Behind the Scenes… Stand Up For North Carolina’s Film Industry!

Behind the Scenes… Stand Up For North Carolina’s Film Industry!

behindthescenesaig.weebly.com

Lesson 1: Sand, Sun… Movies? Lesson 2: Role Call!

Lesson 3: Behind the Scenes Lesson 4: And… Action!

Have you ever been watching something and it looked a little TOO familiar? Did you ever think that it could

have been filmed right here, in North Carolina? From the oil tanker battle in Iron Man 3 to scenes from District 12 in The Hunger Games, many famous movies and shows have been filmed in North Carolina! With all of this

success, what if someone was trying to stop moviemaking in our state? Come explore the different reasons why filmmakers love North Carolina, while making your own film to convince lawmakers to continue the

industry here!

How do tax incentives help the economy in North Carolina? How do films impact the way we live?

How has the film industry impacted NC?

Reagan Briggs and Taylor Davenport SPED 6402 Spring 2014 East Carolina University

Content Research Paper

Introduction

The use of film in the classroom is a great way to bridge a gap between entertainment and

comprehension for struggling students and a wonderful way for gifted students to express their ideas. In a

study done by Rowena Watts (2007), she describes children’s interactions with film as follows: “They shrink to

shadows and music, they dance to lights and sounds, their eyes flicking and darting all around the screen,

looking for vectors to lead them to new meaning” (p. 103). Students in North Carolina are lucky enough to have

access to a local industry that not only offers a plethora of knowledge about filmmaking, but offers major

benefits to our state economy as well.

A History of the Film Industry in North Carolina

Over the past few decades, Wilmington, North Carolina has become a destination for filmmakers,

looking for an alternative to filming in Hollywood. Wilmington Regional Film Commission’s site states that

“since 1983, the Wilmington region has continued to be one of the most productive and cost-effective

filmmaking destinations in the world” (2013).

According to Amy Hotz (2008), “Wilmington's relationship with film essentially began with Academy

Award-winning filmmaker Dino DeLaurentiis.” DeLaurentiis discovered the Wilmington area while “scouting

locations for Stephen King's Firestarter” (Hotz, 2008). He enjoyed working in the region so much that

DeLaurentiis decided to base his DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group Film Studios in Wilmington in 1984.

Although many successful films were filmed in the studios, Dino DeLaurentiis lost the studios due to

bankruptcy and was bought out by the Carolco Company in 1990 (Erickson, 2010). The studios were then

purchased by Carolcon, and “New York-based EUE/Screen Gems [bought] the 50-acre lot after Carolco [went]

bankrupt” (Foss, 2013). EUE/Screen Gems still owns and operates the studios in Wilmington today.

When DeLaurentis had begun to express interest in the state, the North Carolina Film Office was

commissioned by Governor James B. Hunt in 1980 (North Carolina Film Office, 2014). The North Carolina Film

Office’s website states that it is “a state agency in the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development in the

North Carolina Department of Commerce… and is a member of the Association of Film Commissioners

International” (2014). The office works in conjunction with regional film commissions, such as the Wilmington

Regional Film Commission to “assist filmmakers by providing services that include custom location packages,

scouting assistance and permitting guidance” (2014).

As a way of bringing in more productions to the studios in North Carolina, the state began offering tax

incentives to film companies. According to a report by Jon Sanders of the John Locke Foundation, “the

incentives changed the industry, especially from 2002 to 2009, when the number of states with film incentives

grew from four to 44” (2012). In his report, he gives an overview of the development of the incentives offered in

our state, beginning in 2005. From 2005-2009, tax incentives for filmmakers included an “income tax credit of

15 percent of qualifying production expenses,” a “credit [limitation] of $7.5 million per film,” and refunds “if

credit exceeds tax liability” (2012). A requirement for filmmakers was that the “production company must spend

at least $250,000 in [North Carolina]” (2012).

In 2009, the production team for the movie Last Song, decided to film in Georgia instead of North

Carolina, due to better incentives. Because of this, Governor Beverly Purdue changed the incentives offered in

2010. Tax incentives in the state now include an “income tax credit of 25 percent,” a “credit cap of $20 million,”

and it continues to be refundable.

As a result of the tax incentives provided by the state and the help from both the North Carolina Film

Office and the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, “the Wilmington area has hosted over 300 features,

mini-series, movies of the week, and ten TV series along with numerous commercials and music videos”

(Wilmington Regional Film Commision, 2014).

Impacts to the Community

The film industry’s migration to North Carolina has brought about significant impacts to the state’s

economy, particularly Wilmington’s. “Southport businesses will earn a large chunk of the millions in revenue

the film Safe Haven, is projected to spend in the region during filming” says Cassie Foss, who is a Star News

reporter in Wilmington, NC (2012). Bringing in films and television shows have a major impact on communities

in North Carolina. Not only do people who make films come here to just film, sometimes, they end up staying.

