Kentucky.

[MUSIC] Tonight.

I'm Marvin Bartlett.

Thanks for joining us.

For decades, movie makers have said hooray for Hollywood.

But more and more they're declaring Bravo for the bluegrass.

Kentucky's film industry is on the rise.

Over the next 60 minutes, we'll explore what's fueling that momentum, what it means for jobs and communities, and where this surge could take us next.

Here to help us do that, our Meg Fister executive director of the Kentucky Film Office, she's joining us from the KET Studio in Louisville.

Also from Louisville.

We'll talk with Justin Brown, managing partner of Bespoke Production Capital, which helps filmmakers finance their projects here in Lexington, we have David Cottingham, chief operating officer of Lexington based Wrigley Media Group.

Kristi Kilday, a film producer, and co-commissioner of the Western Kentucky Film Commission based in Madisonville, and Doctor Jim Owens, the dean of the School of Communication Arts at Asbury University in Wilmore.

We want to hear from you.

You can send us your questions and comments on X. Just search at Pub Affairs KET.

Send an email to KY TONIGHT at ket.org or use the web form at ket.org/ky.

Tonight, you can also call at one 800 494 7605.

We thank you all for coming in tonight.

I look forward to this discussion.

The state has had many efforts in the past, over the past decades, even to promote the film industry here.

But let's go to Megan Louisville first.

Meg Fister, the executive director of the newly formed Film office.

You've just been on the job a few years.

Tell us how this effort is different from what we've done in the past.

>> Hi.

Thank you so much for having me tonight.

I have been on the job for a few months, actually since February, but there has been a lot of progress and a lot of changes been that have taken place over the last few years.

A few like a decade ago, when the film incentive program first came out with Governor Steve Beshear, there was a real build and a lot of momentum happening in our industry here in the bluegrass.

When that incentive went away, it really decimated that progress that was happening.

It really hurt our creative community.

It really hurt this creative sector.

And then when Governor Andy Beshear signed the new incentive and opened the Kentucky Film Office again, we had this bill passed in the legislature.

So it is a part of our Kentucky statute now, and it's really stable.

It's one of the top programs in the United States, and it's getting the eye of the industry that is, every year, increasingly looking at new places and leaving those traditional production hubs like the coasts.

>> Yeah, we're going to talk a lot more about that incentive program as we go along.

But briefly just talk about how the how that program helps a production company financially.

>> Yes.

So our program is a 30 to 35% fully refundable tax incentive.

And unlike some programs where you have to get a credit that you you have to sell, we are giving you a fully refundable check.

And it's a, a really generous package for creatives because the financing side of things is the toughest part of getting these creative projects made.

And we want those projects made in the United States, and we definitely want them made in the bluegrass, where we have an incredible crew and we have incredible locations, and we have a lot to offer this industry.

>> We have a graphic that shows a little bit about how impactful the film industry has been for the state.

If we can show that, we see that since 2022, the production companies have spent $795 million in Kentucky, more than 270 productions have been incentivized.

There is $75 million available every year for those incentive packages spread among those companies.

And we say that 27,000 jobs have been created.

The source for this is film kentucky.org which is the film office's website.

And you can find a lot more information on there back here in Lexington.

David Cottingham, can you talk a little bit about how this incentive program has been a game changer?

>> Yeah, I think the the biggest thing about it is, is, is the job creation for sure.

And I think, you know, not not many people know about the film industry and really how it works.

And I think what we've been doing a lot of is educating the communities on the impact that that the film industry does, because it, you know, there's, there's a perception that it's glamorous, it's Hollywood, and it's untouchable.

But every part of us work in that industry in some way in bringing it here, you're creating jobs.

But not just that for the people that are working on it, but vendors, you know, construction people, caterers and things like that.

You know, it's uplifting everybody.

It has a has a massive impact.

I mean, you show some of that on there, but there's a longer list of things that it really touches.

So, you know, there's, there's, there's just ways that we can talk about it a little bit better.

I think that to really show the people that, you know, in all different types of communities around Kentucky, how it impacts not just because you're working on it, but there's ways that everybody can contribute.

And it just helps.

It just helps sparks all kinds of, of spending and, and, and economic impact.

>> Yeah.

Well, your company Wrigley Media Group produced a video to explain the incentive package in simple terms, featuring actor Steve Zahn, who makes his home in Central Kentucky.

Let's take a look at part of that promotional video.

>> In Kentucky.

Long Term productions will find low overhead and a deep talent pool of production professionals with a location to fit every crazy idea you can come up with.

Even castles Kentucky stands above the competition.

>> Okay, making it in Kentucky is starting to make a lot of sense.

But what if you have $1 million shiny floor game show concept or a daytime talker?

I guess you got to shoot that in Atlanta or Connecticut or New Mexico, right?

Tons of traffic clogged studios and a watered down tax incentive.

>> Oh, here's another thing, Kentucky.

We got studio facilities.

We got soundstages.

We have post-production houses, and there are going to be a lot less expensive to use.

And there's no traffic getting there.

There's really great people, really nice.

Plenty of bourbon to go around.

Oh, did I mention to get a check at the end?

[MUSIC] Just saying.

Okay, look, the truth is, productions are going to move to wherever the incentives are and wherever it's affordable and easy to make high quality content.

Let's take the entire United States, make a short list of every state that offers a film incentive.

The rest of them, out of this conversation of the remaining states, only seven offer a refundable incentive.

