| America's East South Central Region |
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| Written by John Law | ||||
| Tuesday, 06 May 2008 | ||||
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ALABAMA The state is currently waiting on new legislation, with regard to tax breaks. “The Alabama Film Office ─ working with Alabama Representative Richard Lindsey, Senators Roger Bedford and Tom Butler, and allies of the industry ─ believes that HB356/SB440 (Entertainment Industry Incentive Act of 2008) represents an excellent opportunity to encourage the return of the film industry to our state,” says Linda Swann, director of the state’s film office. “Our Southeastern neighbors have been able to capture great benefit from the legislative packages they put in place over the last six years while Alabama’s business continued to decline. The legislation ─ when passed ─ will help us turn that corner and build a new industry sector for Alabama.” While Alabama is working to have a film incentive bill passed through its legislature, the Alabama Film Office is still aggressively pursuing film, documentaries, and commercial projects. Many of the contacts through the Alabama Film Office are focused on Alabama-based stories.
Due to Alabama's impressive variety of locations and terrains — from beaches and deserts to mountains and forests — and successful recruitment of the automotive, aeronautics and manufacturing industries, many of the local film crews have benefited from commercials shooting in Alabama. Mercedes has been headquartered in Vance, Alabama since 1994, and Courtney Murphy of the Alabama Film Office reports, “Mercedes shot commercials in the Mobile area at the end of 2007 and early 2008, and another Mercedes commercial in the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas. Sporting events for 2007 included the Bassmaster Classic, the Senior Bowl and the Talladega Super Speedway races. Other national commercials included Kawasaki, Lowe's, Cracker Barrel, and Ford.”
Murphy notes that Mobile was one of the cities that Ken Burns used as the backdrop for The War, and stories and interviews were woven around Mobile survivors throughout the entire series. “Several documentaries filmed in the state, with Holman Prison being the subject of Lock Up: Holman Prison Extended Stay,” she adds. “Other documentaries were based on Civil Rights stories and shot in various locations around the state. BBC shot around Montgomery and Selma for a documentary about Martin Luther King, Jr. Another documentary series, African-American Lives, completed a segment in the Selma and Camden areas. Different television segments during 2007 included Pink Slips, Twice A Hero and Chris Rock's HBO television special, all lensed in Birmingham. Harpo Productions shot in Montgomery for The Oprah Show and Mobile began 2008 with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Many of Kentucky's small towns are well-preserved, intact period towns. The Kentucky Main Street Program manages the revitalization of downtown areas statewide, providing towns with period looks ranging from 1880-1920. Part of 1992’s A League of Their Own was filmed in the Main Street community of Henderson, featuring the Soaper Hotel and a private home as a boarding house. Other Main Street communities are eager to accommodate film production.
Although Kentucky has more miles of running water than any other state, except Alaska, its waterlands aren't all rivers. In western Kentucky, huge lakes surround the “Land Between the Lakes” National Recreation Area. Further west, swamplands were featured in Norman Jewison's In Country, doubling for Vietnam. Period neighborhoods in the Cincinnati area manifest the character and variety that have attracted such films as Little Man Tate, City of Hope and A Rage in Harlem. Rain Man was also filmed at locations in the area, even closing down a nearby interstate for one scene. Finally, river towns along the Ohio River have welcomed Lost in Yonkers, the PBS American Playhouse version of Huckleberry Finn and the television mini-series Centennial.  |
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Iain Blair
James Thompson
Dyana Carmella