Jon Cornick came to Wilmington in 1991 to film Super Mario Brothers and, according to Amy Hotz

(2011), “fell in love with the area [then] returned in 1998 to produce his first feature, Waterproof, and ended up

buying property here.” When coming to Eastern North Carolina, many people fall in love with the “small town”

environment. The small community that they come to is certainly different from Los Angeles or New York.

Not only do those that are in town to help with the filmmaking process feel the welcoming arms that

North Carolina has to offer, but they make an impact on the community as well. David Lyons, who was an actor

in Safe Haven, ate daily at Fishy Fishy Cafe in Southport, NC (Foss, 2012). Manager of the cafe, Lance

Garrison said, “The stars come in here regularly. We make sure we respect their privacy and cater to them, but

since we’re close to the set, we’ve gotten a lot of traffic from tourists and spectators who are curious about the

filming” (Foss, 2012). Some stars even volunteer within the community--in their book Wilm on Film, Amy Hotz

and Jeff Hidek (2010) explain that “Chad Michael Murray, [a star on “One Tree Hill”], helped start a new Pop

Warner football team for kids ages 11-15” (p. 11).

After viewing the movie Safe Haven, which was introduced in theaters on Valentines Day 2013, it

sparked tourism within the Southport community. “In the month of June alone, the Fort Johnson-Southport

Museum & Visitors’ Center saw the number of people who walked through its door increase from just over

5,000 in 2012 to more than 9,100 this year,” says Star News reporter Hunter Ingram (2013). The film crew left

a few pieces of the set in the museum for people to come and view. With so much tourism in Southport, it

really helped many local businesses and people.

Dr. Robert Handfield is a professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University

and is studying the impact of the tax incentive in North Carolina. When asked how the film industry has

positively affected North Carolina, particularly the Wilmington community, Dr. Handfield stated, “It has

established an industry in NC. Some people may believe that these are part-time jobs, but the reality is that

there are very few jobs left where people go to work 9-5 anymore” (Handfield, 2014).

How Tax Incentives Help

Many productions have been drawn to North Carolina because of its tax credit. In an article by Cynthia

Littleton (2013), she mentions:

Producers are frustrated with the shortcomings of California’s tax credit program, not just in terms of the

relatively small amount set aside for production rebates compared to other states, but also the

limitations in the types of shows that are eligible. (p. 29)

According to the North Carolina Film Office, “North Carolina offers a 25% refundable tax credit. The 25%

refundable tax credit is in effect for a single production who report the qualified expenses on their tax return.”

Even though North Carolina is paying out a lot of money for this tax incentive, some believe that it is worth it.

The Gaston Gazette newspaper (2014) did an editorial on considering incentives for filming in North Carolina.

They stated that, “In 2013, state officials estimate that the film and television productions spent $254 million in

North Carolina” ("Editorial: Carefully consider incentives for film," 2014). This figure has not yet been

completed because it does not “represent the entirety of what productions have spent, because it does not

count what individual cast and crew members spent while here, or the amount spent by local businesses (and

their employees) that supplied the productions with equipment, food, and services” (2014).

North Carolina houses many workers that are involved in the film industry. “We did a survey of workers

and asked them what they would do if the film incentives went away, what would they do, and 60% of workers

said that they would move to a state that had an incentive” (Handfield, 2014).

The tax credit that helped create a lot of revenue is up for renewal at the end of 2014. The Gaston

Gazette explains that “the current General Assembly is reviewing the use of incentives overall, with an eye on

eliminating them, based on political opposition to the idea of “picking winners and losers” (2014). “The reality is

that there are a number of states that have incentives as well--Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, and New York. There

is a risk that if they don’t renew it, that that essentially spells the end of the industry in North Carolina”

(Handfield, 2014).

Key Elements of Film Production

The most important elements of film varies depending on the source that you consult, but our content

will focus on the simple three elements described by Larry Wild from Northern State University (2013):

preproduction, production, and postproduction. These three elements make up the process that is known as

filmmaking. Wild (2013) defines the steps as follows: “preproduction [is when you are] developing the script,

production [is] shooting the script ,and postproduction [is the process of] editing the film and adding the sound

tracks.”

According to KidsVid, scripting (preproduction) is “the [entire] process of writing down on paper what

the [film] is about” (2009). This may include a storyboard, documents, and a site survey. The KidsVid website

explains that “storyboards are used to visualize your movie idea,” “the script is the main document used to

produce the [film],” and the producer analyzes all that needs to occur in order for the filmmaking process to

happen.

