to shoot there before," he explains. "It's the only state park not under the Department of Conservation; it's private, so the film commission gave us legitimacy," Hilliard said. "It was great that for a small production company; they gave us full run of their facilities: bridges, cabins, even an old schoolhouse for our headquarters."
The facilities proved to be ideal from a financial perspective, as well. Besides the cabins they had set up for shooting, the crew used additional cabins for lodging. "They donated some days for housing and we only had to pay for weekends," said Hilliard, "and lots of people gave us discounts: Vazda Studios, which is a huge production house, plus good discounts on the camera rentals." Because Alabama doesn't have a permit system, Hilliard just added them to his insurance and gave them a copy, along with a location agreement.
Hilliard cites several locals who were very helpful "Tommy Fell served as our location scout - he made all the appointments and set things up for us - it really made a difference.
Fell also referred Hilliard to Jefferson Traywick, at the Bessemer Economic Development Office, who is also very active when it comes to helping filmmakers. "He's known to help people find locations, procure personal residences for locations and even get the word out about the movie," explained Hilliard. "They send an e-mail to a group of hotels and truck rentals that send back discount rates," he adds. "Anything you need, they'll do their best to help you out."
For filmmakers considering shooting in the area, Hilliard has this advice: "Let the local organizations know you're coming - contact the Alabama Film Commission on their hotline and website. They'll immediately put your shooting dates on the calendar and they'll put the word out.".....................................................................READ ENTIRE ARTICLE ABOUT THE SOUTH
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