SHERIDAN — Wyoming has a surprisingly rich cinematic legacy, according to Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce CEO Anna Olson.
Aliens visited Devil’s Tower in “Close Encounters of a Third Kind,” digital dinosaurs romped around Wyoming landscapes in the computer-animated “Good Dinosaur” and even Rocky Balboa trained in Jackson Hole, doubling as Russia in “Rocky 4.”
Casper residents of a certain age remember John Wayne filming “Hellfighters” in the community and those of a younger vintage will remember when “Starship Troopers” shot there. More recently, Quentin Tarantino filmed some of “Django Unchained” in Jackson, and Alexander Payne shot a scene of “Nebraska” at the Lake Stop near Johnson County’s Lake DeSmet.
But, overwhelmingly, the story of film production in Wyoming is one defined by the opportunities that got away, according to Olson.
Two 2005 films set in Wyoming — “An Unfinished Life” and “Brokeback Mountain” — scouted locations in the state before moving the productions elsewhere, according to Diane Shober, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Even more painful losses are TV series based on novels by Wyoming authors Craig Johnson and C.J. Box, which filmed in New Mexico and Canada respectively.
In 2020 alone, the Wyoming Tourism Office received 167 film production inquiries with the majority of those moving to other nearby states, according to Sheridan filmmaker Sean Patrick Higgins.
The reason, according to tourism and industry representatives? A lack of film production incentives in the state.
“For studios and large production companies, the conversation always begins with ‘What is Wyoming’s incentive?’” Sheridan County Travel and Tourism Executive Director Shawn Parker said. “And unfortunately, that’s typically where the conversation ends.”
Of the 48 continental states, Wyoming is currently ranked 47th in film industry jobs and 48th in film industry wages, according to Higgins. With the introduction of film production incentives, the state would jump to 40th place and more than double industry jobs and wages.
During a Thursday meeting of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources committee in Rawlins, Higgins estimated a proposed rebate program would make Wyoming competitive for roughly $2.6 million in film projects, leading to the creation of 1,200 full-time equivalent jobs within just five years.
And the industry is interested, according to Higgins, who shared letters of support from half a dozen film industry representatives. Rawlins resident Kate Wiltshire said that, while working as location manager for a scene of Netflix’s “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” filmed in Wyoming, Vince Gilligan — creator of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” — told her that “if our state had an incentive program, they would come back with more projects.”
That promise was too good to refuse for members of the legislative committee. The committee voted to draft a bill allowing for the creation of a new film production incentive program. The program would be funded with up to $3 million in statewide lodging tax dollars each biennium.
“I believe we will more than receive our money back,” Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, said. “Our state will be a winner. Our taxpayers will be winners. So I have no problem, at least in my chamber, defending this.”
The bill will offer rebate incentives in two separate tiers as recommended by the office of tourism. The first tier will allow for a maximum 30% rebate for large-scale feature film and TV productions. This tier would have a base rate of 15% with additional rebates available if more than 60% of the crew or talent is from Wyoming and if post-production takes place in-state.
The second tier, geared toward smaller productions like commercials, documentary short films and music videos, would have a base rebate rate of 10% and a maximum rate of 15% if the production highlights Wyoming storylines and themes.
The proposed film production incentives are not the state’s first. In 2007, the Wyoming Legislature initiated a statute allocating $1 million toward in-state projects through the Wyoming Film Industry Financial Incentive program. The funds were administered by the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s Film Office with a goal of bringing the entertainment industry to Wyoming, according to Shober. The state eventually sunsetted the statute in 2018.
Even without the incentives, Sheridan County Travel and Tourism has done its best in recent years to lure productions to Sheridan County, Parker said, and they have landed a couple of high-profile commercials and other small projects. But anything larger requires assistance from the state.
“Each of these (small projects) represents a small victory for our community,” Parker said. “But for each of those wins, we’ve lost out on many, many other projects that could have made a substantial economic impact for this state…To be competitive, not only regionally but nationally, a Wyoming film incentive is the first step in generating significant revenue for Wyoming’s economy.”
Tourism and film industry representatives believe the rebate would be worth the investment in the long run and could be a major boon for local economies.
Visit Casper film office liaison Kelly Eastes and Rep. Pat Sweeney, R-Casper, remembered the major financial impact the “Starship Troopers” production had on their community back in the day — something they said could happen again if the incentives are approved.
“Their total spend while in Natrona County was $4.277 million,” Eastes said. “And that was back in 1997 so…you start to put those numbers into today’s numbers and a quick calculation…would put that closer to $8 million…It was just an incredible boon to our area.”
“For me, owning the Parkway Plaza (hotel) at the time, we were able to open up an entire closed wing… because of that production,’” Sweeney said. “It really helped us survive and move forward.”
While discussion about the new incentives was largely enthusiastic, there was one naysayer: Rep. Mark Jennings, R-Sheridan. Jennings argued all Wyoming residents were required to pay the lodging tax, while relatively few would see the benefit of the film production incentives.
“In this case, we’re picking Hollywood as the winners, and the losers would be small businesses across this state who struggled just in the last year-and-a-half to keep their doors open,” said Jennings, who was the only legislator who voted against the bill draft.
Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson Hole, respectfully disagreed.
“I’m in business, and I look at this as the future,” Giereau said. “I look at it as a way we can diversify our economy…A way to try to increase our footprint in the business world.”
The draft film production incentives bill will be considered at the next meeting of the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources committee on Oct. 25 in Casper.
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