http://www.ouachita citizen.com/ news.php? id=1658

Film commission gets help in Monroe

posted Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 @ 9:55 pm

The Northeast Louisiana Film Commission has its first major financial
backer after the Monroe City Council approved an agreement to spend
up
to $25,000 to help the group go after more film projects.

C.J. Sartor, chairman of the film commission, said the city's
financial commitment will allow the organization to seek matching
money to market northeast Louisiana to the entertainment industry.

She said the commission has not been eligible for grant money without
the financial commitment of a local agency or governing body.

Marketing efforts will include advertisements in trade magazines and
attending various trade shows to promote the region to filmmakers.

"We've been trying to do this on a volunteer basis, and it just
hasn't
been enough," Sartor said. "We've pretty much exhausted our money,
but
this will give us a consistent presence, while still using
volunteers."

The goal is to attract film projects to northeast Louisiana. The film
commission helped in luring Varsity Inc. to do a documentary on the
West Monroe High School Rebels, Sartor said, and also worked to have
other documentaries shot in the area.

The film commission serves the 13-parish region, and Sartor said
anytime a film project is secured for this area, it will have an
economic impact for many of this region's residents. Filmmakers hire
local actors as well as painters, electricians and landscapers.

The state film commission's office says filmmakers typically spend 70
percent of their budget in a local community.

"So, if we can land a $10-million project, that's $7 million spent
right here in our area," she said. "They all hire local people
because
the more Louisiana residents they hire, then the more incentives they
get from the state.

"They use local businesses for goods and services. They'll go to
places like Antique Alley looking for props," she added.

During a recent film shoot in Shreveport, crews bought props in
Ouachita Parish, Sartor said.

"So the closer we can get someone to shoot, the more economic impact
we'll have," she said. "It's like a little city that moves in, and
all
the goods and services a city needs, they'll need, and that's
completely new money coming into the area. It can be a real quick
infusion of cash."

The film industry for years had a large presence in south Louisiana,
but much of those operations moved north in 2005 following the
hurricanes.

Since that time, film projects in Shreveport have totaled $250
million, Sartor said, and northeast Louisiana is looking to get a
piece of that pie.

"Shreveport is about to get maxed out and we hope to be next in line,
but we have to get out there and remind folks that we exist. We want
them to look at us. We're not trying to compete with other parts of
the state. We want to work with the rest of the state and compete
with
the world," Sartor said.