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Story Archives: Film commission gets help in Monroe


Film commission gets help in Monroe
posted Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 @ 9:55 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
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.
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