-= NMSU PANORAMA - Summer 2005 =- Hollywood on the Rio Grande: New Mexico Is a Natural for Filmmaking

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New Mexico Is a Natural for Filmmaking

The $2 million that Gov. Bill Richardson has put toward developing media industries training at NMSU is part of a $10 million infusion by Richardson into film education across the state. In addition, the governor's film initiative includes a package of tax incentives and tax rebates.

"Promoting a growing film industry in New Mexico is a natural," Richardson said in an interview with Panorama. "It's a clean industry with no impact on the environment, and New Mexico's natural landscape is an attraction."

New Mexico began its push to become a player in the film industry by targeting mostly smaller out-of-town productions. Then the state began to work to attract larger films such as "The Longest Yard" and "The Missing." The next step, says Eric Witt, legislative aide to the governor, is to attract episodic ventures for television that keep people employed year round. Richardson says a television series called "Wildfire" will locate and film 11 episodes in New Mexico.

Already, Richardson's film initiative has been so successful that a number of states are following New Mexico's lead in trying to lure filmmakers, Witt says. To keep ahead of those other states, New Mexico added a post-production tax credit in the last legislative session. Witt says that means filmmakers don't have to truck their productions back to Los Angeles for editing, but can continue to earn tax credits in New Mexico.

Richardson believes that with a solid package of incentives and well-trained crews, more and more producers will want their films made in New Mexico. Too many are leaving the country to make their films because of costs.

But location isn't the only aspect of filmmaking in which New Mexico hopes to be involved. Proposals have been made to establish sound stages, or indoor sets, in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

"We are encouraging them," Richardson says. "But we want to go step by step. The process is: Bring the film industry in, train our own people and then develop the infrastructure. This means jobs for the people of New Mexico."

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