The Middle Atlantic Region, where you will find the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, is a visually stunning area, as thousands upon thousands of filmmakers can certainly confirm. The region boasts the spectacular cityscape of Manhattan, extraordinary historical architecture of Philadelphia, small fishing villages of Delaware Bay, beautiful coastline of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and the vibrant urban locations of New Jersey. That being said, the days are long gone when producers and directors would demand “location, location, location”. Instead, a project’s setting has much a whole lot more to do with “incentives, incentives, incentives”, even if it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Overall, the region’s states are fiercely competitive, each offering its own aggressive incentive package to attract production. Some will likely need to become even more aggressive in order to avoid falling behind.

DELAWARE

 “Delaware is a small state, which means filmmakers can forget about miles of red tape here,” says Nikki Boone, film liaison with the Delaware Economic Development Office. “Our government officials and business leaders are very accessible. Only a few towns require film permits, which are generally free and simple. And our communities really welcome film projects to the state.”

With its small size, Delaware can fulfill any filmmaker’s dream. The length of the entire state can be traveled in just about two hours, which means that filmmakers can easily and quickly shoot a variety of locations.

Wilmington, located in the north, is the state’s largest city, thus offering a range of urban locations. Just a few miles west lies the tranquil countryside and awe-inspiring gardens of Brandywine Valley. New Castle, a restored colonial capital, provides colonial houses and cobble-stoned streets bordering the Delaware River, which can “easily represent towns of the past,“ says Boone. The central part of the state features a substantial Amish farming community and picturesque fishing villages along the shores of Delaware Bay. Finally, Southern Delaware features scenic rivers, lakes, and miles of unspoiled beach. 

Aside from its easily accessed and diverse locations, Delaware works well with practically any filmmaker’s budget, as it has no state or local general sales tax. Moreover, productions with large crews face a relatively low accommodations tax of 8 percent. 

In addition, the state of Delaware is taking steps to increase film production in the state. Just last year, House Resolution 36 established a task force to “study the economic and tourism benefits of enhancing film production” in the state. You can count on Delaware to continue striving to meet on-location needs and working to provide the production industry with its many cost-free services.

Other fees associated with production — property rental, lodging, support services — are very reasonable when compared with other areas of the country. Every type of production is encouraged to take advantage of all the state has to offer. Many production companies already are doing so; Leftfield Pictures is currently shooting a new documentary series in the state called The Principal's Office, for TruTV in Wilmington.

MARYLAND

“We have an experienced crew base, strong infrastructure for filming, a variety of locations, and a film office that works very hard to achieve the filmmaker’s,” says Jack Gerbes, director of the Maryland Film Office. With a remarkable diversity of locations all in close proximity to one another, the state certainly lives up to its proud claim as “America in Miniature”. Only 20 minutes away from the gritty inner city locations used in HBO’s The Wire are the horsefields of the Runaway Bride; just 45 minutes in one direction are the Civil War battlefields featured in Gods and Generals; from there it’s only 60 minutes in the other direction to the waterfront mansions of Wedding Crashers. The state offers rich array of landscapes, from mountains in the west and the central farmlands to the charming beaches along the Eastern Shore. Add to this architecture that spans American history, from colonial to ultra-modern, and you have a state that fits all kinds of production needs.

Of course, the state doesn’t only offer an incredible selection of locations. Its competitive incentives attract producers all over the country. After all, “Even with an incredible variety of locations, with today’s Hollywood economics, production follows incentives,” says Gerbes.  Maryland’s program allows a qualified production company to claim a rebate in an amount up to 25 percent of qualified spend incurred in the state while filming on-location for qualifying film and television productions. “Our program is a grant,” explains Gerbes, “so it’s basically cash, not a credit which the production company then has to sell. You know up front what you are going to be getting from us. Producers like ease of it.”  To qualify, the production must incur at least $500,000 in total direct costs in the state and at least 50 percent of the production’s filming must occur in Maryland. The production then must have nationwide distribution. 

Additionally, Maryland also offers an exemption of six percent state sales and use tax to qualified feature, television, cable, commercial, documentary, music video, etc, projects. The exemption is for sales, rentals and various, pre-approved services.

Aside from its strong incentives, Maryland’s impressive film-friendly attitude and hardworking Film Office sets it apart from others in the region. The state has a deep and experienced crew base, with over 650 IATSE members, over 3000 SAG members, and “film sensitive” teamsters. The Film Office provides assistance in finding production services, accommodations, production personnel, talent, information on state laws and regulations, weather and climate data and appropriate introductions to labor representatives.

P3 was particularly impressed with the Maryland Film Office’s website, which offers an extensive, searchable location database with plenty of photos to help in scouting. In addition to their digital library, the office offers to compile a photo package and send it to clients via overnight delivery or email. The Office will also work to “coordinate your initial scouts and, at your request, will accompany you throughout your itinerary.”

“I always receive compliments on how accommodating the people of Maryland are to filming and how welcoming our state is. It’s a very film friendly atmosphere,” says Gerbes.