Lights ... camera ... action! $100 million invested in Alaska Film Office incentives program.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: FILM

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Alaska is a state with many stories to tell, which is perhaps why so many TV shows and movies have been made about it. From White Fang to Runaway Train to Northern Exposure and Men in Trees, the Last Frontier is the setting for scores of productions.

The only problem, up to this point, is even though the state may be featured prominently on screen, the actual filming of commercials, TV shows and feature films is usually done elsewhere. And while tourism may benefit from audiences who appreciate the beauty of Alaska, the state's coffers are not feeling much impact.

"A case in point--the movie The Proposal is supposed to take place in Sitka, yet the company that filmed it built a set in Massachusetts to look just like the town," said Bob Crockett, president of Alaska Film Group and owner of Alaska Locations Inc. "They sent a second unit crew of about 20 people to Sitka to shoot film of downtown streets, but the majority of the production was filmed Outside.

"I've been in the film industry for over 25 years, and just a few of us make a living at it," he added. "There are not a tremendous amount of people in the industry right now, and most of those who are have other sources of income."

NEW LAW

To encourage productions to bring their crews, and their money, to the state, the Legislature approved a bill providing $100 million over five years to provide tax credits to companies spending more than $100,000 filming in Alaska. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Johnny Ellis, the bill also re-establishes the Alaska Film Office, which was defunded in the 1990s. After regulations were written, reviewed and filed, the program became effective June 18 of this year.

"What it comes down to is that Alaska finally recognized that it was missing the boat when it comes to film and TV production," said Dave Worrell, film office development specialist, Alaska Film Office, Office of Economic Development. "In the 1980s, that state was involved in some fairly big films. White Fang was filmed here, as were parts of On Deadly Ground. After the late 1990s, this was no longer happening."

According to Worrell, in the intervening years, many other states began to actively court the movie business, largely through tax incentives and rebates. "What this does is improve filmmakers' bottom lines," he said. "Given the perceived expensiveness and distance of Alaska, some sort of incentive program was required to make the state competitive in what is a...