Making Columbus a Film-Friendly City

Columbus is getting ready for its close-up!  As more and more cities across the globe are looking to capitalize on the flow of film, television and media business away from Hollywood, Columbus is working to position itself as a nationally-recognized film-friendly location.  With the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit that began in 2009 and recent funding to strengthen the role of the Greater Columbus Film Commission (Film Columbus), the city is making incremental changes that will allow us to showcase the unique qualities and talents our city possesses that make us an attractive destination for film producers.

It’s no secret that film production companies drop a lot of money in a short period of time in any community in which they are shooting and this is extremely profitable to local merchants and professionals.   Have you ever been to the cinema and sat through the credits and wondered over the sheer number of people and businesses it took to make the movie?  Typically, the vast majority of the work on productions is done by locals.

When a movie shoot comes to town, they don’t bring much; they bring what the film industry calls the “above the line,” or key players such as the directors, the producers; the people who are setting the creative vision. Most professional crew members “below the line” are hired locally because of the convenience and to save the productions money.

Film, television and media productions can have a strong economic impact on state and local communities by providing high-paying jobs for crew, actors and support staff. The scope of production activity is broad, resulting in substantial expenditures with local businesses as goods and services are purchased like  hotels, restaurants, property rentals, art supply stores, lumber and paint companies, equipment and party rental stores, costume shops, thrift shops, fabric stores, sign shops, car rental companies, coffee shops and carry-outs–and too many more to list.

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