Monday, January 24, 2011

Filming Louisiana production info for January 2011

These are the films that in pre-production in the State of Louisiana.

Ghostbreakers, Shreveport, New Orleans, production@slowchildrenonline.net
So Undercover, New Orleans
The Fishies, New Orleans
Treme, NewOrleans, blowndeadlineprod@gmail.com
Mean Cusine, Shreveport
Medallin, New Orleans, medallionresumes@gmail.com
21 Jump Street, New Orleans
Memphis Beat, New Orleans,
Bad Girls Club Season 7, New Orleans
Cogan's Trade, New Orleans, coganstrade@gmail.com
Looper, New Orleans, looperllc@gmail.com
Contraband, New Orleans, contrabandresumes@gmail.com
Hound Dogs, New Orleans
7 Below Zero, New Orleans, sevenbelowzero@gmail.com
D&D 3, Baton Rouge, dnd3movie@gmail.com
Piranha 2, New Orleans
So Undercover, New Orleans, soundercovermovie@gmail.com
The Haunting in Georgia, Baton Rouge higproductions@yahoo.com
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, New Orleans, alvh2011@gmail.com
Kane and Lynch, Aka Playing the Field, Shreveport, ecallais@millenniumstudios.net
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, New Orleans
Downers Grave, Louisiana
Thicker, Louisiana
Tarantula, New Orleans
72 Hours, New Orleans
Meeting Evil, New Orleans
Silver Cord, New Orleans
Rook, Shreveport
Asleep at the Wheel, New Orleans
Room and Board, New Orleans
The Summoning, Baton Rouge
The Town that Dreaded Sundown 3D, Baton Rouge
Unraveled, Baton Rouge
Office Paranormal, Louisiana
Playing with the Enemy, Shreveport
The Boys Club, Folsom
Substance, New Orleans
Verdigris, New Orleans
Six Little Indians, Baton Rouge
Carmilla: The Homecoming, Baton Rouge
Moments of Life, New Orleans
The Body Escort, Louisiana

Local film crews look forward to busy year in growing industry

NEW ORLEANS- A New Orleans neighborhood has been transformed this week, complete with a mini-mart where the old St. Roch market once stood.

It's gotten neighbors talking.

"When I first rolled up and I saw them doing that, I was like, 'Oh, they're getting ready to open the market back up!' I didn't know what was going on," said William York, a resident of the St. Roch neighborhood.

Turns out, it's all for Mark Wahlberg's new movie, "Contraband." Set in Panama, the movie's being shot in the Crescent City.

"I'm loving every minute of it. It's revitalizing the neighborhood, the city. The economy's going to get better. As you know, all we do is hospitality, but this is something else that we can do," said York.

It's just one of the movies being shot in New Orleans this year. A few of the movies on slate for 2011 include "Cogan's Trade," starring Brad Pitt. 21 Jump Street will be shot in New Orleans in April. And Miley Cyrus is in town this week shooting "So Undercover."

According to New Orleans film commissioner Katie Gunnell, more movies are being made now in Louisiana than California. Thirty-five feature films were shot last year in New Orleans alone, bringing in nearly $300 million. Compare that to just three movies in 2002, the year Lousiana's tax incentive program began.

It's been a big boost for local actors like Clay Chamberlin.

"I came down here because of the tax incentive, so thank you politicians," said Chamberlin.

While the tax incentive is a big draw, many say New Orleans' unique culture is also big plus.

"We love New Orleans," said Contraband's publicist, Wendi Laski. "The people are so nice and so accommodating. It's been incredible."

"And then add in the fact that we have world class hotels and restaurants and shopping, and it’s an easy place to spend a couple months," said Gunnell.

Stars like Jeremy Piven have been spotted at Hornets games and it's become almost commonplace to see production trucks around the city. And that means jobs for local crews.

"I was planning on just going to California and working," said local film grip Jimi Ryan. "But it was so busy here, I was able to stay and just keep working here, and not leave the state."

"It's been unbelievable," said Chamberlin. "I didn't have to move to California. Dreams have come true every single day for years now."

Still, crews say the local industry has some unmet needs. Right now, they say there's no local wardrobe or prop house.

"It's better than six years ago," said Ryan. "There's more infrastructure, but there are still things that need to be done."




by Monica Hernandez / Eyewitness News

Sunday, January 16, 2011

New Year for Filming Louisiana

Sid Yost(right) and trainers with Wolf from Amazing Animals.





This year should be as stellar as last if not better. Many productions carried over through the holidays into the new year. The most talked about film of course would be the Twilight Series filming in Baton Rouge through this winter into the spring. Battleship is another film that is getting a lot of attention in Baton Rouge. New Orleans has Looper staring Bruce Willis filming and 21 Jump Street. Shreveport has Kane and Lynch and Playing the Field. Many past productions are now in theaters including Season of the Witch, The Mechanic, and soon coming out is Battle Los Angeles.

With all the productions filming in Louisiana many new companies will be calling Louisiana home including Blade Studios which will cater to the film and recording industry and will be the premiere recording facility in the state. Millennium Studios in Shreveport will be opening soon and will be a full service movie production studio. Moonbot Studios that opened in the Fall 2010 will concentrate on animation. Amazing Animal productions which is a full service film animal supplier and trainer who handle anything from wolves to lions, tigers and bears. If you need a film animal for commercial or movie Sid Yost and Amazing Animals are the ones to call and now they call Louisiana home.


Over 140 movie applications have been filed for 2011 so there could be plenty of movie action for Louisiana this year. Every year for the past 5 years have been better than the last which says a lot for filming in Louisiana and film crews in Louisiana lending their talents to make this state the best state to film in.
Having all this action in the state makes it one of the most interesting state for film with no end in site.

This will be the year in which Louisiana makes a name as the state for film production and make people outside of Hollywood realize that not only can you come to Louisiana to film but the crew you need is already here ready to work and already working.

Come to Louisiana and make this home to your next production!