Join the Crew
Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox
Get the best resources for producers delivered to your mailbox
If you want to shoot a movie in the Tar Heel State, then FilmNC—the official North Carolina Film Office—should always be your first stop. From the Atlantic coast to the Appalachian range, FilmNC is your production’s portal to the entire dizzying display of natural beauty found in North Carolina.
In this post, we’re taking you on a deep dive into all the tools, resources, and production support offered by FilmNC. We’ll show you how the North Carolina Film Office can give your project a serious edge and help you take advantage of everything the state has to offer.
FilmNC is your liaison to the local production industry in one of the most film-friendly states in America. Whether you’re sourcing crew, filing permits, or searching for the most filmable peak in the Appalachians, the North Carolina Film Office is there to assist with whatever you need.
Founded in 1980, the North Carolina Film Office was created to facilitate the emergence of a powerful, local film industry. Movies like Dirty Dancing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Fugitive cemented North Carolina’s status as a major production hub for the big screen. Television shows like Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill—and yes—Outer Banks made the state a regular feature for viewers at home.
To support such a wide range of productions, FilmNC has built an array of practical tools and resources that help filmmakers handle real-world production challenges. From local vendors to help you build a better budget to local expertise to help streamline your schedule, the Film Office strives to provide everything it can to optimize the filmmaking experience.
Recently, Wrapbook Co-founder Cameron Woodward spoke with the director of the North Carolina Film Office Guy Gaster to explore the cinematic charm of North Carolina. Check out their conversation in the video below or give their chat a listen on the go with Wrapbook’s On Production podcast.
FilmNC prides itself in supporting filmmakers across the full spectrum of their production needs. They work hard to ensure that every project is armed with the knowledge and resources necessary for a successful shoot.
Let’s take a look at four key ways that FilmNC can support your next production.
The state of North Carolina offers formidable film incentives for productions in the region. The program represents an opportunity for substantial savings, especially to producers who take full advantage of North Carolina’s local resources.
Provided in the form of a rebate, North Carolina’s incentive program rewards productions for direct spending within the region. The rebate adds considerable value to the state’s already tantalizing inventory of crew, equipment, locations, and other resources.
For more information on film incentives and how you can use them to get the most bang for your buck in North Carolina and beyond, check out Wrapbook’s Production Incentive Center. It contains all the tools and resources you need to jumpstart your research and discover the best state for your next shoot.
Location scouting can be tough, especially when you’re not familiar with the area. However, the North Carolina Film Office provides both tools and insight to make scouts a cinch.
Critically, FilmNC operates in partnership with local and regional film commissions across the entire state. That means filmmakers can receive personal, hyper-localized assistance in finding the perfect place to shoot every single scene of your movie or television show.
FilmNC also goes above and beyond the scouting process. The film office streamlines permitting and cuts through red tape to help you lock in locales as easily as possible. In some cases, they can even help you get locations for free.
The benefits of hiring local can be wide and varied, but the North Carolina Film Office wants to help you benefit from every single one.
North Carolina hosts a thriving production industry. The artists and technicians who keep it running have been well-seasoned by shoots of every size and shape. Nevertheless, for out-of-town producers, tapping into the right crew network can be a challenge.
With FilmNC on their side, however, filmmakers don’t have to worry about the quality of their crew members. They can hire qualified, vetted professionals to meet their precise personnel requirements.
The North Carolina Film Office can assist in shooting not only on location but in the studio as well. FilmNC makes it easier to lock down the best facilities and equipment for your production’s unique needs.
The state of North Carolina hosts a variety of studio options for filmmakers, and the film office will help you find the right one. Whether you need to shoot along the coast, around the mountains, or near a major city, the North Carolina Film Office has your back.
FilmNC is first and foremost a practical resource for filmmakers. They offer tools and programs that make real-world impacts on productions within the state of North Carolina.
In this section, we’ll break down five tools or programs that producers should keep in mind.
The North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant is a recurring grant program that starts each fiscal year with at least $31 million designated for production support within the state. Most of this grant is dedicated to a substantial incentive program.
North Carolina currently offers a 25% rebate on qualifying expenses made within the state and/or qualifying labor working in state. Filmmakers can potentially save a full quarter of their in-state costs, an amount that represents a major upgrade to any budget’s buying power.
Of course, the program does have guidelines.
To qualify for the rebate, productions must spend at least $500,000 per episode for a television series or $1.5 million for a feature film. Similarly, rebate totals are capped at $15 million per season of a television show and $7 million for a feature film.
For more information on North Carolina’s film incentives, check out the full program summary here.
Additionally, North Carolina has an Accommodation Tax Refund, which makes it cheaper for productions to lodge cast, crew, or other personnel from out of town.
Productions are eligible for a refund of all taxes paid toward the rental of any room or other lodging that lasts for a period of 90 consecutive days or more. While a minimum stay requirement of nearly three months may not appeal to low-budget indies on a tight schedule, the Accommodation Tax Refund represents major savings for any production in the state for a long-haul.
Doubly important is the fact that the program makes fiscal sense in the short run too. Not only are taxes for the first 90 days refunded but taxes after the first 90 days are not to be paid at all. The program therefore represents an immediate reduction of costs for qualifying productions.
FilmNC offers a free location scouting tool right on its website. It’s the fastest, easiest way to explore the diverse wealth of locations available in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Locations Database includes robust search tools to help you sift through the well over 5,000 properties it contains. Filmmakers can filter locations by categories, names, geographic areas, architecture, and simple keywords. Results include pictures, descriptions, and a helpful map for orientation.
Best of all, each location in the database has been submitted by its owner, steward, or a qualified representative. Filmmakers can reach out with confidence, knowing that every property in the database is available for production use.
North Carolina does not charge filmmakers for the use of state-owned property. This simple program encourages production within the state by dramatically reducing location costs in some instances.
Note that this does not include reimbursement of costs incurred by the production or revenue lost due to closure for the production. For example, if a State agency closes a historical landmark for your production, you may be required to reimburse them for lost entry fees they would have otherwise charged on that particular day.
The North Carolina Film Directory is a comprehensive list of crew members available to work within the state. It’s an easy way for productions to identify local professionals and build the ideal team.
The Film Directory comes packed with helpful search functionality. You can filter personnel by job category, area, union affiliations or keywords. Public crew profiles provide a simple but effective method for productions to review recent credits and other details before making contact.
Getting in touch with FilmNC is as simple as a few clicks or a call. Filmmakers can reach out to the North Carolina Film Office via phone or email. You can find further details and up-to-date contact information at FilmNC’s official website.
The North Carolina Film Office also recommends that productions fill out an Intent to Film Form. Completion of the form is a requirement for all productions planning to apply for the state’s tax rebate incentive and a strong recommendation for all the others. The contents of your form will help FilmNC provide personalized, high-quality assistance throughout your production’s time in North Carolina.
FilmNC is the go-to resource for filmmakers in the state of North Carolina. From location scouts to state incentives, the North Carolina Film Office provides a full spectrum of support to level up your next production.
For more information, dig into our breakdown of North Carolina film incentives or listen to our full interview with Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office.
To further explore film tax incentives, visit Wrapbook’s Production Incentive Center. Our Production Incentives Finder and State Incentive Map can help you pinpoint the perfect state for your next shoot.
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.
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.