That means if you spend qualified dollars on production in those states, then you will get a check back when you're done.

For a percentage of your in-state spend.

That's the key.

A refund, not a credit or promise or bureaucratic logjam.

A check with your name on it.

Now, of the seven states that offered this amazing opportunity, only one offers a 30 to 35% refund.

That's a fact.

And that state is Kentucky.

Look at that map again.

We're kind of right in the middle of everything.

Got New York, Chicago, Atlanta are all just quick hop away.

Kentucky is less than a day's drive from 50% of the U.S.

population, so you can't miss us.

We have the talent.

We have.

Insane four season locations that can double for almost anywhere in the world.

We have the facilities, so you can ramp up quickly if you have any questions about the Kentucky incentive locations, crew or studios, whatever, give us a shout.

So why don't you just shoot it all in Kentucky?

>> And I know that's what you all would say.

Why don't you just shoot it all in Kentucky?

Let's go back into Louisville to Justin Brown, who is a finance guy.

And you help these production companies get the money to do these projects.

You're familiar with other states.

What other states do?

Why do you say Kentucky's program is one of the best?

>> Well, there's two important things.

When you have a tax incentive, right?

There's the amount of the tax incentive, but then there's the nature of the tax incentive, right?

So tax credits can be refundable.

They can be transferable.

Some states do rebates.

So there's lots of different ways that you can create an incentive.

And some of those are better than others.

What makes them better very candidly is your ability to finance those things.

Kentucky's credit is not only between 30 and 35%, depending on where you're shooting it, but Kentucky's credit is readily monetizable by somebody like myself, like bespoke production capital, because it is a refundable tax credit.

So that means that it's a very easy credit to lend against.

It makes it very easy to finance.

And so if you're a producer and you're looking to shoot someplace, it's not just about what is the actual credit and the amount that you're getting back.

It's how easy is it for someone like me to finance that for you up front so that you can produce your movie?

I think Kentucky right now is one of the best, if not the best state right now.

When it comes to the monetization of those tax credits.

And that's not that's not just the homer in me, it's the math works on it better here than just about any place else.

>> Yes.

So as a lender, you know that there's a check coming at the end.

So it's easier for you to lend to people.

You don't have to wait for box office receipts or, you know, to see how see how a movie performs.

You already know there's going to be that money at the end.

And that has to take away some risks for you.

>> 100%.

There's, you know, there's a lot of ways to look at how you finance a film, right?

There's people who take who finance a film and they take risk on that movie.

Making money at the box office.

And there's other folks who do what I do, which is take risk on whether or not the film is going to get shot here.

It's going to get complete and all the things are going to get done the right way to ensure that the credit gets received.

It's two different types of financing.

Both are massively important to making the industry work.

The better the tax credit is, the more monetization monetizable it is, then the more of your capital stack for your movie budget can come from someone like me, and you need less risk capital on whether or not the movie is going to make money to, to get it done right.

It's what makes our credit so good.

It's what makes shooting here so good.

It's admittedly what makes me kind of boring, right?

Because I'm just the banker for the film.

But it is a massively important part of any film budget, especially more and more as the the financial incentives that go into where you can shoot a movie are really what's driving the decisions now of where of where you are shooting those movies much more than locations, certainly than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

>> Okay, let's bring in Kristi Kilday from the Western Kentucky Film Commission.

Kristy, how are you able to prove to people who want to shoot a movie here that it's just as good to do it here as it is in Hollywood?

>> Great question.

Every project, as Justin was just talking about, requires a tax incentive and there's not a movie or TV show that you're seeing out right now that doesn't have one.

And I am primarily working in Western Kentucky from Paducah to Bowling Green.

And so I'm not Louisville, I'm not Lexington.

I'm not the easy part of the state to, to sell in.

And so I have more of the rural section of Kentucky.

But there's a lot of really amazing attributes in that part of the the state to be able to sell.

We just had a movie come in that was a suspense thriller for young adults.

So 20 something year old young adults that happen in Paducah.

And we searched all over Western Kentucky looking for a mansion.

You don't think mansion, Western Kentucky immediately.

That's usually not first to come to mind, but it's here.

The locations are here, and Kentucky's not always what you think it is.

It's not just horses and grass and bourbon.

This city in Paducah could double for anything.

The state can double for anything.

Literally anything at all.

It's much more expansive than one would think it is.

I move from LA three years ago to Kentucky thinking it was one way, and it's a completely a different other way.

And that's what I'm able to sell to people like take a look, send me your script, show me what you have, and we can show you all the different variety of locations that we do have available.

That's going to fit your budget.

We have a soundstage in Owensboro as well.

So if we don't have a New York skyline, we can make one in our volume studio on a virtual production set.

So there's literally nothing in the world we can actually be in space in Owensboro, Kentucky, that cannot happen in Kentucky.

>> And we'll talk some more about the fun of finding these locations, too, as we go along.

Also, we have to have the workforce, and that's where I'm going to turn to Doctor Jim Owens, your students study production and you have a very well known program there at Asbury University.

Do you find people are now calling you more and more often to to want to use your students when they bring their productions?

Here?

>> They are 25 years ago, when we began offering some courses in film, if a student was serious about film, they left the state.

When they graduated, they just.

There wasn't enough here to keep them busy.

And that is slowly changing, which is pretty exciting to see them decide this is home and they're going to stay here.

But more and more of our grads, some of them are moving back and others are just finding work finally, that they really love to do.

>> Yeah.

