Every county gets publicity photo to help state compete for films
Representatives of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission are photographing attractions and landmarks in all 95 counties for a database they’re compiling for film location scouts.
This week they were in Hamilton County, their 47th stop on the tour, to view old neighborhoods, the Chattanooga Choo-Choo hotel, Tennessee Riverpark, the Enterprise South Nature Park and even Rock City just across the state line in Georgia.
“Tennessee is one of the most beautiful and diverse states,” said Charles Todd, community liaison for the film commission. “You never know what you’re going to need (for a film shoot), so the idea is to build a digital film library on every county.”
Todd said the payoff could be lucrative. The Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” was shot in Memphis and Nashville and generated $7 million for the state.
Following the lead of states such as Louisiana and New Mexico, Gov. Phil Bredesen has asked the commission to draft proposals for tax breaks and other financial incentives to lure producers.
The commission is expected to present its recommendations to the General Assembly by February.
“We want to capture entertainment dollars and turn that into Tennessee revenue,” Todd said.
Gina Hatler, a communications manager for Hamilton County who led the photography tour, said county officials also recognize the value.
“It’s all about economic development,” she said. “The governor feels like he’d like to get a bigger piece of the pie, and we’re glad to be a part of it.”