North by Northwest: Alaska Film Program still on the map; there's snow, glaciers and the midnight sun. All attract film makers to the Great Land, which in turn infuses dollars into the economy.

• Author: Smith, Curtis

The half page ad had already been created. A full color shot of a beautiful Alaska mountain range with a martini glass super-imposed in the foreground. The text: "We didn't just shoot 007 -- We put him on ice." The permits were in place. The catering was taken care of. The cameras were ready for action. And then the ice came back to Iceland.

Ad cancelled. The new James Bond film would not be shot in Alaska after all. Leading actress Halle Berry (a villainess in this Bond thriller) would eventually make her faux fur debut in Iceland. So too did millions of production dollars used to buy everything from hand warmers to lunch for a crew of more than a hundred. Halle left Iceland. The money stayed.

QUICK CHANGE

It's not uncommon for Hollywood to change its mind, but before MGM Studios decided to shoot "James Bond Die Another Day" in Europe, advance crews and producers spent nearly $200,000 scouting Alaska. What started as a phone call to the Alaska Film Program (a branch of the Alaska Division of International Trade & Market Development) culminated with a not-so-small injection of cash into the Alaska economy. MGM needed ice, and they were prepared to shell out big dollars to find it. Unfortunately for Alaska, ice is not an exclusive commodity.

Even though Bond got away, Alaska's stock continues to rise among filmmakers and commercial directors. A combination of more direct flights from the Lower 48, reduced international travel (post Sept. 11) and cuffing-edge local production crews are all major reasons why. It also helps that Alaska is still its own best salesman. Producers know if they absolutely have to have ice and snow, Alaska is waiting. While major motion pictures remain elusive, the number of documentaries and commercials being shot in Alaska continues to increase. So, too, do the dollars spent locally. Last year more than 15 national TV spots were shot in Alaska, including commercials for Michelin Tires, Sierra Mist, Sony Handicam, Honda and Royal Caribbean. Two major documentaries titled "Monsters We Met" (BBC) and "Blue Planet" (Discovery Channel) wrapped up shooting in Alaska this past summer and are scheduled to air in 2003. Alaska film professionals were a major part of both productions.

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