And students are going out on these productions to work sometimes, or maybe as internships, even just to observe.

It's good just to make those connections, isn't it?

>> Yeah.

And the film companies have been very positive and open about providing those experiences.

Some of the films they've really taken on mentoring the students and helping them move ahead.

So that's it's been a really good experience for our students.

>> Yeah.

Well, this bill, which that started the film office, was Senate Bill number one last year.

It was introduced by Senator Phillip Wheeler of Pikeville and strongly supported by Senate President Robert Stivers.

They saw what was happening with the film industry in states such as Georgia, new Jersey and New Mexico.

Last week, our Emily Prince had a chance to talk to Senator Stivers about his support.

>> President Stivers, thank you for sitting down with us, and let's talk a little bit about the film industry.

>> It's a fun thing to talk about.

>> All right.

So why did you push so hard for wanting to see this industry really come to fruition?

And what's your assessment of how it's progressed along so far?

>> Well, first of all, a lot of people don't realize we had it here.

There just was no structure around it.

We had tax codes, tax incentives to bring film to Kentucky.

And when you think about our economy, we're heavy on agriculture.

We're heavy on manufacturing.

You generally like to diversify.

And so this was another way to create an industry that would bring and attract or keep people here.

And that's one of the biggest reasons.

Plus get the opportunity to create a narrative, shed a light, create an image for Kentucky through the film industry.

>> And you mentioned incentives, and there are some tax incentives available to folks in the film industry.

What is your argument as far as why that is deserved for the film industry?

>> Well, like any other industry, we've had some other conversations.

We're in a competitive society that people are wanting to try to attract these jobs, and we have certain things that make us attractive, like our tax rate.

But then we have other states that have very attractive tax codes.

So you've seen Georgia has really taken off, and it's become one of the top film areas in the world.

A lot of things are moving out of Los Angeles because they have a terrible type of scenario.

The Marvel movies are all now being done in London, England, and so they want that ecosystem that is most conducive to them to bring the jobs and opportunity to that area.

And that's why virtually everybody does some type of incentive package for whatever industry you're looking at.

>> So there may be other impacts too, beyond just, you know, the money that comes from this.

Talk about that too.

>> Well, when you do a film, people see places the films are done for my generation, everybody wants to go see where Rocky ran up the steps in Philadelphia, just got back from Scotland.

The Outlander series.

They're saying they're seeing increased.

People come there because they want to see where these places that Outlander was filmed.

So if you can create that image and we talked about that a little bit earlier, you create that image.

People want to see where these places are, that certain items are being filmed and they want to visit.

So they see an uptick, which helps your hotel, motel, restaurant industry, airports, all that.

So it has a secondary impact of creating a positive image that people want to come visit.

>> And you have received some recognition for your role in this industry.

The Motion Picture Association industry's champion award.

Tell us a little bit about how that came about, and what did it mean to receive that?

>> Well, it's really a great honor because as I understand it, I'm the first person at the state level in any state to receive this recognition.

So I'm going to Washington next week, and I will be recognized along with the producer of The Hunger Games.

There is a creative award.

He is getting that myself and United States Senator Raphael Warnock out of Georgia will be in the same vein as a promoter of the industry.

And then the Egyptian government, because they busted up a pirating group in the Middle East, which protects those creative rights.

They are going to be recognized in Washington for their contribution of protecting the industry.

Promotion, production, creativity and protection.

And so it's quite an honor to be recognized like that.

>> It sounds like quite an array of people that are going to be there.

>> Wow.

It is, it is.

And it's and, and I'll say, I just got back to, to be with those people and think about how they've gone into other areas and how they're promoting their states and regions.

It's really great.

>> Well, congratulations to you for that award.

And thank you for discussing this with us.

>> Glad to.

>> And Meg Fister, I know you're going to be there when Senator Stivers receives that award.

That does say a lot about how the state is getting attention in the film industry, doesn't it?

>> It really does.

I think that people are excited that Kentucky is here and is dependable.

We have such a diversity of looks that is such an asset for producers, and I think people are really recognizing that, you know, the the looks that you can get within 60 miles in Kentucky is so hard to get if you're in a big state like Texas or California.

And so I think people are excited that we have such momentum here.

And I think the Motion Picture Association really wants to recognize that and spotlight Kentucky.

>> Yeah.

And Meg, I know you're not a lawmaker, but you've sat in on a lot of hearings and you've talked to a lot of lawmakers.

One argument against this might be that we're giving too much favoritism to one industry.

Too much tax money goes to one industry.

What do you say to people who have those concerns?

>> Well, I think what President Stivers was alluding to was how this industry really is like almost an octopus.

You know, we have our tentacles and our reach that is far beyond what you see on camera.

I think what happens with pre-production, production and post-production is all economic impact.

And then it continues as people connect to these stories and to what they're seeing on their screens, they want to visit and they want to come, you know, screen tourism is a huge driver for us.

And so I think what we're seeing is that, yes, this incentive is intended for the film industry, but the film industry impacts so many of our industries in the Commonwealth.

And you're seeing that in our hardware stores.

You're seeing that in our restaurants, you're seeing that in our hospitality industry, and you're seeing that as far as uplifting and telling what and who Kentucky really is.

>> Yeah.

And Justin is there with you, Justin, you may want to build on that a little bit and say more about return on investment.

>> Yeah, I was just going to say, you know, piggybacking off of what Meg was saying, the the great thing about the incentive is that the nature of a tax credit means that producers have to they have to come to the state, they have to hire crew, they have to spend money here.

