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Loring is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and creative producer. His work has been commissioned by a diverse range of clients- from Havas Worldwide to Wisecrack, inc.- and has been screened around the world. Through a background that blends project development with physical production across multiple formats, Loring has developed a uniquely eclectic skillset as a visual storyteller.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
The sheer variety of locations in New Mexico is dizzying, particularly to filmmakers with no former experience in the region. Film New Mexico helps visiting productions bridge the knowledge gap to find their ideal locations as quickly as possible.
Film New Mexico provides a comprehensive locations directory that makes remote location scouting a breeze. The directory is organized into helpful categories and searchable by keywords. Each location listing comes with a set of photos as well as a brief breakdown of pertinent information for research or booking.
The New Mexico film industry is built upon a strong foundation of local infrastructure and expertise. The State of New Mexico Film Office provides a way for productions to tap into these local resources and professionals, facilitating meaningful partnerships that benefit all parties.
Whether you’re looking to hire local crew or hunting for the right studio space, Film New Mexico is the best place to get started. It’s the central hub for resources in New Mexico and the perfect launching pad for your next production.
The State of New Mexico Film Office understands the value of film financing opportunities. They administer the statewide incentive program and guide productions through all necessary procedures.
Let’s take a look at four incentive opportunities that Film New Mexico can help your team leverage.
Television series and movies filmed in New Mexico can take advantage of the state’s robust Film Tax Credit program. The program is administered by the New Mexico Film Office in partnership with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department, granting filmmakers a direct line to any critical information they might need.
New Mexico’s incentive program operates according to a complex system that enables productions to increase their return by satisfying a series of bonus requirements. The New Mexico Film Tax Credit starts at a base credit amount of 15% for nonresidents and 25% for residents on qualified expenditures made within the state. Pending residency, the credit can increase to a maximum of 40% with the help of uplift bonuses. That places the New Mexico Film Tax Credit among the largest incentives in the United States.
Another significant advantage of New Mexico’s incentive program is that it currently has no minimum spend requirement, meaning that productions do not have to hit a specified spending threshold before they’re eligible for the tax credit. This single characteristic grants productions an enormous amount of flexibility in building and executing their financial strategy.
On top of the base credit amount of either 15% or 25% (again, depending on residency), an additional 5% credit is available to productions filming a television series or a television pilot. To qualify, the series television production must be:
In the event that a production is shooting an individual pilot without a series order, these requirements are reduced by necessity. The pilot must simply be intended for series production in the state of New Mexico.
Available to both television series and feature films shot in New Mexico, an additional 5% tax credit is available to productions that utilize “qualified production facilities.” This is an ideal bonus incentive for projects planning to shoot on soundstages or other standing sets.
Note that this uplift is only applicable to expenditures made during the time spent in production at the qualified production facility. For a full list of qualified production facilities from Film New Mexico, click here.
Another additional 10% tax credit is available for qualified expenditures made in the state in an area “at least sixty miles outside the Santa Fe and Albuquerque City Halls.” This bonus incentive follows the reverse logic of Los Angeles’ famous studio zone. It’s designed to attract production further away from bustling city centers to bring economic stimulus to more rural or remote areas.
For a full map of the filming uplift zone, click here. For information on further incentive details and opportunities in the state, check out the official breakdown from the New Mexico Film Office.
To get in touch with the New Mexico Film Office, filmmakers can reach out through any one of multiple channels. You can contact the Film New Mexico team via phone, email, or through the contact form on their website.
You can also stay up to date with the local community by following Film New Mexico on Instagram or Facebook.
The growth of New Mexico’s production industry has created a demand for increased administrative support. Beyond Film New Mexico, other regional film offices have emerged to serve filmmakers around the state.
Below, we’ll introduce two organizations that visiting productions should keep in mind.
The Albuquerque Film Office facilitates film and television production within the City of Albuquerque. Their team acts as a liaison between productions, city agencies, and the local filmmaking community.
The Albuquerque Film Office is responsible for many functions that are critical for a thriving production industry. Among others, they oversee matters of set safety, community outreach, and permitting. If you want to shoot in Albuquerque, make the Albuquerque Film Office your first stop.
The Santa Fe Film Office (SFFO) supports filmmakers in and around New Mexico’s state capital. Their mission is “to service, recruit and expand film and television production throughout the Santa Fe region.” From education to local outreach, SFFO works to craft a strong symbiotic relationship between professional productions and the Santa Fe community.
The New Mexico Film Office is a critical partner to visiting productions and local professionals alike. Established infrastructure, competitive incentives, and a thriving local community ensure that New Mexico truly is a Land of Enchantment for filmmakers.
For more information, check out Wrapbook’s guide to maximizing New Mexico’s film tax credit or visit Wrapbook’s Production Incentive Center. Free resources such as our Incentive Comparison Tool and Production Incentive Finder can help you discover the perfect location for your next project.
From snow-capped mountain peaks to otherworldly desert valleys, the state of New Mexico has landscapes capable of setting virtually any scene that a filmmaker can imagine. For professional productions, the New Mexico Film Office is an irreplaceable resource and a key to making the most of your time in the Land of Enchantment.
In this post, we’ll dig into the many programs and support services offered by Film New Mexico. We’ll show you which programs are can’t-miss and explore how the State of New Mexico Film Office can take your shoot to the next level.
Modern TV viewers might assume that Breaking Bad—in which a fictional Albuquerque was less a setting and more a supporting character—singlehandedly put New Mexico on the filmmaking map. In reality, however, the state has been a quiet force in entertainment for decades. Movies filmed in New Mexico include Cowboys & Aliens, Thor, and Logan, among many others.
Recent years have seen a steady upward trend for NM productions; in fact, both Netflix and NBCUniversal have set up production studios in-state. This noteworthy increase in production can be largely attributed to the efforts of Film New Mexico. The State of New Mexico Film Office has helped to transform the New Mexico film industry’s niche presence into an economic powerhouse for the entire region.
As their mission statement makes clear, the State of New Mexico Film Office “serves the film and television industry locally, nationally, and internationally.” The team at Film New Mexico works hard to foster a lasting professional production community built upon a big picture point-of-view. With an estimated $5.75 billion in production spend already in the books, it’s hard to argue with their methods. If the State of New Mexico Film Office keeps it up, you can bet that the list of films shot in New Mexico is going to get a whole lot bigger over time.
Film New Mexico offers support across the full spectrum of the state’s production industry. From film financing for production companies to basic training for crew members, the State of New Mexico Film Office acts as a conduit between filmmakers and whatever resources they require.
Below, we’ll outline four key areas in which Film New Mexico can assist your next shoot.
While Film New Mexico does not issue permits directly, they are the go-to source for information on the permitting process. Their team can provide clarity on pressing questions and connect you directly to the exact local experts that your production needs.
The New Mexico Film Office can also help productions navigate other administrative and compliance challenges. They offer basic guidance on matters such as production insurance, procedures for working with animals, the use of public lands, and leveraging location choices to maximize the value of New Mexico production incentives.
Speaking of which…
Production incentives are an increasingly important consideration in film finance and production strategy. Like many other states, New Mexico offers its own range of sizable incentives to attract out-of-town shoots to its borders.
The New Mexico Film Office directly administers the state’s incentive program in partnership with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. It should be no surprise then that Film New Mexico’s support and expertise is invaluable, providing not just a connection to the program but a path to making most of it on your next project.
