Stealing the show: Utah's Film industry reaping big rewards for locals.

• Author: Haraldsen, Tom
• Position: Film Feature - Utah Film Commission

It wasn't the first time it's happened to Marshall Moore, and it probably won't be the last. Still, for the director of the Utah Film Commission (UFC), an experience he had last summer is indicative of the impact the film industry has on Utah's economy.

Moore had been in Kanab observing the filming of Walt Disney Studio's feature film John Carter of Mars. He left the set, was driving back toward Salt Lake City and stopped in a small grocery store to grab a drink.

"The owner saw my Film Commission shirt and said, 'I want to give you hug,'" he remembers with a smile. "She said, 'I want you to know that we love the film business. In fact, my son is getting a part-time job at one of the shoots because of your good work.' It was very gratifying."

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Ask anyone who has worked on a film production in the state over the past 80 years--and many have--and you'll likely hear similar stories. Utah has proven not only a great place for filmmakers, actors and production crews to work in, but also one with a populace that supports the industry--and benefits from it.

Setting the Stage

"The film industry in and of itself has existed in Utah since the 1930s," Moore says. "It began with the Westerns that were shot in Monument Valley, Kanab and Moab. Those are still fresh in the memories of generations of citizens who have lived in those communities. And it eventually transitioned to the entire state. In that process, it has created a lot of full-time and part-time jobs for thousands of Utahns, people who make their living from the [film] industry."

That became evident in the '90s, when three network TV series were filmed entirely in Utah. Touched By An Angel ran on CBS for nine seasons, Its spinoff series Promised Land ran for three, and Everwood on the WB for four. When those shows were in full production, each finished episode poured an estimated $2-3 million into the state's economy.

The byproduct of those series was an embellishment to the state's cache of filmmaking professionals and support service groups. Many of those who came to Utah to work on those series have stayed.

"I've been in Utah for 20 years, and it was 'Touched' that brought me here initially," says Chris DeMuri, an independent production designer and art director. "If it wasn't for being able to find fairly steady work here, I'd be back in California. But I stayed because this state has always been pretty progressive about business, especially the film business. It's in close proximity to Los Angeles and it's a great place to be in this business."

He says Utah offers major advantages for producers--great locales, an experienced workforce in a right-to-work state and, of course, tax incentives.

Those...