They have to they have to pay wages.

They have to pay Kentucky withholding taxes.

They have to rent equipment.

They have to pay locations.

They have to come here and do all of those things.

And that has to be verified.

And it's only after that process happens where they have come, they have done the project, they have spent that money, they have paid Kentucky taxes.

It's only then that they that they actually earn their incentive.

And I think that's what makes this so powerful.

Right?

Is the the incentive is there.

But it's only earned after you have done the thing.

You have made the production here, right.

It also is something that galvanizes the private sector as well, not only increasing jobs, but, you know, bringing in financiers like me to try to make these things happen, right?

It puts the risk on the private sector as opposed to the public sector to watch this industry grow.

And I think that's a that's a powerful thing.

Yeah.

>> I want to talk now a lot about the locations that we offer, why the state is so diverse.

I'm going to bring David and Christie in on that in a minute.

But as a way to set this up, I'd like to show this video from film Lex film Lex is the film bureau in Lexington.

It produced a video showing a variety of Central Kentucky locations that can double as someplace else.

Again, it features actor Steve Zahn, along with his business partner, director Rick Gomez.

Let's take a look at a portion of that video, starting with how the Kentucky Castle could be the setting for a medieval battle scene.

>> So what about if you wanted to do like, a true Detective sort of cop movie cop story?

Oh, yeah.

You could do.

>> That.

>> I'm trying to find my.

>> Pen and my pad of paper.

I've got the pen and paper.

No, they're my clues.

I'm not gonna give you my clues.

They're yours.

What are you doing?

Clues.

Don't write down what I'm saying.

[MUSIC] Saying.

Oh, dude.

Nothing.

>> What about horror.

>> Movie?

I'm in.

>> Why would you do that?

>> There's a big cave.

If you want to.

>> Do a.

>> Post-apocalyptic sci fi has underground supper going so far?

It's going pretty good.

Yeah.

Do do we have a can opener?

[MUSIC] I'll be right back.

I got a flashlight.

That's a light for the camera.

[MUSIC] You could walk from the heart of downtown.

Couple blocks, and you could shoot a Revolutionary War movie.

The British are coming.

[MUSIC] What?

British?

[MUSIC] The British, British actors are coming here to shoot movies because of the tax rebate and the cool locations.

>> So that's a small example.

The rest of that video you can find on YouTube, and it shows a lot more examples over in Western Kentucky, Christy, is it a challenge for you?

And and maybe it's even a fun challenge for you to fight, to try to find the locations people are seeking.

>> It is, I mean, our job is first to educate people about the incentive.

And we have an amazing incentive, one of the best in the country.

But at the end of the day, people still need to make their movie or TV series and they need to make it creatively the best that they possibly can.

So sending a script over and saying, this is my vision, this is what I'm looking for.

And it can be anything in the entire world that they're looking for.

Literally from a mansion to a building that looks like somewhere that an Apple iPhone would be made, that's completely white and stark and know all glass like it's, it's an interesting expedition to try █to cities within Western Kentucky, and I have great partners within those cities.

So to be able to say, okay, guys, here's what everybody is looking for and send it out to the cities and get them excited about what the opportunities are and have them dig up these amazing gems within their cities because they know it better than anybody does.

And then to have filmmakers so surprised at what can be done here has been such an amazing feeling.

>> Yeah.

And you told me workforce is a problem for you sometimes too.

You may have to go to Nashville to find the crews, so it's encouraging to you that there are programs like the one at Asbury that is that are, that are growing and making it possible for people to stay here in.

>> The Asbury.

So happy to see Doctor Owens today.

Asbury is one of the greatest in state for film schools, as well as KU.

We use them extensively.

You know, we were talking earlier about economic impact, and this is where, you know, working in Western Kentucky, I'm covering a three hour radius from Paducah to Bowling Green.

So when you talk about economic impact, we just had the project in Paducah.

I don't have crew in Paducah, so I had to bring 60 crew members into Paducah.

Those people all had to be housed along with the crew or the cast that came in from LA.

The producers that came in from LA, that production spent almost $200,000 just in hotels.

And then on top of that, those people all lived in Paducah for 60 days.

They went to bars excessively.

They went out and ate in restaurants.

They did.

They lived there.

They filled up their gas tanks.

So there was endless opportunities.

Admits that we were able to bring in people from KU who were recent graduates, who now had the opportunity to work on a $5 million production, which is a major production.

It's a larger size production for anybody to be able to work on and to give them that opportunity to say like, okay, here's what it's going to look like to get to the next level was a blessing to be able to do that for them.

This is our workforce.

My goal wasn't to come here and bring everybody up from Nashville or to bring everybody in from LA.

Like, it's an amazing gift that the state has allowed 30% on out of state workers, but the goal is to have as many Kentucky residents working on these projects as possible.

And that's the mission, right?

And it's not just film people.

There's transferable skills amidst all of this.

So we will hire at my soundstage, we hire real construction workers to build our sets, guys who build houses, we've taught them how to build sets on our soundstage.

It's just, okay, it's a little less permanent than what you're doing when you build a real house.

But that's employing people within the Owensboro community rather than being like, all right, let me bring up people from Nashville who are have a long laundry list of credits.

So this is what we're trying to do to move this forward.

>> Yeah.

>> Jim has this new focus on the film industry in the state impacted interest in enrolling in production classes at Asbury.