KidsVid characterizes the production stage as “taking the camera out and capturing the magic on video”

(2009). This process involves working the camera, getting the best shot, investigating the best camera moves

to use, choosing the correct lighting and microphones (KidsVid). A big part of the production stage is about

checking to be sure that everything is in order. When you are checking your camera, you should be thinking

about the lens, focus, display, and if you will need to do night shots or any other type of special shot (KidsVid).

Thinking about the shot itself is important to do both ahead of time and while filming. The location of the

camera, lights, and subjects are extremely important. When it comes to camera moves, KidsVid lists an array

of creative moves to use, including zoom in, zoom out, pan right, pan left, action within the frame, and following

the action.

KidsVid defines editing (postproduction) as “the process of putting all the elements together in such a

way that a story is told” (2009). During this time, music and effects are added to what has been filmed and

scenes can be deleted and put in order.

References

Editorial: Carefully consider incentives for film. (2014, January 10). Gaston gazette. Retrieved from

http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/our-opinion/editorial-carefully-consider-incentives-for-film-

1.260785?page=0

Erickson, H. (2010). Dino De Laurentiis biography. Retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/87105/Dino-de-Laurentiis/biography

Foss, C. (2012, August 14). Before ‘safe haven’ hits theaters, it pays off royally for town. Retrieved from

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120814/ARTICLES/120819875#gsc.tab=0

Foss, C. (2013, August 4). Eue/screen gems' studios find their niches in 2 southern states. Retrieved from

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20130804/ARTICLES/130809871

Handfield, R. (2014, January 21). Interview by R Briggs & T Davenport. Consulting an expert.

Hotz, A. (2008, January 23). Explore Wilmington's film history. Retrieved from

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080123/NEWS/801230502

Hotz, A. (2011, March 27). Filmmaker finds incentive to relocate to Wilmington. Retrieved from

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110327/ARTICLES/110329720#gsc.tab=0

Hotz, A., & Steelman, B. (2010). Wilm on film: A guide to more than 25 years of film & tv production around

wilmington, north carolina. StarNews Media.

Ingram, H. (2013, December 28). Top stories of 2013, no. 7- ‘safe haven’ sparks unprecedented tourism.

Retrieved from http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20131228/articles/131229778#gsc.tab=0

Kids' Vid. (2009). Kids' vid. Retrieved from http://kidsvid.4teachers.org/index.shtml

Littleton, C. (2013). Tv drama spreads all over the map. Variety, 321(7), 29-30.

NC Film Office. (2014). Refundable tax credit. Retrieved from http://www.ncfilm.com/incentives.html

Sanders, J. (2012, July 18). N.C.'s film tax incentives. Retrieved from

http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/spotlights/Spotlight425FilmTaxIncentives.pdf

Smith, J. (2013, December 2). Loss of film incentives estimated to cost new hanover more than $10m annually.

Retrieved from http://www.wect.com/story/24112681/loss-of-film-incentives-estimated-to-cost-new-

hanover-more-than-10m-annually

Watts, R. (2007). Harnessing the power of film in the primary classroom. Literacy, 41(2), 102-109.

Wild, L. (2003). Film production. Retrieved from http://www3.northern.edu/wild/th100/flmprod.htm

Wilmington Regional Film Commision. (2013). About Wilmington. Retrieved from

http://www.wilmingtonfilm.com/Intro/AboutWilmington/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Consulting an Expert--Dr. Robert Handfield

Dr. Robert Handfield is a professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University.

Not only does Dr. Handfield serve as a professor at North Carolina State University, but he also writes for a

supply chain management journal and has written a number of books and research articles on supply chain

management as well. Recently, him and a team of researchers have been conducting a study on the film

industry in North Carolina and what type of effect the tax incentives have had on keeping that industry alive. He

has also served on the “State of the State: The Future of Film in North Carolina” panel that met at the

Cucalorus Film Festival in November of 2013.

We discovered Dr. Handfield’s involvement in the study through a Justin Smith’s article entitled “Loss of

film incentives estimated to cost New Hanover more than $10M annually” (2013). In the article, Dr. Handfield

mentioned the tax incentives and their benefits to the state, particularly the Wilmington community. Dr.

Handfield’s involvement with the study convinced us that he would be a great expert to consult.

In order to contact him, we found his information through the North Carolina State University website

and we emailed him to see if he was willing to do an interview with us. As a professor, he was very willing to

speak with students (especially two that are also teachers) in order to give them more information about the

topic. He gave us a great amount of information from someone that has been studying the same topic as we

are.

Dr. Handfield can be contacted at North Carolina State University both through email and phone. His

email address is [email protected] and his phone number is (919) 515-4674.

Annotated Bibliography

Kid-Friendly Books

Frost, S. (2011). Kids guide to movie making: How kids can produce and direct their own movies that

audiences will love. Make-a-Movie Studios.

Designed for students in middle school, this book is a great resource for academically gifted students. The

book includes “how-to” activities to get kids comfortable with all of the inner-workings of the filmmaking process.

