Arizona's Potential in Filmmaking: Why Arizona can, and should be a player in the movie industry

The Film Industry is one of most exciting and informative businesses in the world, a business where the revenue of a single feature film can approach or exceed $1 billion. Current trends show a significant increase in independent production and a demand for major studio facilities outside of California. Many states are meeting the demand by building state-of-the-art sound stages and production facilities. To further attract productions into their state, tax incentives and rebates are offered, resulting in a long-term influx of movie production that generates hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue for their communities, contributing an estimated $200,000 a day into the coffers of the localities where they film. In addition to the revenue it generates, the motion picture and television industries employ over 1.3 million Americans. Despite numerous benefits to states that cater to the movie industry, Arizona continues to flounder. With all the resources and advantages offered to Arizona including good weather and proximity to Hollywood, the state has the potential to become a key player within the film industry. The purpose of this study is to conduct interviews from industry professionals, both in and out of state, to get an idea of where Arizona stands in the movie making industry and if the state should take the steps necessary to build a more dominant presence. Using states like New Mexico as a model, comparisons will be made between different programs offered and implemented in both Arizona and other states. Data will be collected through induction of personal interviews and the responses gathered will be used to formulate a more formidable opinion on what Arizona is capable of doing within the movie making industry.