>> It has the program has grown.

I think I've also been excited, though, to see growth at other schools.

There are seven of us.

I think seven different schools that have been working together to come up with a basic curriculum that can be the basis for a certification so that when film companies come in, they'll know that those students already have gained some experience and aren't coming in green like the first time ever on a set.

But it has helped us.

It's helped us build out equipment and facilities.

So it's it's been an exciting time.

>> Yeah.

And David, we talk about these locations around the state and how diverse they are, but also inside the walls of your studio, you can create some amazing environments.

Talk about that.

>> Yeah.

I think, you know, that's the beauty of having stages as well as an option.

You know, producers are looking for options and we, you know, that's again, another thing that is behind the scenes.

A lot of people don't know.

I mean, you spend months trying to sell Kentucky and sell locations and how the whole package is going to work because it's not just about the location.

They could decide to do it in the studio at Black Studios, where we have in Lexington here, or, you know, where Christy's at, or Northern Kentucky, but you have to then package it together with the crew and how much you know, are going to be out of state in state, it's just it's a lot of work.

And, you know, locations, you know, just to piggyback off everybody, I mean, Kentucky, we always talk about the four seasons of Kentucky because, you know, movies aren't just shot in the summer, right?

And movies don't just always take place in the summer.

So you have to have good fall colors, good spring colors.

Kentucky has that.

And there's so many, so many producers that want that variety and want that.

They don't mind working in the cold as long as it looks exactly what it needs to add to the script.

So, so yeah, so we're here helping mainly in the prep side.

I think Christy does a lot too.

It's like, that's the value I think we can do because a lot of these producers aren't from here.

So they need us to kind of do the work for them in the front side of it, to show them all the places that that they can take advantage of here in Kentucky.

And that's why that's why I think everybody coming here.

>> Yeah.

Well, the facilities are impressive.

They are here now to accommodate so many types of productions, such as Lex Studios, which is the largest production facility in the state.

Our Laura Rogers recently visited there to get a behind the scenes look.

>> Thank you so much.

I am Doctor Cass and I am a microbiologist and a doctor as well.

So very smart girl.

>> I'm playing Doctor Marcus Webb.

He is a lunar geologist specializing in moon rocks.

>> Chris Maher and Jessica Buck are two of the actors in the upcoming film Moon People, alongside Hollywood stars like Jena Malone, Dermot Mulroney and Mekhi Phifer.

>> It's amazing having something like this and being able to film the whole movie in one place is incredible.

>> That one place is Lex Studios, a former movie theater converted into a soundstage.

>> Kentucky passed a really good incentive law that is really favorable to producers, and it's starting to pay off in productions are coming here.

>> Tim Szabo says.

At least 10 to 15 projects a year are filmed here.

Some local, but many from out of state.

>> It's just a great environment.

I mean, it's one where I'm like, I want to make more movies here.

I want to come here and keep making movies.

>> April Campion is the line producer on Moon People shooting here for three weeks.

>> My friends and my undergrad film school, they all went to Asbury.

I've heard a lot about Lexington, and one of my really good friends grew up in Lexington, and it's just a beautiful city.

>> A city that the cast and crew get to explore when they're not on set.

An example of the production's economic impact.

>> I've had a chance to go to a few restaurants.

I might have experienced a bit of bourbon, maybe just a little bit.

>> The town around the studio is so cute, have so many places to go, so I'm really enjoying it.

>> Along with patronizing area businesses, there are also production needs that require local spending.

>> We're hiring crew people.

We are renting cars, we're renting trucks, we're staying in hotels.

>> Yeah, about 30 locals are also working on moon people, including costume designer Grace Welsh.

>> It's so fun to make a mood board.

I am so grateful that we get to shoot so many films here.

It's let me travel all over the beautiful state.

I've been to, the mountains, I've been to the.

The flat river lands.

I've been to Northern Kentucky, southern Kentucky, Lexington, Louisville, Maysville, Cave City.

>> And the people who live in those communities are often thrilled when Hollywood comes calling.

>> You do not find the hospitality that you get in Kentucky, and I'm hearing stories about the whole town showing up in Paris to be extras for a Christmas movie that's just exciting.

That's not a common occurrence.

That's very unique to Kentucky.

>> Who is this house for.

>> As line producer April Campion is responsible for keeping the production on track, managing the budget and payroll.

She says it's much less expensive to make movies in Kentucky than California.

>> The incentive is 3,030% for out-of-state crew, 35% for local, and 30% for qualified spends.

And then now it's 30% on fringes, which means anything union related, including SAG and fringes.

We get 30% of that back.

>> It helps provide more resources, allows us to expand our budget, and just gives us more flexibility to create quality product.

>> In 2025, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill one, providing some updates to the original Film Tax Credit bill, which includes establishing the Kentucky Film Office.

We did ask what other improvements the industry would like to see.

April Campion mentioned an easier application process.

>> It's definitely a little complex, but I like a challenge.

So I mean, I'm okay with the challenge, but other individuals, it needs a little help because it takes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to actually go through the entire process online.

And then you have to make adjustments after that.

>> It's always a work in progress.

And the good thing I will say about the state of Kentucky is they're always looking to make the incentive better.

>> Give me a fist bump.

>> But all in all, those on this set say making a movie in Kentucky is out of this world for KET.

I'm Laura Rogers.

>> So there you see David you can replicate an outer space movie here in Lexington.

>> Yeah, you can, you can pretty much do that.

