Utah's monumental deals

Photogenic land offers incentives and rebates

By KATHY A. MCDONALD

Mountains. Salt flats. Sundance. Skiing. Production.

Production?

Yes, you can add production to Utah's things-to-do list. The state has done much to attract film and TV shoots, with its ongoing incentives program, which rebates a percentage of production costs, a bonus on top of its photogenic locations and experienced crews -- many of them L.A. expats.

Combined with a state film commission that has producer-services execs on call 24/7, and you've got the formula for the kind of production-friendly environment that can lure even the most homebound Hollywood filmmaker.

"We are sustaining and growing the industry through incentives," says Marshall Moore, director of the Utah Film Commission, which is part of the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development. The incentives program has been in place since 2004. It's based on a minimum $1 million in-state production-dollars spend, with a cap of $500,000 per project.

"Essentially it's a post-performance cash rebate," Moore says. "Nothing's paid until the work is done." Thirty films out of the 100 that have shot in-state have received rebates since 2004, he adds.

Utah's varied looks have long lured producers. They range from iconic Monument Valley ("Stagecoach") to the dry Bonneville Salt Flats (as seen in "Independence Day") to cityscapes and suburbia ("High School Musical 3" has made the city's East High a must-visit location), to the red rock of Southern Utah (captured aerially for the upcoming J.J. Abrams-helmed "Star Trek"), to snowy mountains and woodsy locales.

"Rarely is Utah shot for Utah," says Moore. "We're always doubling for somewhere else." For instance, TV skein "Touched by an Angel" lensed for 220 episodes in the state from 1994-2003 without repeating a locale.

The popular series also helped establish a seasoned production workforce and infrastructure. Moore contends there is a large enough crew base in-state to staff five films concurrently.

The right-to-work state welcomes both union and nonunion productions. Although Utah does not have a dedicated studio-caliber soundstage, large warehouses have served as production facilities. Also key to the state's allure: relative proximity to Los Angeles. The Salt Lake City airport is a 90-minute hop from LAX or Burbank, adding to the appeal for both producers and talent.

After making eight films in Utah, producer Barry Rosenbush, of Borden & Rosenbush Entertainment (producer and creator of Disney's mega-successful "High School Musical" franchise), has numerous reasons for shooting in the state. "The proximity to California is really important," says Rosenbush, as are Utah's "top notch" crews.

"We've developed a cadre of talented folks on par with crews anywhere else, and we have a great working relationship," the vet producer says. "When you go someplace where they actually want you, it's a very rewarding experience."

Integral to the state's outreach to filmmakers is the film commission's sustaining sponsorship of the Sundance Film Festival and support of the Sundance Institute's ongoing summer programs. The commission also visits Los Angeles twice a year and hosts filmmakers who are scouting for specific productions.

Its website (film.utah.gov) is a comprehensive online resource for vendors, personnel and location images. Regional film commissions augment the permitting and scouting process in Park City, Moab, Monument Valley, Utah Valley and southern Utah's Kane County, which includes several national parks.

Utah's exemptions on sales tax for equipment and hotel room tax are important too, notes Rosenbush, and he lauds the state's efforts to streamline the rebate process.

"Utah sees the value of the film industry," Rosenbush says. "Every dollar we spend in-state, turns into three dollars without an industrial footprint."

On top of the production coin paid, actors and crew spend their earnings and per diems.

"There's incentives all over the world, but it's much easier to go to Utah than other parts of the world," Rosenbush says.