Glassbourg, M. (2013). Learn to speak film: A guide to creating, promoting, and screening your own movies.

Toronto: Owlkids Books.

This book gives information for young filmmakers on the different aspects of filmmaking, from preproduction

and production, all the way to the editing stage. Each chapter delivers instructions on how to get the most out

of each part of the film process as well as encouragement to the reader to keep the creative process alive.

Hotz, A., & Steelman, B. (2010). Wilm on film: A guide to more than 25 years of film & tv production around

Wilmington, North Carolina. StarNews Media.

This guide gives an overview of the history of the film industry in Wilmington. The book splits the history into

sections, such as “The Early Years,” “The Boom Years,” “Independent Filmmaking,” and many more. Although

the text is written for adults, children can easily peruse the book to look for specific films or time periods in the

history of the industry.

Nelson, C., & Harris, F. (2004). Film junkie's guide to North Carolina. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: John F.

Blair, Publisher.

This book serves as a travel guide for film fans to track down spots in North Carolina that were used for filming.

There is information on how to find each of the locations listed in the book, as well as the “Star Tracks”

sections that talk about the places that celebrities have frequented during their time spent in the state.

Shulman, M., & Krog, H. (2004). Attack of the killer video book: Tips and tricks for young directors. Toronto,

ON: Annick Press.

This guide is an entertaining children’s resource on how to make great videos. This book provides children with

instructions on each stage of the filmmaking process, from the preproduction stage to postproduction. The

guide is full of tips and tricks that would be helpful to any young filmmaker.

Kid-Friendly Online Resources

Kids' Vid. (2009). Kids' vid. Retrieved from http://kidsvid.4teachers.org/index.shtml

This is a kid friendly website that instructs kids on the scripting, making, editing and showing of a video

production. This site gives teachers and students the tools to make a video in the classroom.

Mini Movie Makers. (2007). Mini Movie Makers. Retrieved from http://www.minimoviemakers.com/

This is a website that shows kids tips and tricks on how to make a movie. This website also includes movie-

making news in kid friendly formats.

Kerproof Studio. Retrieved from http://www.kerpoof.com/

This is a kid friendly website that allows kids to make their own cartoon movies. They can pick their own

settings along with their own characters.

Tumbletown Movie Maker Games. Retrieved from http://www.tvokids.com/games/tumbletownmoviemaker

This is a website instructs kids step-by-step on how to make a movie. It is in a animated game format. They

can create and watch movies.

ABCya! Animation for Kids. (2012) Abcya! animation for kids. Retrieved from

http://www.abcya.com/animate.htm

This is an online tool for kids to make their own animated video. It gives kids many tools to make their

animated video.

CONNECTION TO THE THEME What are INTERACTIONS? You and your partner need to operationalize your own definition of interactions.

Interaction, essentially, is the movement of ideas between people. This communication can happen

with direct conversations between people, or it can happen through media such as books, television, films,

advertisements, and the internet. Any type of communication that can result in an exchange of perceptions

between people. Interactions can result in a change of beliefs, the formation of an opinion, or even the

combination of multiple ideas.

People interact everyday in completely different ways. It can be through speaking, dressing a certain

way, or even the expression of ideas. Interaction involves cultures coming together in different ways. For

instance, when we greet someone, we usually say something like “Hello!” and we shake their hand. People

from different cultures might say or do something different than this. How we interact with people from different

cultures has an impact on how we live day to day. Having interactions with people from different cultures

creates a certain amount of respect for others.

How is the concept of INTERACTIONS depicted by your topic? Thoroughly explore how INTERACTIONS are depicted in your topic, especially in relation to your definition. One of the main ways of communicating ideas in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries has been

through film. In America, our culture has shifted from interacting through print sources such as books,

newspapers, and magazines, to interacting through technology in the form of television, film, and, more

recently, the internet.

One of the most long-standing ways of interacting with people in our own culture, as well as people

outside of our culture, has been through the art of film. Films give multiple people an opportunity to

communicate their ideas to a wide audience. The filmmaking process itself involves the interaction of

numerous ideas--through the formation of the initial idea, to the different ideas presented when writing the

script, the way the director visualizes the script and the way the actors portray the script, even down to the way

the final product is edited. The entire process involves the interaction of hundreds of ideas to create what will

eventually be seen by the masses. The audience who views the film will then interact with the film by taking

their prior experiences and ideas and combining that with what they have just viewed to create a new

interpretation.

Our unit involves students not only exploring the film industry in North Carolina, but they will also be

creating a film product. With students working together to complete a film, they will be interacting with each

other to express their own ideas and formulate new ones. The filmmaking process is very complex because it

involves many roles. Each student participating in the filmmaking process will have to learn and understand

how to collaborate with their peers and accept ideas from others. By interacting with each other, they will

produce a public service announcement for others to watch to get an understanding of the tax incentive and

how it helps North Carolina.