Technology has gone, you know, way, way past anything we can imagine right now.

But yeah, there's plenty of space.

There's three stages there plus the whole building actually can be represented at all doctors offices.

We shoot a lot of crime shows there that we've done.

So cells and you know, prisons and cop shops and things like that are all built there.

So a lot of variety, a lot of a lot of ways to, to, to make your movie.

>> There or out of state crews kind of shocked and surprised when they walk in there for the first time.

>> They are.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

And again, you know, the more you do here, they just want stability.

You know, the more you can prove that you're, you're creating product here.

The faster they'll get here and plant a flag and live in Kentucky, therefore becoming 35% versus 30%.

>> Christie.

We're seeing a lot of these Hallmark Christmas movies being made around the state, things by the great American Family Channel in small towns.

They've been made in Paris in Maysville and Bardstown and Henderson and and many more places.

And one of the neat things I think the crews have said is that they really appreciate the community support.

People here.

Don't mind that that they have to take detours and that streets are closed down and they come out and they want to see things.

And are you hearing that a lot from folks that are just surprised at how welcome they are?

>> You asked the right question to the right person.

I am the Christmas queen.

If I could do a Christmas movie every month, I would.

So I have direct experience with what you're talking about.

I did a Christmas movie in Owensboro two years ago in Henderson this year, and the amount of support that the community gave us was profound.

Owensboro and Henderson both left up their Christmas lights well into February.

We had 3500 people apply to be background talent both years in Owensboro and Henderson.

Those aren't very large towns to be pulling in 3500 people wanting to show up to be part of this.

And last year we had our premiere at River Park Center in Owensboro, and we had almost a thousand people show up for the movie premiere because they were so excited to see their town on screen.

>> And it's often the hottest day of the year when they shoot these Christmas movies, right?

>> Ironically, we are like the any time there's a snowstorm in Kentucky, most likely I'm filming a Christmas movie.

So the past two years have been the years, the, the weeks that we have had the big snowstorms.

So that was this year and last year.

So you can thank us for that.

So yes, but yes, oftentimes there is a lot of sun and you have to pretend like you're cold in other months of.

>> The year.

Yeah.

Jim, is there some kind of message board where you can keep up with these kind of things and send students out to observe.

>> They build networks, you know, but yes, we do get messages and we put out signals through the social media to our students and say, this is available, but you're going to have to move on it because and it never is convenient.

It's always at the worst time.

And we just basically say, welcome to Life.

>> Yeah, let's go back to Louisville.

Meg, one of the things we heard in that last report was that one of the persons wished that the paperwork would be a little less complicated.

Is that something that's being worked on or tweaked?

>> Yes.

Always.

You know, we are really adaptable and friendly.

State.

So we're always trying to make the experience better.

We want to be a production partner to these producers, but I will say that one of the benefits of having an extensive application process is that we're doing the upfront work.

So that on the back end, we're setting these productions up for success.

We're making sure that there's a real return on investment for the Commonwealth, and we're making sure that the experience for the producers that they know what to expect, they know what how the incentive works so that the back end is really quick.

You know, we're one of the fastest states to turn around your incentive check.

And that's a huge benefit.

Some states are taking two years to issue that check, and we're getting checks out the door in 3 to 6 months.

>> Meg.

In 2018, Governor Matt Bevin wanted to suspend the tax incentive program that was in place.

Then, because I think we were going to pay out about $400 million that year, which was a lot more than they expected.

So now you have this $75 cap or $75 million cap.

Did that make it you know, easier to pass with lawmakers.

And is that cap something that may be adjusted as we see how successful or unsuccessful the program is?

>> Yeah, I think whenever producers see a cap, it's a deterrent.

And so it is something that we are navigating and our legislature is very open to discussing it.

You know, the incentive for the last few years had not hit the cap.

And so I think there wasn't a real appetite to make that change, to increase it.

But we are projected to hit it this year, and we are only growing.

And so I think they're excited to see that.

And they've done other things that are allowing us to recoup unused funds or for projects that didn't happen.

So we are able to keep attracting projects.

But I think I am really cognizant as the film office, to make sure that we are prioritizing projects all year long so that our crew is working all year long.

We don't want to go after a massive film at the beginning of the year that bankrupts us for the rest of the year.

I want this to be a sector that is growing and that keeps people in high paying jobs all year long.

>> We know we have this active commission in Western Kentucky, and things are active here in Central Kentucky.

But Senator Stivers and Wheeler are from Eastern Kentucky, so I know they would like to make sure they're getting a lot of the action.

How are efforts going toward getting projects in that part of the state?

Meg.

>> They're great.

I mean, what's what's awesome about Eastern Kentucky is how gorgeous it is.

And it's some place that you wouldn't be able to replicate easily on a soundstage.

And so I think people are excited to go film there.

Our communities in Eastern Kentucky are wonderful.

We have such great communities and they're really open to this industry.

And so we're building off of the momentum and the success of this program.

I'm out in Eastern Kentucky in October, meeting with our tourism partners, meeting with our economic development partners and mayors, and really trying to make sure that our municipalities and our towns are set up for production success.

So we're creating a lot of toolkits for production readiness.

So that when producers want to come shoot in those beautiful towns, they know what they need to do and that those towns have a great experience.

When the producers come.

>> Yeah.

And Justin, some of the states have eliminated their tax credit programs.

Are you hearing from people who are going to go maybe to North Carolina or Louisiana?

The money wasn't there.

