South Carolina offers home to displaced film industry

Associated Press,

CHARLESTON -- As New Orleans works to recover from Hurricane Katrina, South Carolina works to offer a home for that area's displaced film industry.

In the days after Hurricane Katrina, South Carolina's Film Office has called major production companies, sent e-mails and increased its advertising in trade publications touting the state.

"We don't want to look like vultures," state film commissioner Jeff Monks said. "But we want to say, 'We're here, let us help you out.' "

Louisiana has aggressively pursued film productions in recent years and, in July 2002, started offering a 15 percent tax credit for productions with budgets over $8 million.

Last year, production companies spent an estimated $377 million in Louisiana on TV movies and 27 feature films, including "Ray," "The Skeleton Key" and "The Dukes of Hazzard."

South Carolina lawmakers approved an aggressive incentive package last year to attract productions. And this year lawmakers agreed to exempt major productions from local and state sales and use taxes.

In 2002, productions brought $49 million to the state, but, because of better deals elsewhere, that figure dropped to just $4 million in 2003.

Katrina was a blow to the Louisiana film industry.

"The sense I'm getting is that it's over," said Paula McLane, founder of Coastal Talent, an Isle of Palms business representing about 100 actors and actresses. "People aren't going to put off a movie for a year just because of location."

She said South Carolina, with its charm and coastal areas is a natural choice for productions displaced from New Orleans.

Louisiana was luring so many movies that McLane opened a New Orleans office in January and about eight of her clients moved down there.

But she doesn't expect to do business in New Orleans any time soon.

"My office is still under water," she said. "But that's OK because my phone rings here."

Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.charleston.net