Colin Firth Film Caps Year of Production Spending Growth in Triangle Region

Research Triangle Park: During the Triangle Regional Film Commission’s first full year of operation, production spending in the region has grown from $0 reported in 2010 to nearly $4,000,000 in 2011. This rise was capped by the scenes shot in Raleigh and Durham in November for the independent feature “Arthur Newman, Golf Pro” staring Colin Firth (Academy Award winner for The King’s Speech) and Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau, The Devil Wears Prada). The producer reported that over $500,000 was spent in the Triangle Region during the shoot.

The Reelscout location search engine, which contains images of locations in the 13 county region served by the Triangle Regional Film Commission, has been expanded from approximately 166 listings at the beginning of the year (each listing containing an average of 10 images) to over 700 by December. This image library is a primary tool in marketing the region to motion picture and television producers nationally and internationally.

“We have seen significant growth in producers’ interest in North Carolina filming locations due to the increased incentives offered this year to the film industry by the state, and we have been able to focus a large amount of that interest in the Triangle region” said Commission Executive Director Rob Shoaf. With the number of viable projects that expressed interest in the Triangle in 2011 but postponed production plans into 2012, spending this year could easily double from the reported 2011 level. Commission Board Chairman Loren Gold, executive vice president of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau adds, “2011 was a good year for production in the region, and Rob and Sandy’s (Creative Director Sandy Freeman) 25+ years of experience in the production industry is really paying off. We anticipate tremendous growth in 2012.”

The Triangle Regional Film Commission is a non-profit organization marketing the 13 county Triangle region in central North Carolina to film and television producers worldwide. Its primary mission is providing economic development and educational opportunities to the citizens of the area through recruiting, promotion, and support of motion picture production, television programming, and new media. Within this mission the TRFC seeks to create jobs and infrastructure that will build a longterm, indigenous production industry in the region, develop an internship/education program for regional high school, community college and university students in both media and trades to support this new industry, and use the “star power” of the entertainment world to help local charities.