Bringing the film industry to North Carolina has made a huge impact on local business and economies.

Having productions come to the communities in North Carolina has boosted tourism within the state. In return,

with more people coming to visit famous filming sites, these people are visiting and spending money in local

business. For instance, if a film decides to use a particular restaurant in a community, this restaurant is more

than likely going to become popular to tourists. This will then increase the revenue of that restaurant.

Interactions between film production and local business helps our state economy continue to thrive.

The film industry coming to our state has also contributed to a change in culture in North Carolina.

When people from around the country, or even around the world, come to our community, there is an inevitable

interaction between cultures. The ideas that the “Hollywood types” bring to a region such as eastern North

Carolina may open up North Carolinians’ eyes to experiences that they could have outside the state. The

culture in our region may open the “Hollywood types’” eyes to a more laidback lifestyle, which is offered in

many of the small towns that are used for locations in North Carolina films.

Our topic, which focuses on filmmaking in North Carolina, concerns a multitude of interactions. Our

definition of interactions spotlights a movement of ideas and a communication between cultures, which is

evident throughout the filmmaking process, as well as the film industry in North Carolina.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION Storyboard That

Storyboard That is an online storyboarding program. After creating an account, you are able to create

your own storyboard easily using the “drag-and-drop” format. Storyboard That allows you to get creative with

your storyboard by coloring your own character and background, along with adding text.

We will be using Storyboard That for the storyboarding process in lesson two of our unit. The students

will be put into partners to work together to create their own storyboard. After creating their storyboard, they will

present their storyboard to the class so that we can vote on the best storyboard.

We chose Storyboard That because it is very user friendly for children. The students will be able to

create a clear and concise storyboard to present to their other classmates with this easy program.

Celtx

Celtx is an online scriptwriting program. The website allows you to create an account where you can

save scripts that you are working on. When you are writing your script, the writing tool helps you to write your

script using the correct formatting. It also allows you to share your script with anyone or save it as a PDF to

your computer.

We will be using Celtx as a way for our students to create the script that they will use for their Public

Service Announcement product. A small group of students will be in charge of using the chosen storyboard to

create the script, which will convey the students’ ideas about the Wilmington film industry.

We chose to use Celtx because it is user friendly and will allow students to save their work easily. It will

also alleviate time we would have had to use to teach scriptwriting, since the program does the formatting for

the students.

Weebly

Weebly is a unique way to easily create your own website that will cater to anyone’s technological

needs. It features a “drag-and-drop” website builder that is easy for people of any age to use. You can

customize Weebly to have videos, links, pictures, and text to make your website more user friendly. Weebly is

especially good for educators because it is easy for young children to use by themselves.

Using Weebly in our unit will allow us to link any useful resources that we want our students to see

easily. Any information that they will need during our lessons can be found in one place by using Weebly.

Using this website will also be helpful to parents so that they can see not only what we are doing in our lessons,

but the final product that students create, which is the public service announcement.

We chose to use Weebly because we are both familiar with the website features. We have used

Weebly before in previous graduate school classes, along with creating Webquests for our students. With

Weebly being used often in schools, students will already be familiar with the layout of the website.

Edmodo

Edmodo is a website that allows students and teachers to connect in an environment that is safe and

very similar to social media (thus very appealing to students). The site allows for teachers to post assignments

and quizzes, show students deadlines through the calendar feature, and have class discussions online.

During camp, our students will primarily use Edmodo for discussion purposes. Students will post

responses to our various Points to Ponder throughout the unit, update their classmates on their filmmaking

progress, and even respond to the guest speakers we plan on inviting to the class.

We chose to use Edmodo because many students in Pitt County Schools are familiar with the website.

It is also accessible through a computer or through an app on an iOS device. It will also show how students’

ideas may have changed throughout the camp and how their opinions may differ from their classmates.

Digital Cameras

We will use digital cameras to film the actual public service announcement, as well as take photos

during the film process. The digital cameras will serve as a great tool to easily move around with to use in

different places. Students will be able to film inside, outside, and all throughout the building we will be in. This

will be helpful and save time.

iMovie

iMovie is a film editing program created by Apple. The great thing about iMovie is that it can be used on

a Mac, iPad, or even an iPhone. Since many students are familiar with these types of devices, iMovie’s user-

friendly interface becomes even more accessible for students. iMovie gives you the ability to upload videos,

pictures, and music straight from your device. You then have the ability to edit your film by adding text, effects,

or animation in order to create your final product.

Students will use iMovie in order to create their Public Service Announcement. They will use the photos

and video that they take on the iPads to put together their final product, using the effects that they choose.

