World of locations NORTH AMERICA
California
W
ith its vast production infrastructure,
iconic locations and shoot-friendly
weather, California has been a pull for US
and international producers (travel budgets allowing) since the dawn of the industry. But since
the start of the tax incentive era, the state has been losing film and TV production work to other US states,
Canada and, on occasion, Europe.
The California tax incentive programme finally introduced in 2009 helped slow the tide of runaway production, but its limited funding and lottery allocation system
still left the state at a disadvantage. A new incentive programme, which starts accepting applications in May,
will have three times as much funding and will make
credits available to a wider range of film and TV projects.
It is expected to lead to a new influx of production into a
state long considered the centre of the US industry.
Good to know
A record 497 projects (30% up on the prior year) applied
for California tax credits in the most recent lottery, with 26
being selected. After a final lottery next April, the state’s
new programme will come into effect with more than
double the annual funding and a new selection process.
Nightcrawler shot in more than 75 locations
Oklahoma
A
generous and easy to use 35% rebate is the big
attraction for producers shooting in Oklahoma,
and it is often a big enough draw to outweigh
factors such as the state’s limited film-making
infrastructure and relatively small labour base. Though it
was nearly killed off by the state government earlier this
year, the rebate programme was eventually extended up
to 2024. Total annual rebates, though, are still capped at
$5m, meaning a single production can absorb most of
the available funding for an entire year. Oklahoma
attracts productions that are either set there (such as
August: Osage County) or that are looking for the range of
locations offered by the south central US state, which
straddles several cultural and geographical regions.
Good to know
Oklahoma has more than 2,000 ghost towns, some of
which still have small populations.
The lowdown on Oklahoma
What financial incentives are available?
A base 35% rebate on qualified Oklahoma expenditures,
which include above and below-the-line payments to state
residents and above-the-line payments to non-residents
made via companies registered to do business in the state.
An additional 2% is added to the total rebate if at least
$20,000 is spent on music recorded in the state. Total
rebates made by the state are capped at $5m a year.
Is there a minimum spend requirement?
Yes. A project must have minimum budget of $50,000 and
spend at least $25,000 in Oklahoma.
Are the financial incentives easy to combine with
incentives in other states or territories?
Yes. In 2010, crime thriller The Killer Inside Me did the bulk
of its principal photography in Oklahoma (even though the
story is set in Texas) and accessed the state’s rebate. But it
also did four days of shooting in New Mexico (where there
is no minimum spend requirement), accessing that state’s
incentive as well.
A PRoducer says
“On the one hand, the writers of Rudderless are from
Oklahoma and these locations were their backyard.
On the other, the Oklahoma incentive made it easy for
us not to consider going elsewhere — as one normally
would when producing an independent film and chasing
the most attractive way to set up the financial plan.”
Keith Kjarval, producer, Rudderless
Can incoming TV productions and commercials
access the incentives?
Yes.
What features have shot in Oklahoma recently?
You Can’t Win, August: Osage County, To the Wonder.
What TV productions have shot in Oklahoma
recently?
Richard Hammond’s Big Weather (international; path
of the 2013 Moore tornado), The Pioneer Woman
(international; Tall Grass Prairies), American Idol (US;
Oklahoma City).
What are the key locations?
The state has 11 different ecological regions, with terrain
including flat plains, sand dunes, high mesas, dense
forests, cypress swamps, rolling hills and rock or treecovered mountains.
What are the major film studios in the territory?
Chaotic Studios, Cloud Nine, Freestyle Productions,
Garman Productions, Producers Playhouse, StapleGun,
Toy Gun Films.
Do incoming productions need to bring their own
crew?
They may do, though the state’s own workforce is two
crews deep and members are usually available.
First point of contact?
Yousef Kazemi, film and locations co-ordinator, Oklahoma
Film & Music Office yousef.kazemi@travelok.com
Rudderless
58 World of Locations 2014
Screen International, Broadcast and shots
The lowdown on California
What financial incentives are available?
Currently, California offers a 20% tax credit
for feature films with production budgets
of up to $75m and some TV productions,
and a 25% credit for independent features
— defined as films made by companies that
are not publicly traded or more than 25%
owned by a publicly traded company — and
TV series relocating to California. Tax credit
programme funding of $100m annually is
allocated by lottery.
Under a new programme that will
take effect next May, budget caps will be
eliminated, although credits will apply only
to the first $100m in qualified spending
by a studio film and the first $10m by an
independent film. A 5% ‘uplift’ credit will
be added for productions that film outside
the 30-mile zone around Los Angeles and
for in-state VFX and music scoring and
recording.
Funding for the new programme will be
$230m in the first year and $330m in each
of the following four years. Instead of the
lottery, projects will be selected based on a
‘jobs ratio’ formula.
Screen International, Broadcast and shots
Is there a minimum spend
requirement?
Yes. Features must have production
budgets of at least $1m and either film 75%
of principal photography days in California
or spend 75% of total budget in the state.
Are the financial incentives easy to
combine with incentives in other states
or territories?
Yes, as long as the production meets
California’s 75% of principal photography
or 75% of budget requirement.
miniseries (with budgets of at least
$500,000) and one-hour basic cable series
(with budgets of at least $1m an episode)
are eligible for the 20% credit. TV series of
any episode length that shot all previous
seasons outside California are eligible for
the 25% credit.
Under the new programme, eligibility
for the 20% credit will be extended to
one-hour TV series for any outlet and TV
pilots. Eligibility for the 25% credit will be
extended to series that shot their prior
season outside California.
Can incoming TV productions and
commercials access the incentives?
Currently, movies of the week and
Which features have recently shot in
California?
Blue Jasmine, The Purge: Anarchy.
A PRoducer says
“It was important to us to shoot in
California because Nightcrawler explores
the nocturnal world of LA freelance news
photographers. We shot in more than 75
locations. In California we had easy access
to the highest-level film craftspeople in
the world. And we were lucky recipients of
the California tax lottery and it truly made
filming in Los Angeles possible.”
Jennifer Fox, producer, Nightcrawler
Which TV productions and commercials
have shot recently in California?
Doll & Em (international; Los Angeles),
Justified (US), Murder In The First (US;
Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz Island, San
Francisco), Teen Wolf (US).
What are the key locations?
The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco,
Pacific Ocean beaches and coastline, Death
Valley and Mojave Desert, Yosemite National
Park and Sierra Nevada mountain range.
What are the major film studios?
The Culver Studios, Fox Studios, Raleigh
Studios, Santa Clarita Studios, Sony
Pictures Studios, The Studios at Paramount,
Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros Studio
Facilities, Universal Studio Stages.
Do incoming productions need to bring
their own crew? No.
First point of contact
California Film Commission
www.film.ca.gov
2014 World of Locations 59