State tries new angle on movies

COLUMBIA — If you didn't make the cut on Fox's "On the Lot" and movie-making tips in Nicolas Cage's "Adaptation" weren't your meal ticket, hold tight. South Carolina is upping its efforts to grow producers, directors and talent.

The state shifted its focus slightly this summer by placing a stronger emphasis on the use of in-state professionals by scaling back on financial incentives for out-of-state film crews.

"Our goal is to become one of the premier film destinations and have as many South Carolinians work on as many films as we can recruit," state Film Commissioner Jeff Monks said. "South Carolina has got to continue to be ready to compete."

The latest offering in the strategy to remain competitive is a workshop set for later this month for aspiring and established producers hosted by the Film Commission and the University of South Carolina. The goal is to give state residents a hand up on scoring jobs while developing a pool of in-state professionals to help the growth of South Carolina's movie industry.

The state Department of Commerce and its coordinating council regularly monitor changes in the industry and tweak the state's approach to enticing productions.

The Legislature passed an initial film-incentive package three years ago that called for the promotion of education, wage rebates and tax credits. By building on that base, the state landed six feature films, two television pilots and the Lifetime Network TV series "Army Wives," all in the last year.

Monks said one of the major recruiting tools is the wage rebates. In July, the state modified the rebates for nonresidents working on feature films, dropping it to 10 percent from 20 percent. Residents still qualify for 20 percent, thus aiming to entice production companies to hire in-state workers.

To that end, changes to the S.C. Film Production Fund will also allow for new initiatives such as the producers workshop at USC. The production fund is designed for the promotion of collaborative projects between higher education institutions and the film industry.

On Friday, Trident Technical College wrapped up its application process for a production grant worth up to $100,000, said Pat Fox, dean of the college's film, media and visual arts programs. Trident received about 15 scripts.

Fox said Trident has hired a consultant to pick the four best scripts to be submitted to the Film Commission in November. The production fund will award the grants this year for one film at USC, Trident and Clemson University. Each production must include students.

In keeping with the goal to better train in-state professionals, Trident launched a new two-year associate degree program for film production in late August. Nearly 20 students signed up for the inaugural class, Fox said. The college has 80 students enrolled in its film programs, she said.

Additionally, Monks said the Film Commission is looking to offer more seminars and bring its Production Assistant Boot Camp to Charleston.

Reach Yvonne M. Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.