They will be able to either use this program on iPads or Macs, depending on what we can provide them.

We chose to use the iMovie program because we are both very familiar with the program, having used

it for projects in the past. It is great that the program is also very user-friendly, so that we can spend the

majority of our time assisting students in the creative process of making their film, rather than teaching them

how to use the program itself. We also love how it can be used on either a Mac or other iOS device, which will

make it easier for us if we are limited to certain devices.

CONTENT OUTLINE

I. History of film in North Carolina

A. Governor James B. Hunt commissioned the North Carolina Film Office in 1980 B. Academy award-winning filmmaker Dino DeLaurentiis introduces Wilmington to Hollywood in

1983 1. He decided to start the Entertainment Group Film Studios in Wilmington in 1984 2. He lost the studios due to bankruptcy and was bought out by the Carolco Company in

1990 C. EUE/Screen Gems bought the studios and still runs it today D. Popular films made in North Carolina:

1. Iron Man 3 2. The Hunger Games 3. Dawson’s Creek 4. Safe Haven

II. North Carolina tax incentives A. North Carolina began offering filmmakers tax incentives to persuade them to film in the state. B. Tax incentives have gone under changes in recent years.

1. From 2005-2009 a) income tax credit of 15% of production expenses b) credit limit of $7.5 million per film c) refunds if credit exceeds tax liability d) Production company must spend at least $250,000 in the state

2. From 2010-present a) The production team for the movie Last Song decided to film in Georgia instead

of North Carolina, due to better incentives b) Governor Beverly Purdue changed the incentives offered, in order to attract

filmmakers again (1) North Carolina offers filmmakers a 25% income tax credit (2) To receive incentives, filmmakers must spend at least $250,000 in North

Carolina (3) The state offers refunds for money filmmakers spend over $20 million

III. Impacts of film making on Wilmington community A. The industry has helped the economy in particular communities

1. Workers from outside the state some purchase property in the area 2. Workers spend money at local restaurants and hotels

B. Increases in tourism within the state 1. Tourists visit film sites that they have seen in movies and television shows 2. Pieces of some sets and props have been left behind in places such as the Fort

Johnson-Southport Museum & Visitors’ Center C. Movie productions and actors contribute to the community

1. Chad Michael Murray started a football team for young kids in the Wilmington Community

2. Film crew of Safe Haven left props from the movie to the Southport museum D. Creates jobs for people in the community.

1. Wilmington has local film crew that can get hired each time a film is made here IV. Process of making a film

A. Sequence of production 1. Preproduction

a) Storyboarding (1) Animation of the movie describing the different camera angles (2) Plans out different scenes in the order of which they will occur

b) Script writing

(1) Scripts should include exactly what the actors are going to say (2) Stage directions should include what the actors should be physically

doing c) Designing sets and props

(1) Set should contribute to the scene (2) Props are anything the actors need to use

d) Advertising (1) Any type of advertisement for your film should attract an audience to view

your product 2. Production

a) Blocking (1) Director tells the actors exactly where they should be on the set

b) Shooting techniques (1) Keeping the camera steady (2) Using correct lighting (3) Framing the subject (4) Zooming in and out (5) Transitions in the movie (6) Length of scene

3. Post Production a) Putting shots in order b) Musical additions to film c) Special effects

V. Roles of film production A. Screenwriter- writes the script B. Director- directs actors and crew to create a visual version of the script C. Producer- oversees the production stage, may also help create the conditions of the film, such

as finding funds for filming D. Actors- portrays the characters in the script, on screen E. Camera Operator- films the scenes being portrayed F. Film Editor- puts together different scenes and adds effects, as needed G. Set Designer- designs the sets to be used on film H. Prop Master- designs and keeps track of all props

LESSON #1 Sand, Sun… Movies?

I. DEFINE OBJECTIVES AND

CONTENT

LESSON OBJECTIVE

The students will demonstrate knowledge of North Carolina tax incentives by writing a reflection on how those incentives benefit filmmakers, the community and the state.

POINT TO PONDER

Tax incentives are the only element that attracts the film industry to North Carolina.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How do tax incentives help filmmakers and how do they benefit the community through positive INTERACTIONS? How do different roles INTERACT in order to contribute to the filmmaking process?

CONTENT Outline the content you will teach in this lesson.

