Written by The Location Guide on Mar 7, 2024. Posted in General Interest

Advertorial: From blockbusters on the bayou to superheroes in the studio, Louisiana sets the perfect scene for film productions

Diverse destinations, state-of-the-art studios, industry-tailored incentives and a deep pool of creative talent in Louisiana, where the film industry thrives. On-site locations feature picturesque bayous, dense forests and big city lights, while the state’s rich history provides options for period-styling.

Adept period-styling in Louisiana gave award-winning director Steve McQueen plentiful location options for best picture winner “12 Years a Slave.” (New Regency Pictures photo)

New Orleans has doubled as a stand-in for Manhattan, Los Angeles and countless cities in between, and the city’s architecturally diverse neighbourhoods offer a wide variety of location exteriors. Outside NOLA, Louisiana offers an authentic aesthetic for every genre, as evidenced by recent Academy Award Best Picture winners 12 Years a Slave and Green Book, and the Emmy Award-winning first season of  True Detective.

Louisiana’s landscapes combine with cutting-edge studios to create unique production advantages. Among them, Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge and Second Line Stages in New Orleans boast several box office hits, and Shreveport’s expanding film and digital infrastructure features more than 60,000 square feet of studio and production support space. These expansive facilities provide filmmakers with versatile spaces for shooting intricate sets of varying scales.

Celtic Studios hosted Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman for “Oblivion.” The Baton Rouge sound stage is one of several in Louisiana capable of scaling to varying production needs. (David James/Universal Pictures photo)

Off-camera, the Motion Picture Production Program gives a tax credit of up to 40% and covers a portion of the costs for a range of needs, including equipment rentals and cast and crew salaries for work performed in Louisiana.

The program’s success spawned an ecosystem for the film industry, as the state’s skilled crew base has grown by more than 400 percent in the last two decades. From key production positions to large selections of diverse extras, Louisiana has the workforce to maximize production support.

Louisiana’s versatility offered both small-town sets and picturesque landscapes in “Where the Crawdads Sing.” (Michele K. Short/Sony Pictures photo)

Visit LouisianaEntertainment.gov/film to learn more