And then they started to examine what Kentucky was about.

It took someone else pulling the program away before they found us.

>> Well, there's it's not that other states are doing away with their credits.

It's that it's that one.

I think Kentucky has a very good reputation as a as a good place to do business and as having a good credit.

That credit has gotten that much better thanks to the efforts of Meg, I might add.

And our representatives.

Right.

It's gotten that much easier to use.

It's gotten that much more valuable.

And, you know, I'm going to I'm going to give Meg some kudos here and back her up a little bit.

The line producer that talked about the application process.

Well, Kelly, it's supposed to be a little hard, right?

You don't want fly by night productions coming in and there is a, there is paperwork that you have to do on the front side.

As our credits gotten better, it makes sure that we're getting better productions.

And it also makes sure.

I might add that, you know, it is that much easier on the back end, right?

Because of the fact that we do all of that work on the front end, because there is the, the paperwork and all the things that have to be done.

It means that one, it's, it's more certain.

It means it's set, it's set aside that money is reserved for the producer, which is a pretty good thing.

And ultimately, I might add that once the production has been shot and the incentive has been earned, it is that much more quicker to come.

And what I can tell you is there's a lot of states out there where you go and you get you fill out a little thing online and you get a little slip of paper and it's like, well, I guess I'm approved for it.

And you don't know what you're doing.

And, you know, as everyone knows, uncertainty is a thing that kills deals.

And so what Kentucky gives you is certainty.

It gives you certainty for the taxpayers to know that these are good productions coming here, because there are some hoops to jump through.

It gives the producers certainty to know that that credit is there and reserved for them.

And certainly it helps out financiers like myself by giving us the certainty to know that the credits there, and that if everything is done the right way, it's going to come through in a timely fashion.

So yeah, I think great job to the Kentucky Film Commission and to Meg.

So.

>> All right.

Well, film Lex, we have these local bureaus that also help to do some of the work on the ground that you need as far as concierge services, almost to helping with the food and the hotels and things.

Film.

Lex has said it has identified 85 people who have moved here from Los Angeles in the past three years, and they all work full time in the film industry.

Does that surprise you, David?

>> Not at all.

You know, we talked about that, you know, already, as long as the program keeps growing, as long as there's a majority of productions that keep going to come here and there's stability with, with the producers that want to come here, there's going to be jobs.

And I think, I mean, 85 seems actually kind of low to what I'm hearing.

I'm hearing a lot of people moving here, not just from California also, but you're talking about these other states that are, you know, tweaking their their incentive program.

You know, Georgia, obviously there's a lot of people coming from from Atlanta.

There's Louisiana, North Carolina, there's there's a lot of people in those industries that are just seeing it, you know, kind of taper off a little bit and need that new opportunity.

And Kentucky is that new opportunity for sure.

>> Christy, you're not a native Kentuckian.

Did you come here just to work in the film industry?

>> I did, I did when I first moved here, everyone in Louisville was like, do you know this person from Louisville that lives in LA?

And I'd say, no.

And they keep getting the question AST and alt and AST.

And so they'd be like, let me introduce you.

So I'd call back and they'd be like, please make this incentive happen, because all I want to do is come home.

I want to come home and work in the industry that I love so much.

And over the three years that I've been here, I've seen more and more of those people come back.

And it's also been so refreshing working with the students that are in the film programs, to be able to say to them and look them in the face and be like, you don't have to leave and go to a major market.

You can stay home.

Because most people in the state, which is a true testament to the amazingness of the state, don't want to leave.

They don't want to leave and go to New York.

They don't want to leave and go to Atlanta or LA.

They want to stay here.

It's just that there weren't job opportunities.

Now there are.

And so the fact that they can do what they love and live where they love is magical for them.

>> Jim, you have amazing facilities there at Asbury University.

I don't know if that's mostly just for student productions or if outsiders can come and use those facilities if people haven't seen them.

It's like a movie set, almost there in your building and almost like a museum even.

There are props there from from classic movies.

But is it open to outside productions too?

>> It is.

We try to bring in 1 to 2 movies a year, and part of the trade with the companies is they can use our facilities, they could use our equipment if they wanted.

In return, they need to mentor students.

So it's provided a great training ground and they get to see working professionals on projects so that and even talking about people moving back to LA, that's really helped us with faculty because I've had people who come back for the film industry that we're able to tap.

Then to help prepare our students for the industry as well.

>> Yeah.

You've always had film festivals there and things like you say, where you bring in guests, is it easier now to find guest speakers because there are so many people around us in the industry?

>> It has helped.

Yes.

It's always good to have local people we can grab.

>> Yeah, no doubt other states are looking at what we do in Kentucky.

Let's go back to Megan and talk a little bit about that.

The do you think it's important for us to stay on top of the game and ahead of the game, because more and more people are going to be looking at doing similar programs.

>> Yes.

I think, you know, there were a lot of programs in existence before Kentucky is like Georgia.

And I think for me coming into this role, it's not about catching up to those programs, but it's about looking at what's next, what's next for our industry.

A lot has changed in the last decade.

It's going to continue to change as technology advances, such like at a rapid pace.

And as we continue to see more and more productions go overseas, I want to think about where do we position Kentucky?

How do film commissions evolve to really support this sector and support our creatives living and working here?

>> Yeah.

Meg, also, we've talked about the facilities here in Lexington and at Asbury.

There are plenty of studios in Louisville as well.

