Tai Caldwell

         The Piedmont Triad Film Commission began in 1993 with the goal of bringing filmmakers to the area for production. With a variety of urban locales and landscapes as well as historical sites like Old Salem, the Triad is a desirable location for shooting and has been the backdrop for such films as Mr. Destiny, Junebug, and most recently, Leatherheads.

        A long with productions come money, and the PTFC focuses on bringing those productions here for the economic development of the region. When a film arrives in town, the benefit goes far beyond the sound stages and film schools. Antique furniture stores in High Point rent out set dressings, caterers provide food for the crew, the film’s costumers purchase fabrics at local stores, and so on. The impact can be very significant. Features are not the only source of this revenue, however; and the PTFC therefore caters also to short films, commercials, television movies, and even still photography shoots.

        In order to bring such things here, the Commission offers a variety of services. They facilitate production by providing advance location scouting and an extensive database of local crew with two or more paid credits. While most locations in the area do not require permits for shooting, the PTFC also acts as a local liaison, securing anything from road closures to emergency vehicles for use in the film. And all at no cost.

         Yes, the services the PTFC provides are free of charge. Their purpose is to make money for the region, not themselves. “It’s very important to me to help everyone,” says Rebecca Clark, director since 2000. The PTFC is able to operate as such because local city and county governments financially support it similarly to other economic development projects. The Commission started in 1993 under the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and received all financing from them until 1999, when the PTFC became an independent organization in order to tap the resources of the other cities and counties impacted by the work they were doing. 

         Unfortunately, the Chamber of Commerce then withdrew its funding for the Commission and the PTFC had a difficult time staying above water. It was taking some time to educate the cities of Greensboro and High Point about the economic impact of filmmaking in the region, and things looked bleak in 2002 when the PTFC closed its doors indefinitely due to a lack of financial support. Dr. John Lee Jellicorse of UNCG’s Department of Broadcasting and Cinema understood the importance of the organization to both the filmmaking and general community and came to the rescue with support provided by the College of Arts and Sciences. This floated the PTFC for six months, at which time backing began to arrive from the local cities and counties. Since then, Clark says, the PTFC has had great success “recruiting lots of films, lots of jobs, and lots of dollars.”

         One problem Clark and the PTFC did face in recruiting was North Carolina’s lack of a filmmaking incentives package. Many states, notably Louisiana and New Mexico, offer a 20-30% tax break for film productions. Because of this, large studios looked to these states and had little interest in shooting in North Carolina. Clark therefore began catering to independent filmmakers, who were more concerned with the look and feel of a location and the support of the local community than with incentives. This push resulted in Aaron Schneider filming his short “Two Soldiers,” based on a William Faulkner story, in the Triad. It went on to win the 2004 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film. The producers of Junebug originally looked to Richmond, Virginia, and Woodstock, New York, as possible locations because of the state and local incentives being offered, despite that its writer and director were locals and it was set in Pfafftown, North Carolina. It was the efforts of the PTFC that ensured the movie be shot where it was set. Fortunately for all, the incentive battle ended in August of 2006 when Governor Mike Easley signed into law a 15% incentive package.

         Junebug has certainly increased the Piedmont Triad’s reputation as a filmmaking location, but Clark mentions that everything--even commercials--produced here are beneficial. The area does face in-state competition from Charlotte and Wilmington, both of which are union production centers. It is for that reason that large studio pictures such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and series like One Tree Hill are shot there, while the Triad hasn’t seen continuous work of that nature since The Andy Griffith Show. When a production company asks how many $2 million-plus films have shot here in the past four years, Rebecca regrets to say “not many.” Most of those films will be shot in Wilmington or Charlotte. Having recognizable titles like Junebug and Cabin Fever helps to bring in big names, however, as is witnessed in this past summer’s shoot of the George Clooney-Renee Zellwegger picture Leatherheads.

         The Commission is currently a one-woman operation with oversight from a board of directors, but Clark sees that growing in the near future as she hopes to soon hire a full-time assistant. In the long-term, she would like to see the PTFC with three full-time staff members: a director, an assistant, and a project manager. One thing this would enable the Commission to do is begin focusing not only on bringing filmmakers here but also encouraging those already here to stay. Clark says it is her goal to become more involved with the community and the filmmakers living and working in the area. The region suffers from a filmmaking brain drain as NCSA and UNCG graduates move to Los Angeles and New York. Clark is therefore not just a proponent of bringing film into the area; she wants to help grow the grassroots filmmaking community. The PTFC provides local writers, directors, and producers with all the same resources she does the large studios. As many of those graduates return home after a dose of city life, Clark hopes to be there to provide them with the support they need to continue their craft here in the Triad. She would also like to begin holding networking events for people from all aspects of the industry and all parts of the region since she sees the community currently somewhat fragmented. Another plan is for the PTFC to host a day of pitches, bringing together creative teams and investors as a way to finance films whose entire production would be completed locally. “We’re training people to do this,” she points out in reference to NCSA and UNCG. “So let’s support it and keep them here.”

         For more information about the Piedmont Triad Film Commission, visit their website. If you are interested in being listed in the PTFC’s Crew Database, please download and fill out the form at http://www.ncfilm.com/directory_film.asp and then contact Rebecca Clark at 336-393-0001 or Rebecca@piedmontfilm.com.