Tulare County hopes incentives will lure movie producers

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tulare County is hoping producers from the big, and small screens, will choose the South Valley as their next big shooting location. Now there is a new amendment to a state law may help them lure more filmmakers.

The amendment to AB1839 was passed on Wednesday, giving financial incentives for production crews who decide to stay in California to film, instead of leaving the state. Tulare County is now pushing to get those film crews.

Some in Visalia remember when producers from the popular 1993 film "Son in Law" came to town to film scenes for the movie. And if you watched "Hulk" with Eric Bana, you might notice the cabin scene was shot in Balch Park.

It hasn't always been easy bringing movie makers to Tulare County. Just recently the makers of the "Transformers" movies scouted Tulare and Fresno counties as potential sites to film.

"They looked at (Transformers) 2, 3 and 4 filming in Tulare County before they decided to go elsewhere partly because of the incentives. They wouldn't have filmed back east if they had the incentives out here," said Eric Coyne, Tulare County Film Commissioner

Now Coyne says changes to AB1839 will make it easier. On Wednesday, the State Assembly approved the amendment that gives $330-million every year, for five years, to production crews who decide to film in California. If they film 30-miles outside of Hollywood, they get and extra five percent incentive.

"That incentive, whatever they qualify, would grow by 5% for filming here instead of in L.A. So this really helps level the playing field for the rest of California," said Coyne.

Coyne says Tulare County doesn't just have many beautiful, scenic locations, but many are spread out -- providing lots of space for film crews. At one point, "Fast and the Furious 7" came to town to check out some rural locations. Coyne hopes the $330-million incentive will make Tulare County a hot spot for big box productions, and bring much needed dollars into the local community.

The large scale productions mean more shopping downtown, staying at local hotels, and even hiring local help. "I have somebody that's scouting right now in Tulare County for a web series, and I'm saying, 'Why would you look anywhere else?'" said Coyne.

The incentives are $330-Million each year and go into effect starting in 2015 -- until 2020.