Prospects for movies made in Nevada fade

In a summer of sequels and remakes, local film industry professionals are pondering a sequel of their own: another attempt to bring film incentives to Nevada.

Nevada remains one of a handful of states without an incentive program designed to lure outside productions to the Silver State.

As a result, many set-in-Vegas projects -- from this summer's big-screen "Fright Night" remake to TV's long-running "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" -- spend a few days on location here, then travel elsewhere for the majority of the shoot.

All signs pointed to a happy ending for the most recent proposal during the Nevada Legislature's recently concluded session. But an 11th-hour collapse of a bill establishing tax credits for outside productions left local film pros "devastated," according to Diana Eden, a Las Vegas-based costume designer. "Disappointment is too mild a word."

This year's proposal "went down to the last minute," noted Charles Geocaris, director of the Nevada Film Office, who testified in favor of the bill, which he said represented the fifth attempt to enact incentive legislation.

"So near and yet so far," added James "JR" Reid, president of Las Vegas-based JR Lighting, who spearheaded an industry committee backing the bill -- and attributed its collapse to legislators "just playing politics" with competing versions of the bill.

The local film community plans to gear up for another legislative effort in 2013, Reid vowed.

"We need to be competitive with other states," he said. "We have to do something."

Until then, however, there's not much Nevada film industry officials can do -- except watch projects that would, and should, have filmed here go to other states with incentive programs.

Officials from DreamWorks, who plan to release "Fright Night" Aug. 19, "told us it was written all for Las Vegas," Geocaris said. Without incentives, however, the production "spent a couple days here," then went to Albuquerque, N.M., for the majority of the shoot.

New Mexico's incentives include a 25 percent refundable tax credit. According to the New Mexico film office, productions spent $232.1 million there in the 2011 fiscal year, triggering a financial impact of more than $696 million, while New Mexico paid $73.8 million in tax credits. Nevada, meanwhile, generated $92 million in production revenues during the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Another set-in-Vegas production -- the adaptation of Beth Raymer's sports-betting memoir, "Lay the Favorite" -- brought stars Bruce Willis and Rebecca Hall to Las Vegas for five days in April. The production then moved to New Orleans for a 25-day shoot. (Louisiana offers a 30 percent incentive for in-state expenditures, along with a 5 percent incentive for any Louisiana-based workers hired by the production.)

Without similar incentives in Nevada, "we're losing a lot of business -- in the tens of millions of dollars," Geocaris contended. "We've been living on TV and commercials," because feature-film producers "have told us, 'We only consider going to states with incentives.' "

That's a necessity for many filmmakers -- especially independent producers with limited budgets, according to producer-director Eleonore Dailly of Los Angeles-based Pink Eye Productions, who filmed the short "Paradise Palms" in the title Las Vegas neighborhood.

Dailly's currently producing a contemporary Western, "Swelter," that's scheduled to start production in October.

"Nevada would be an ideal destination for us," Dailly said -- if only the state had an incentive program in place. "For us, state incentives are crucial."

Without them, Nevada is destined to lose business to neighboring states, argued Rich Hopkins, a Las Vegas-based producer, second-unit director and stunt coordinator who has worked with visiting productions from Los Angeles, Hungary and points between.

"If you don't have a level playing field," projects will shoot "exteriors and beauty shots of the Strip -- and then go to New Mexico or wherever" to complete production, Hopkins said.

Not that he blames them.

"Producers are in the business to make money," he acknowledged. And without a state-sponsored program to bring projects here, producers will follow the money.

"It's very frustrating," Geocaris said. Especially because he often hears from Hollywood officials that they -- and their stars -- would rather be in Las Vegas.

"Everyone wants to shoot (in) Vegas," Reid said. "Part of the issue with Albuquerque is that, at 10 o'clock at night, you cannot find a meal or a drink" for weary cast and crew members. "In Las Vegas, at 10 o'clock, we're just getting started."

Without incentives to lure outside productions to Nevada, it's important to be supportive of local filmmakers, Eden said.

It's also "important for any industry personnel" based here "to be an ambassador for Nevada film" when working with visiting productions, she added.

While serving as a wardrobe stylist for a recent national commercial that shot here, Eden noted, the advertising agency officials came from Miami, the director came from New York and the director of photography came from Los Angeles.

But she and the art director were local hires -- and local industry professionals "need to get the word out" that Las Vegas has an experienced crew base, Eden said. "There are a lot of people like myself, who have extensive experience in L.A. or New York, who are now living here."

Besides, bringing more production to Las Vegas won't help only film professionals, Eden maintained.

"It's trickle-down," she said. "It's not just film industry folks, but dry cleaners, restaurants, taxi drivers."

For now, however, local film professionals will have to wait. The Legislature doesn't reconvene until 2013, but in 2012, film industry professionals will be talking with candidates running for the Legislature about their opinions on film incentives, Reid said. "We're going to hold their feet to the fire."

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.