Last modified: Thursday, July 9, 2009 11:57 AM CDT

Incentives may bring Nashville business to BG

By ROBYN L. MINOR, The Daily News, rminor@bgdailynews.com/783-3249

With the state’s new film industry incentives, southcentral Kentucky could be poised to bring some of Nashville’s music scene this way.

The film industry incentives, which include tax credits for production companies that spend more than $200,000, were part of the revision of the state’s economic development program just signed into law last month.

“From what I understand, nationally distributed music videos very often do cost more than that to make,” said Vicki Fitch, executive director of the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Fitch said video companies using union help, who have to drive more than 35 miles for production sites, have to provide accommodations.

“So they would be staying in hotels here,” she said.

Fitch said because of the city’s proximity to Nashville, the CVB will begin making contacts with music video production companies themselves.

“And then when we get to the point of talking about incentives, we will turn them over to the professionals on the state level,” she said.

Bowling Green has been the site of several video productions over the years, including one for country music artist Martina McBride who used the downtown square as the setting.

The Old L&N Depot, Beech Bend Raceway and Park and the National Corvette Museum are among spots that might lend themselves well to videos or movies, Fitch said.

“Funny you mentioned film incentives because I don’t know if you’ve seen the new Mercedes commercial (www.topspeed.com/cars/car-commercials/ke1469.html) but I just saw it a few nights ago and thought, how cool would it be if GM filmed something here?” Katie Frassinelli, marketing director for the National Corvette Museum, said in an e-mail to the Daily News. “As of right now there haven’t been any formal discussions of going after film business, but that is definitely something to consider for the future. As we move forward with the idea of an autocross track at a new NCM motorsports complex, that facility would definitely be a great fit for high speed car scenes.

“Years ago, filmmakers came and stayed in Bowling Green to scope out our caves for filming a new Floyd Collins movie,” she said. “At the time I believe they decided to choose North Carolina because of their film incentives. How crazy not to pick the place Floyd actually was? Maybe that will change now.”

Frassinelli said she doesn’t think the film was ever completed.

For now, the CVB is going to focus on gathering high resolution photos of potential film spots in Warren and surrounding counties to hand over to the state for a database it is establishing to show interested film companies.

“I think it would be more advantageous to the state if we look at the area around us as well,” Fitch said.

Fitch said the CVB has a pretty good archive of high resolution digital photos of several sites but may have to have pictures taken of others.

Not only would getting film and video companies here be an immediate boost to the economy, with rooms rented and restaurants visited, but there could be another boost after the production is aired to the public, she said. The production could entice other companies to come here or visitors intrigued by what they have seen may want to visit.

The legislation signed late last month by Gov. Steve Beshear creates a 15-member Kentucky Film Commission that will serve in an advisory role to the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The commission will promote Kentucky as a location for film production to help with economic development. Members will be appointed by the governor and will not receive a salary. The bill also makes the incentives available to companies that spend at least $500,000 to produce feature films or television shows in Kentucky and makes commercials and documentaries eligible with required spending levels reduced to $200,000 and $50,000, respectively. Broadway shows produced in Kentucky for national tour are eligible for incentives with at least $50,000 in qualified expenditures.