● History of film in NC ○ Governor James B. Hunt

commissioned the North Carolina Film Office in 1980

○ Academy award-winning filmmaker Dino DeLaurentiis introduces Wilmington to Hollywood in 1984

○ In the late 1980’s and 1990’s, North Carolina brings in films like Bull Durham and Dirty Dancing

○ Television production Dawson’s Creek comes to Wilmington in 1998 and stays for six seasons

○ One Tree Hill comes to Wilmington after the filming of Dawson’s Creek wraps up and stays for nine seasons

○ North Carolina Governor Mike Easley creates tax incentives to bring productions to the state in 2006

○ Popular films made in North Carolina: ■ Iron Man 3 ■ The Hunger Games ■ Dawson’s Creek ■ Safe Haven

● North Carolina tax incentives o North Carolina offers filmmakers a

25% income tax credit o To receive incentives, filmmakers must spend at least $250,000 in North Carolina o The state offers refunds for money filmmakers spend over $20 million

● Roles of film production o Screenwriter- writes the script o Director- directs actors and crew to create a visual version of the script o Producer- oversees the production stage, may also help create the conditions of the film, such as finding funds for filming o Actors- portrays the characters in the script, on screen o Camera Operator- films the scenes being portrayed o Film Editor- puts together different scenes and adds effects, as needed o Set Designer- designs the sets to be used on film

II. PRE-PLANNING

What will students UNDERSTAND as a result of this lesson? How does this connect to the Essential Question?

Students will understand how tax incentives benefit filmmakers, the community and the state. Students will understand that different roles go into the filmmaking process and that each of those roles will contribute to a successful film product. This connects to the essential question by showing how tax incentives have brought the film industry to the state and how it benefits the community, as well as how the different roles INTERACT with one another.

What will students be able to DO as a result of this lesson?

Students will be able to write a brief reflection about how their opinions have changed related to why the film industry is in North Carolina. Students will be able to correctly match famous people in the film industry to their correct job title.

III. PLANNING

HOOK Describe how you will grab students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson. BE CREATIVE.

Show final battle scene from Iron Man 3 (link on Weebly). Ask students where they think this could have been filmed. Do they think it could have been filmed in North Carolina? Show students a photo of the Port of Wilmington (see Weebly site) and explain that the location is in Wilmington. (3 minutes)

INSTRUCTION Explain Step-by-step what you will do in this lesson. Be explicit about ties to Points to Ponder, Essential Question, and Interactions here. Include ALL support and teaching materials with your unit.

• Give a brief history of films that were made in North Carolina and how it all started. We will give this history through the use of a Prezi presentation (link on Weebly). (15 minutes)

● Give students individual KWL chart. Explain that they should think about why the film industry in North Carolina is so successful (as well as how this industry INTERACTS with the community). They should list these ideas on “K” column. Then they should think of what else they would like to know and list this in the “W” column. (5 minutes)

● Have students brainstorm a list of roles used in the film industry. Put a list of most common filming roles on the board. Have students briefly turn to a partner to talk to them about their prior knowledge about these roles as well as how the different roles INTERACT to create one film. (5 minutes)

● Display list of important roles in the film industry along with their descriptions on the board (Powerpoint is on Weebly site). Around the room will be centers that have the name of a famous person in the industry with a description of their responsibilities. Explain to students that their job is to match the famous person with their role. In order to do so, they will be given index cards, where they should write the name of the job, fold it up and put it in the basket at the correct center. (10 minutes)

● For each center, reveal to students what famous person they matched the role with. If all of the students agreed upon one person (for the most part), have a volunteer explain to everyone why that is a match. If there was disagreement, have volunteers defend their choices and come up with the correct

answer as a class. (10 minutes) ● Play a quick “I Have, Who Has” game with

the roles and their descriptions. (3 minutes)

● Give students back their KWL charts (from beginning of lesson) and have students write down what they have learned about the film industry in North Carolina. Have students talk about how their prediction differs from the real reason the industry is here (tax incentives). Also talk about whether or not their prediction still serves as another reason the industry might be here (does it serve as an added bonus?). Students will then get on Edmodo and reflect on how their opinions have changed, using a rubric to guide them. (10 minutes)

ASSESSMENT (Performance Task) What will the students DO to demonstrate that they have mastered the content? Be specific and include actual assessment with unit materials.

Students’ reflections will serve as their assessment. We will use the attached rubric to assess their responses. (10 minutes) (This shows the students knowledge of the tax incentive portion of the lesson objective and the short that students will post on Edmodo will show their knowledge of their role).

DOES THE ASSESSMENT ALLOW YOU TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE STUDENTS HAVE MET YOUR STATED LESSON OBJECTIVE? YES OR NO ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS See Weebly site for additional online resources.

Wilmington Film Industry KWL Chart - Lesson 1 What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

Center Materials

I Have, Who Has Game

I am the screenwriter. Who designs the sets to be used on

film?

I am the director. Who oversees the production stage, helps

create the condition of the film and finds funding for the film?

I am the Set Designer. Who directs actors and crew to

create a visual version of the script?

I am the producer. Who puts together different scenes and

adds effects for the film?

I am the film editor. Who

portrays the characters in the script and on screen?

I am the actor. Who films the scenes being portrayed?

I am the camera operator. Who writes the script?

