North Carolina is concluding one of the strongest years ever in terms of film productions in the state, according to a news release from Gov. Pat McCrory’s office.
 
More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and were filmed in North Carolina in 2013, the release stated, adding that those productions amassed a record high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state’s 100 counties.
 
“In addition to our state’s beauty, we’ve developed the workforce and artists that make North Carolina an ideal place to produce quality projects efficiently,” said Governor McCrory.
 
Of the more than $254 million direct in-state spending on projects, at least 50 to 60 percent was spent by productions in the greater Wilmington area, said Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission.
 
“We would estimate the numbers for 2013 at between $130 million and $150 million,” Griffin said, while cautioning that these numbers are preliminary. “Sleepy Hollow is filming through the end of the year, so we don’t have final numbers. We prefer to put out our numbers in the new year so we don’t have to adjust them.”
 
Further information from the governor’s office indicates that film productions – including movie, television and advertising projects – created more than 4,000 crew positions and nearly 25,000 job opportunities for other state residents in the form of full-time equivalent and temporary jobs, including actors in named roles and extras.
 
“These numbers are the second-highest in the industry’s history for in-state spending by productions as well as total job opportunities created,” the release stated.

The news release recapped production activity, emphasizing the role of major television series: the summer’s top show "Under The Dome," this fall’s breakout series "Sleepy Hollow," the second season of Cinemax’s top series "Banshee," the third season of the award winning Showtime series "Homeland" and the final season of HBO’s "Eastbound and Down.” Of those, three were filmed in southeast North Carolina in the area covered by the Wilmington film office.
 
Studios have announced that “Under the Dome” and “Sleepy Hollow” will return to the Wilmington area to shoot their second seasons.
 
Of the eight feature films shot in the state this year, “Tammy” and “The Squeeze” were filmed locally, as were two of the three made-for-television movies: “Christmas in Conway” and “The Perfect Summer.”
 
National commercials for Mountain Dew, ESPN, NASCAR, Planters, Audi and Fiat also shot in the state, McCrory’s news release stated – noting that beyond the more than $254 million in direct spending, additional spending and job creation has taken place on numerous lower budget projects and commercials.

 “The past three years have produced unheralded numbers in direct in-state spending and job opportunities," N.C. Film Office director Aaron Syrett said in the news release. 
 
Griffin said that having the big-budget blockbuster “Iron Man 3” film in Wilmington in 2012 skewed the numbers for last year, but, even discounting the spending on that project, 2013 is looking good.
 
“’Iron Man’ spent $130 million, but we knew we still had a very good year last year in addition to ‘Iron Man,’” he said. “Without it this year, we are still doing very, very good business.”