Written by on Oct 3, 2013. Posted in On Location

New England Studios targets film production boost in Massachusetts

New England Studios has opened for business in Devens, near Boston in Massachusetts. The studio managers plan to use the facility to drive a location filming boost in the state and attract more productions on the scale of David O Russell’s Oscar-winning The Fighter.

The studio represents a USD36 million investment and has been in development for 15 months. Filmmakers have access to four 18,000-square-foot sound stages, production support and office areas and advanced IT systems.

“I just cannot wait for (the New England Studios) to be the force in the Massachusetts filming industry. We are very excited about the potential opportunities that this brings,” the studios’ Chris Byers told the Lowell Sun.

New England Studios is intended to help Massachusetts develop a full-time production industry, as it will enable filmmakers to have a studio base while they film on location. The state offers a 25% filming incentive that’s in reach of projects that spend at least USD50,000 locally.

Filmmakers have access to four 18,000-square-foot sound stages, production support and office areas and advanced IT systems.

In 2011, Massachusetts made ten dollars back from every dollar issued in incentive support, according to figures released earlier this year by the Motion Picture Association of America. The Massachusetts Film Tax Incentive Programme made USD275 million from a USD40 million investment, as economic benefits reached beyond direct production expenditure.

Filmmaker David O Russell helped spotlight the state with boxing drama The Fighter a few years ago, which delivered Oscars for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Russell has returned to film his 80s con-artist drama American Hustle - again starring Christian Bale - which opens later this year.