Want To Be In The Movies? Stay In Louisiana

Used to be that the dream of a youngster with stars in his or her eyes was to board a bus to Hollywood and be discovered. Now would be actors only need to step outside their front doors because Hollywood is right here in Louisiana. According to a report issued by Film LA inc. Louisiana led the list for the state with most feature films produced in 2013.

Patrick Mulhearn made these comments in a report filed by the Louisiana Radio Network,

"Any time you see Louisiana ranked number one in something positive you've got to be proud and when ever your competitor is the one who is telling you you're number one, you've got to believe them. That is exciting new for us,"

Mulhearn is the executive director for Celtic Media which is based in Baton Rouge.

What kind of films do film makers create in the Bayou State?  How about Academy Award winners 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club. Both of those films have roots in Louisiana's film industry.

Why has Louisiana all of the sudden become a hot bed of film making? If you guessed money, then you would be right on target. Louisiana has offered some very generous tax incentives for companies to produce their films in our state. Patrick Mulhearn explains,

"It's a testament to Louisiana's resolve to stick to this incentive program for the past decade. But we can't rest on our laurels. We've still got a long way to go and it's a competitive world,"

If these companies are getting breaks on taxes, how does it benefit Louisiana? Jobs.  According to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development some 15-thousand paychecks are generated by jobs in and associated with the motion picture industry. Louisiana is also getting quite the reputation for a knowledgeable and well trained workforce too.