The dean of the School of Filmmaking at UNC School of the Arts wants to draw more filmmakers to make their movies in North Carolina.
Jordan Kerner spoke yesterday at a meeting of the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce's Technology Council, where he discussed an initiative he is proposing to lure filmmakers. In recent months, he has been meeting with state legislators including state Sens. Linda Garrou and Marc Basnight, as well as Gov.-Elect Bev Perdue, to discuss his ideas.
He said that the state is losing a lot of business to states that have higher tax incentives for filmmakers, and the state is also losing a lot of talent. He said that 90 percent of the students who graduated from UNCSA's film program last year left the state to find work in Los Angeles and New York.
"We need to support the ground-up building of an indigenous film industry," he said. "Keep them here, have them paying taxes in this state."
One of the key elements of his proposals is an increase in tax incentives for filmmakers. He suggests a 25 percent incentive, rising to as much as 40 percent in cases of capital investments, which, for example, could include a street set built by filmmakers that can then be used for future productions, as well. States such as Louisiana, Massachusetts and New Mexico are attracting moviemakers with similar offers. North Carolina currently offers a 15 percent incentive.
He also discussed building new soundstages -- two in Asheville, eight in the Piedmont and two new ones in Wilmington. And he discussed curriculum changes at UNCSA's School of Filmmaking and other schools in the UNC system.
The proposals are expected to be ready by the end of this year, and he said he hopes that the state acts quickly.
"If we wait, we'll miss a historic opportunity to bring this industry back to North Carolina," he said.
After Kerner's speech, Mark Wright, the director of news and media at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, provided the closing remarks.
He said he hopes that potential film-set construction will include hospital sets.
He frequently hears from filmmakers who want to use the hospital to shoot scenes, "and our hospital is full of sick people," he said.
■ Tim Clodfelter can be reached at 727-7371 or at tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.
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