Film incentives hiked to attract future projects

Brice Wallace
The Enterprise

A couple of film and TV productions will get higher incentives for shooting in Utah in hopes that the companies will return to the state for future projects.

The upgraded incentives were approved by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) board at its February regular meeting.

Salty Pictures Inc. saw its tax credit for season four of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” increased to $750,000. The company was approved for a $250,000 incentive last September. Swingle Productions Inc. had its tax credit increased to{mprestriction ids="1,3"} $650,000 for its production of the feature comedy “Winter Spring Summer Fall.” The Go Utah board had approved a $400,000 incentive in November.

“I usually do not want to do amendments for additional funds,” Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission, told the Go Utah board. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve done it. I’m pretty against, you know, they’ve already shot here, why would we give them more money? But these two amendments I think make a lot of sense because I’m kind of forecasting forward and hoping that this will get them back in the door with another project.”

The first two seasons of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” were shot in Utah and the third was shot in Los Angeles. Principal photography for the fourth season took place last fall in Salt Lake County and involved 15 cast, 275 crew and 1,807 extras. In all, the production was expected to spend more than $17 million in Utah.

“This is really to keep goodwill with Disney,” Pearce said of the higher incentive. “I really think they’re a great partner. They do want to continue to come back but if they don’t think there’s funding ever available to them, they will stop looking in Utah.”

The production tells the story of students returning to East High School for a music-filled senior year. The director is Kimberly McCullough. The producer is Zack Lowenstein.

“Winter Spring Summer Fall” also shot last fall. It was expected to spend $5 million in Utah and employ 23 cast, 120 crew and 300 extras.

The story focuses on two teenagers who meet by chance in the winter of their senior year, then spend four days together over the course of a year that will change their lives forever. The director is Tiffany Paulsen. The producer is David Wulf.

The Go Utah board’s February meeting also included new incentives for a pair of productions.

Camera 40 Productions LLC was approved for a tax credit of up to $175,048 for the science fiction feature “Mythica: Stormbound.” It is expected to spend more than $875,000 in Utah and employ 10 cast, 38 crew and 40 extras. Principal photography is scheduled for May 1-23 in Juab and Wasatch counties.

“Stormbound” is an action fantasy film set in a tavern at a crossroads in the forests and mountains of a fantasy world. The director is Jack Stormoen. The producers are Justin Partridge and Jennifer Griffin.

Castle Productions LLC was approved for a tax rebate of up to $34,000 for the feature thriller “Oubliette.” The company was expected to spend $170,000 in Utah, including during principal photography in February in Salt Lake and Utah counties. The production was expected to employ 11 cast and 20 crew.

“Oubliette” tells the story of a woman who, during her surprise birthday party, discovers a “glitch” that “threatens to turn the best day of her life into a never-ending nightmare,” according to Go Utah documents. The director is Jacob Johnson. The producers are Derek Romrell and Jordan Augustine.{/mprestriction}