A conservative organisation in North Carolina has criticised the state’s location filming incentive programme. Governor Bev Perdue has officially extended the incentive as Iron Man 3 films in the state, but the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh has condemned it as “corporate welfare”.
The foundation argues that North Carolina has plenty to offer film productions without having to incentivise them. It also claims reports of incentive programmes benefitting local communities are exaggerated.
The biggest beneficiaries of film incentives are film production companies, while state film offices, local studios, film crew workers, restaurants, hotels, and pro-incentive politicians also stand to gain when a film production comes to town.
Jon Sanders, John Locke Foundation
Jon Sanders authored the report and summarises his views: “The biggest beneficiaries of film incentives are film production companies, while state film offices, local studios, film crew workers, restaurants, hotels, and pro-incentive politicians also stand to gain when a film production comes to town.
“Boosters also tout benefits for tourism, but tourism effects are fickle, unpredictable, and not very powerful.”
Similar views can be found across the US, especially in states struggling with serious debt problems, and short-term incentive extensions are becoming typical. Supporters of filming incentives point to productions like The Avengers, which qualified for subsidy payments of around USD23 million from the state of New Mexico but spent nearly four times that figure locally.
(Main page photo: Marvel)
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