In fact, a big projects underway right now to convert the old Louisville Gardens into a giant studio.

That's the famous concert sports venue.

Talk a little bit about, you know, just about that growth you're seeing there in our largest city.

>> Yeah, we're seeing a lot of exciting projects like the like the Louisville Gardens happening in Louisville.

And I think what it it's really telling our industry that we are capable of supporting all types of production.

Now, you know, we have, yes, a lot of indie projects in the 5 to 30 million that don't use soundstages because they can get things on location.

But now we also have the infrastructure here in the Commonwealth to support projects that maybe could sit down for a while.

I think one of the top priorities for me is to attract a Kentucky identifiable series.

You know, I want our NCIS New Orleans.

I want our Chicago P.D.

I want it here in Kentucky.

And so having this infrastructure investment by some of our major cities.

But even by some of our smaller cities is a huge part of that package of attracting those productions here.

And then we'll see such a an uplift to our industry just from notoriety, from that, you know, yes.

I like to say that Kentucky can be anything.

And as long as you're on a soundstage, we can be desert and we can be outer space.

But I want us to also be Kentucky in shows and in films.

>> Yeah.

>> You.

>> What's good for Kentucky is good for Kentucky.

>> Too.

Yeah.

>> David.

And, and Christy, you can both relate to this or talk about this.

We're not always talking about big blockbuster productions either.

There are a lot of independent projects.

Maybe their budgets, $1 million or less.

They are looking to do things here, probably more and more.

Just talk a little bit about how there's a growth with these small productions.

>> Yeah, I think that's where it really started, you know, because the, you know, again, we were talking about earlier the changes that have been made, like fringes counting and things like that, like that wasn't really attractive for big budget productions, you know, low budget productions that don't really have to worry about that.

They are looking for that incentive to, to help them fill that gap in because typically they would have to get a loan, you know, from like Justin or from us.

And, and to fill that gap and to get, get the movie going.

So that was the big push I feel like for the first couple of years was it was all million dollar movies, you know, or even less.

Now we're seeing that big shift now and, you know, we're dealing with three, four, five, $10 million movies now.

And it's really exciting to, to be a part of for that.

>> Yeah.

And these incentives are available for also for people to do commercials, TV shows for video game producers, even.

Right.

>> And the other great thing about the Million dollar producers is they tend to be prolific.

So they keep coming back.

So they will have deals with networks like a lifetime, a great American family, a hallmark where they fall in love with Kentucky.

And so they keep coming back and keep coming back.

And so they become a fabric of the state.

And it helps.

And so even though it's smaller budget projects, they return repeatedly.

I can think of a half a dozen people who are doing that right now.

And that's made us be able to get to the point that we're at right now because we want repeat customers.

We want them to continue to come back.

>> Yeah.

You talked about doing a lot of Christmas movies.

What about horror movies?

It seems like there are a lot of those made.

>> There are a lot of horror.

>> Movies.

I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to that.

But yes, there are an awful lot of horror movies here.

We have great landscape to do, horror films here and, you know, horror is resilient in our industry.

It is always, always sells to distributors.

And consumers want to see it.

And we are prime position for great horror locations from woods and homes and all of those things.

But yeah, I get a little scared by those.

>> Yeah.

David we, I lost my thought there.

We.

I know what it was there.

There are also available opportunities for people here to monetize this by making their homes or their businesses available to filmmakers.

You find, you know, people they have they might have a nice home or a, or a particularly unique farm or something.

And they can make themselves available and make some money, can't they?

>> No, absolutely.

That's constantly.

We're always looking for, you know, locations to use houses, but also, you know, Airbnbs that, you know, to put crew up into because sometimes that ends up being a little cheaper sometimes than hotels or whatever.

But you can get isolated there and it can actually double for a location also.

So they're getting the benefit of housing people there as well as a location fee.

So yeah, there's, there's all kinds of opportunities.

It's not just the studios or the post-production and stuff like that.

There's, there's so many opportunities with the houses and farms and distilleries that people, you know, want to shoot at.

So huge opportunity to make some money.

>> Yeah.

I want to add something to that too.

And this is a plus for Meg.

Thank you, Meg, for doing this.

So film kentucky.org, everybody can go there.

It's not just for us filmmakers.

You can go there and you can list your house.

If you want to have your house to be a location to film in.

I can't tell you.

I get on a daily basis a half a dozen requests for homes to find.

And it's really challenging.

I've had to create a network of realtors that I work with to find homes that people will be willing to do.

Now, Meg's launched this amazing website that people can sign up and say, I'm willing to have my home in there.

And they're looking for literally everything.

So if you've got this not so great home, you mentioned horror movies that might be perfect for a not so great home.

If you have a beautiful mansion.

Also great.

So and everything in between farms, all of it.

It's there's a website and you can participate in this.

So this industry is really for everybody.

It's so many ways to participate in this.

In what we're doing.

>> Okay.

Well, I thank you all for being here.

We'll quickly announce again that the website film kentucky.org, that is the Kentucky Film Office website.

You can get a lot of information on there.

I appreciate all of you being here.

In conclusion, the film industry is experiencing a noticeable shift away from Los Angeles, largely because of high costs there and regulations that have taken some of the shine off of Tinseltown.

[MUSIC] There are a lot of people working to see the Kentucky gets a large share of the action by promoting our workforce, our facilities, location and financial incentives.

Thanks for being with us.

Join us each Monday night at 8:00 eastern, seven central for Kentucky.

Tonight.