Women in Film and Television Florida's recent "Jingle Mingle" event gave the EDC's Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission a chance to do some filming of its own. We asked attendees a question to help in our ongoing promotion of this region as a location for their industry -- Why do you find Metro Orlando a great place for film and entertainment production? -- and captured their responses for posting on our YouTube channel.
Jules Keeley, a local freelance production coordinator/ manager, responded enthusiastically: "Our crews can compare with any in the world...plus we have the resources, infrastructure and the Florida lifestyle."
More praise rolled in from MedStar, the production company behind TV's Forensic Files, which has twice filmed episodes in Metro Orlando in recent months. "The crew is nice and the best we work with, no attitudes, and they know their jobs ... the locations are all great to work with, friendly and Orlando has the look of anywhere we need to duplicate ... We love it here. We will be back in 2010."
Industry satisfaction is important and translates into increased business for the region. In fact, film permits are being processed in increasing numbers by the EDC's Film & Entertainment Commission. Here are a few recent examples:
- TV Commercials - Jackson Hewitt, Olive Garden, US Census
- Television Series - Forensic Files, Dr. G: Medical Examiner, MTV's 16 & Pregnant
- Feature/Independent Films - Touching Lives, Overlap
Up next? The EDC's Film and Entertainment Commission heads to Sundance Film Festival in January to promote Orlando as a location for independent films, and to Washington, D.C. for the Reel Screen Summit to promote Orlando as a site for non-fiction television production.
On the Legislative front, the EDC's Legislative Committee will support our Film Commission's efforts to advocate for incentives designed to keep Florida competitive as a film industry hub. The main push this year is to turn the state's film incentive into a tax credit, which is the industry standard in the U.S.
