California lawmakers’ decision last year to expand the state’s film and TV tax credit program is paying dividends. Just a couple of months ago, the initiative has attracted four shows from other states: FX Networks’ American Horror Story is moving from Louisiana to California; HBO’s Veep is coming over from Maryland; VH1’s Hindsight is changing venues from Atlanta; and ABC’s Secrets and Lies is relocating from North Carolina.

American Horror Story is reportedly tapping into an estimated $9 million tax credit for moving to California. Veep comes in at some $6.5 million. Secrets and Lies is realizing some $5.7 million. And Hindsight will receive a tax credit amounting to some $3.9 million.

Six new TV series are receiving credits: HBO’s Utopia with $19.6 million, and Westwood at $12 million; CBS’ Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, ABC’s Code Black and Fox medical drama Rosewood. The latter three shows are benefiting from tax credits each in the $5 million to $6.4 million range.

Tourism Theme At Cineposium
Film tourism will be the theme for the Association of Film Commissioners International’s (AFCI) 2015 Cineposium slated for September 24-26 in Barcelona, Spain.

Cineposium attendees will gain insights into the economic added value that on-location filming brings to regions and communities. For example, New Zealand saw tourism soar to over $3 billion in 2014, up $7 million from the previous year due to the popularity of the Hobbit franchise. And after the 2011 release of Dolphin Tale, the St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida area reported a 72 percent increase in tourism to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium as a result of the film.

At Cineposium in September, Moyra Locke, head of marketing, communications and audiences for North Ireland Screen, the government-backed lead agency in Northern Ireland for the film, television and digital content industry, will discuss how her country is increasing tourism thanks to Game of Thrones and what her office is doing in partnership with tourism bureau Visit Ireland and HBO to promote and manage access to major locales.

Brazilian Film Commission Network Connects With AFCI
Kevin Clark, AFCI executive director, and Steve Solot, exec director of the recently created Brazilian Film Commission Network REBRAFIC (Rede Brasileira de Film Commissions), announced a new basic framework agreement for the mutual exchange of resources and benefits between their organizations.

According to the new Agreement, the AFCI will place the REBRAFIC logo and contact information on its website, so that producers will have access to all REBRAFIC member film commissions. In addition, the members of REBRAFIC shall have access to AFCI University Courses.

The Brazilian Film Commission Network will join the AFCI worldwide network of more than 300 film commissions representing six continents, devoted to serving the motion picture, television, commercial, digital and interactive media industry by supplying essential goods and services for the business of facilitating film and television production activity, which generates billions of dollars annually.

Swiss Army Man Wraps 2-Week Shoot in San Mateo
Swiss Army Man, written and directed by Daniels (Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), wrapped a two-week film shoot on the San Mateo County, Calif. coast.  Starring Daniel Radcliffe from the Harry Potter series, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) and Paul Dano (from There Will Be Blood) Swiss Army Man was another feature film project to film extensively in the area due to the California Film Incentive Program designed to “keep film jobs in California”.

The Swiss Army Man production, alone, booked over 800 hotel rooms in San Mateo County/Silicon Valley. They also hired local caterers and film industry professionals, and the production crew ate in local restaurants, hired local cars, used our local services and paid land owners filming location fees to film on their properties.

This is just one of many feature films that have shot in our region.  Most recently, Redwood Shores saw filming from Terminator Genisys, the fifth in the Terminator series, and The Boat Builder filmed in Pacifica.  Other recent major feature film productions that have had portions shot in San Mateo County and Palo Alto include Chasing Mavericks, The Master, The Internship, and JOBS.  Numerous independent films, commercials, documentaries, TV shows and still shoots have been shot in the area as well.

These film projects have generated millions of dollars over the years for the area and were coordinated through the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau & Film Commission.

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