Business

Films, TV productions in NC generated $254M in 2013

Television shows and movies produced in North Carolina this year injected more than $254 million into the state's economy and created 25,000 jobs, the governor's office said Tuesday.

Posted 2013-12-17T16:10:32+00:00 - Updated 2013-12-17T19:21:03+00:00

The Showtime television series "Homeland" filmed scenes in downtown Raleigh on June 3-4, 2013.

Television shows and movies produced in North Carolina this year injected more than $254 million into the state’s economy and created 25,000 jobs, the governor’s office said Tuesday.

According to the N.C. Film Office, more than 60 productions took place in North Carolina in 2013, including popular television shows “Under the Dome,” “Sleepy Hollow,” the third season of Showtime’s “Homeland,” the final season of HBO’s “East and Down” and the second season of Cinemax’s “Banshee.”

Movies included “Careful What You Wish For,” “The World Made Straight,” “Captive,” and “Tusk.” Commercials for Mountain Dew, ESPN, NASCAR, Planters, Audi and Fiat were also shot in North Carolina.

“In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina an ideal place to produce quality projects efficiently,” Gov. Pat McCrory said in a statement.

The productions created 4,000 crew positions and thousands of other part-time and temporary jobs, according to officials.

McCrory released information on the economic benefit of film production in the state a year and two weeks before a key tax break for the entertainment industry is set to expire Jan. 1, 2015.

Under North Carolina law, films can receive a tax credit good for 25 percent of all the "qualified" in-state spending up to $20 million. The biggest qualification is that salaries for actors and other highly paid workers count only up to $1 million. If the production earns more in credits than it owes in taxes, which is frequently the case, the remaining amount is refundable, which means the company gets a check from the state. Television shows are not subject to the per-project cap.

In 2012, North Carolina granted $62.3 million in offset taxes and cash payments to production companies based on qualified spending of $278.1 million on wages, sets and other production expenses. The state is on pace to surpass that total in spending – and credits offered – for this year, according to officials with the North Carolina Film Commission.