Posted 3 August, 2007 in Virginia
THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE FILM OFFICE. PLEASE VERIFY ALL INFORMATION WITH THE FILM OFFICE DIRECTLY.
1. Does your state offer tax incentives?
In 2006 the Virginia General Assembly approved an appropriation to the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund. This performance-based incentive will provide a cash rebate at the Governor’s discretion, taking into consideration length of filming, job creation, trainees hired, and goods and services purchased. The rebate will be paid to qualified production companies at the end of physical production, upon completion of a report of Virginia expenditures. Any qualified production will be considered for the incentive. Please contact Film Office Director Rita McClenny for details. 800.854-6233
2. Are there cash rebates offered?
The Virginia incentive plan is a rebate plan based on money spent in Virginia on labor or goods and services.
3. What are your caps/minimums?
Caps and minimums are in the process of being determined. Please contact Film Office Director Rita McClenny for details. 800.854.6233.
4. Are there sales tax discounts?
Items purchased for use on a filmed project are exempt from the state’s sales and use tax. The exemption is available at the time the purchase is made. Reports or filing upon completion of production are not required.
5. Are there hotel tax discounts?
In most cities, hotel rooms are exempt from state hotel taxes after a 30-day stay. Film Office staff will provide more information, and will work with productions to secure the best possible hotel rates for film crews.
6. Are there any state or local fees offered at no charge?
The state of Virginia and most localities do not require permits for filming. Permits may be required for localities in which the filming occurs on public property and/or provides a disruption to the public. The Film Office has a network of film liaisons throughout the state to assist with permits that may be required, or securing assistance by public organizations such police or fire personnel.
Most state-owned facilities and locations are available free of location charge or at a greatly reduced cost. Film Office staff are skilled at working to find the lowest possible
costs for location charges statewide. A state-owned 35,000 square foot building in Richmond, Virginia, is available for office and production, based on availability. The building has a 30’ ceiling in certain sections and is in the City of Richmond.
7. Is your state a “right to work state? Virginia is a “right to work” state
8. Crew base
A recent study by the Virginia Commonwealth University Center for Public Policy has determined that approximately 6000 people are currently employed in Virginia’s film, video, television, and commercial industries, including actors, crew members and employees of production-related businesses. The crew is centered primarily in three major production areas of the state: Northern Virginia near Washington, DC, Hampton Roads, on the Atlantic shore, and Richmond, the state’s capitol. Each area contains a significant crew base.
9. Do you have sound stages?
There are sound stages and production facilities of varying sizes located throughout the state. For more information on these, access the Production Services Directory at http://www.film.virginia.org or call the Film Office at 800.854.6233.
10. Do you have equipment houses in your state?
There are various kinds of equipment houses throughout the state, and in neighboring Maryland, Washington DC and North Carolina. For more information on these, access the Virginia Production Services Directory at http://www.film.virginia.org or call the Film Office at 800.854.6233.
11. Do you have film and/or sound labs in your state?
For more information abut camera and sound labs, access the Virginia Production Services Directory at http://www.film.virginia.org or call the Film Office at 800.854.6233.
12. Specify your weather patterns
Virginia’s climate is a diverse one, with temperatures and precipitation that very significantly throughout the state. In the eastern portion of the state, where the ocean tends to keep the climate relatively mild, the weather is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer with very little snow. The northern and western regions usually have winters that are colder with significant snowfalls while the central and southern regions are generally quite mild. Visit the weather site at http://www.virginia.org/site/weather.asp for more information on Virginia weather patterns.
13. What are the child labor laws in your area?
To work in a film, children under the age of 16 are required, by Virginia law, to have a Theatrical Work permit. Application for this permit must be made to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry at least 5 days prior to the date of the performance.
For questions about child labor laws, or to obtain a copy of the theatrical work permit, contact:
Ellen Marie Hess, Virginia Department of Labor (804)786-3224, ellenmarie.hess@doli.com or visit the website at http://www.doli.state.va.us
14. Please list the productions which have shot in your state in the last 2 years.
A wide variety of film, television, and documentary, commercial and video production has taken place in Virginia in the past two years. A representative list includes:
Features: Evan Almighty, The New World, Mission Impossible III, Flags of Our Fathers, Beast in the Heart (Don’t Tell), Swedish Auto, War of the Worlds
Television: Commander in Chief, FBI Files, Buried Secrets, The West Wing, , Diagnosis Unknown, Psychic Investigators, Indycar Racer, Court TV, College Hill
Commercials: Mercedes Benz, Ford, Yamaha, Geico, America Online
Documentary: Brown vs. Board of Education, Discovery, BBC America,
15. Please add any additional information, or a statement from your office here.
Virginia is an exceptional place for all kinds of filmmaking. Locations include ocean settings with small fishing villages and large seaside towns. Rural Virginia is comprised of farmland, horse country, and small picturesque villages. The western part of the state features incredible scenic vistas in the incomparable Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge Mountains and Alleghany Mountains. There are four centuries of historic locations representing the colonial, revolutionary war, pioneer, and civil war eras and exceptional 20th century and 21st century architecture. Visit the Film Office website, http://www.film.virginia.org where more than 5000 location files, searchable by category and sub-category, are available for your use.
Don’t have time to look through all those locations? Just contact Film Office staff who will prepare a customized package of possible locations for you and will send it to you electronically or through the mail.
The Virginia Film Office has an experienced staff of professionals who will provide everything you need for a successful scout and production. For more information on shooting in Virginia, contact us at vafim@virginia.org or call 800.854.6233.
Virginia Film Office Staff:
Rita McClenny, Director. rmcclenny@virginia.org
Becky Beckstoffer, Marketing Manager. bbeckstoffer@virginia.org
Mary Nelson, Communications Manager. mnelson@virginia.org
Andy Edmunds, Location Manager. aedmunds@virginia.org
Mary Kathryn Severin, Staff Assistant. mkseverin@virginia.org
Kathryn Stephens, Industry Relations manager. kstephens@virginia.org
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