Buzz building for B.R. film biz

The second half of 2012 was pretty slow for the film business, in Baton Rouge and elsewhere. But now pilot season is upon us, and Patrick Mulhearn, director of studio operations at Raleigh Studios Baton Rouge, says his phone is ringing off the hook. “If even a fraction of these films and TV pilots land here,” Mulhearn says, “2013 will blow the doors off every previous year in Baton Rouge.” Liza Kelso, assistant director with the Baton Rouge Film Commission, agrees that the buzz is picking up, although the commission doesn’t have any solid information to release yet. “It is exciting,” she says. “We’ve got a lot of stuff hovering, hopefully making a landing soon. We cannot wait.” Louisiana’s film business is heavily subsidized by state tax incentives, and the industry will watch the next legislative session closely to see whether tax reform entails changes to the incentive program. However, Mulhearn says he doesn’t think anyone believes the incentives are going away anytime soon, adding that any changes likely wouldn’t kick in until after July 1. He says film industry-related business owners looking to set up shop for the long term tend to view Gov. Bobby Jindal and LED Secretary Stephen Moret as pro-growth and pro-industry. —David Jacobs