Meredith Jordan, Can Hollywood Filmmakers Magically Transform Your Town?

Join Dave Nassaney, as he co-hosts with Neil Haley to interview Meredith Jordan, an author who chronicled the making in Georgia and Las Vegas of the 2013 film Last Vegas, says tax incentives for filmmakers have proven to be mutually beneficial and are likely to stay.  “Tax credits have reshaped the face of movie production in the United States,” says Jordan (www.belowthelinebook.com), whose book Below The Line: Anatomy of a Successful Movie provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at an entire movie production. “To understand why much of the filming of Last Vegas happened in Georgia is to take a quantum leap into the business of Jordan can discuss for your listeners the economic dynamics of Hollywood filming across the U.S. and share her behind-the-scenes experiences of covering a big-budget film production. The entertainment that movies provide is deeply embedded in American popular culture. And in recent years, numerous states have decided to give tax credits to filmmakers to encourage them to film in those states. This has become an important part of those states’ economic strategy. As of 2018, 31 states offered such tax incentives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). While the move has been controversial in some states, it has been a hit in others, such as Georgia, with Atlanta now being called “Hollywood East.” The state claims an economic impact of $9.5 billion since the film tax incentives were passed in 2008.