Edmodo Reflection Rubric- Lesson 1

Not at all Somewhat Completely Total Student has correctly explained why the film industry is drawn to North Carolina.

0 2.5 5

Student has explained how their opinion of what brings the film industry to the state/

0 2.5 5

Total Score (out of 10)

LESSON #2 Role Call!


CONTENT

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Students will demonstrate understanding of the film process by INTERACTING with a partner to create a storyboard to map out their Public Service Announcement. Students will understand the importance of the tax incentives by INTERACTING with a Wilmington business owner via Skype interview.

POINT TO PONDER

The positive impacts of the film industry outweigh the money put forth in tax incentives.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How have the tax incentives helped businesses in the Wilmington community? How does storyboarding impact the filmmaking process?


● Impacts of film making on communities. ○ Jon Cornick moved to Wilmington

after producing two movies in the area ○ By introducing people to the

Wilmington area, many of these people come to love Wilmington and sometimes move there. This brings homeowners into Wilmington.

○ David Lyons was an actor in the movie Safe Haven. He ate daily at the Fishy Fishy in Southport, NC.

○ People working on a film will spend money at a local business when in turn helps generate the Wilmington economy.

○ The cast of One Tree Hill held a football game in Wilmington to raise money for scholarships.

○ James Lafferty raised money by hosting a charity basketball game for GirlsInc

○ After filming the movie Safe Haven, the Fort Johnson-Southport Museum & Visitor’s Center had a visitor

increase from 5,000 in 2012 to more that 9,100 this past year.

● Process of making a film (preproduction). ○ Storyboards are used to map out your

thoughts when beginning the filmmaking process

● Definition of a Public Service Announcement: ● Messages made to raise awareness or change attitudes and behavior towards a social issue.

II. PRE-PLANNING


Students will understand how the filmmaking process begins through the creation of storyboards. Students will also understand the positive impacts the film industry has had on the Wilmington area. This connects to the essential question because students will show the importance of tax incentives through the content that they include in their storyboard


Students will be able to create a storyboard to map out their PSA, which will include the positive impacts mentioned by the Wilmington business owner.

III. PLANNING


Show students video highlighting popular Wilmington film sites (link on Weebly). Discuss with students- other than the tax incentives, why would Wilmington be a good location to film? (4 minutes)

INSTRUCTION Explain Step-by-step what you will do in this lesson. Be explicit about ties to Points

● Discuss the positive impacts that the film industry has had through its INTERACTIONS with the Wilmington community. Mention examples such as restaurants, hotels, tourism, and the jobs that it creates. We will

to Ponder, Essential Question, and Interactions here. Include ALL support and teaching materials with your unit.

give this information through the use of a Prezi presentation. (10 minutes)

● Have students pair up and think of 2-3 questions they would like to ask a Wilmington business owner about how their business has been affected by the film industry. (5 minutes)

● If students have trouble coming up with questions, teachers can get them started with the following guiding questions: How do you believe your business has been impacted by the local film industry? Do you think that your business would be negatively impacted if the local film industry were no longer around? Do you believe that the film industry helps create jobs in your area? How so?

● Skype interview with Wilmington business owner, using the questions that the students came up with. (15 minutes)

● Explain that we will be creating a Public Service Announcement on the Wilmington film industry. The purpose of a Public Service Announcement is to make the public aware of issues within a community and how they may be solved. Our particular issue being that some lawmakers are trying to take tax incentives in North Carolina away. Show students PSA example (on Weebly site). Ask students what they noticed about the PSA. (5 minutes)

● Ask how we could use a PSA to help the Wilmington film industry. As a whole group, come up with a list of important facts that we may want to include on the PSA. Explain to them they need to focus on the INTERACTIONS between the film industry and the community. Have students get into partners, where they will do a quick outline of their PSA in their COW notebook. (10 minutes)

● Explain to students that we are going to be mapping out our Public Service Announcement using a strategy called storyboarding. Show students the first half of the “Toy Story- Storyboarding” video (link on Weebly- stop at 5:35). Remind students that we will not be creating an animated video, but

we will still be following the same process. (7 minutes)

● Put students in the groups that they will be creating their PSA in. Explain to students that they will be using a website called Storyboard That to create a Storyboard of their PSA. Display the website to show students how to navigate throughout the site. Have them create a storyboard that maps out the PSA using the storyboard maker at Storyboard That, using a rubric to guide them. (link on Weebly) (15 minutes).

● Show the rest of the “Toy Story- Storyboarding” video. This part of the video shows how the storyboard compares to the final product. (4 minutes)


Students will respond to the essential questions stated at the beginning of the lesson (How have the tax incentives helped businesses in the Wilmington community? How does storyboarding impact the filmmaking process?) on the Edmodo site. We will use the attached rubric to assess their responses. If time runs out, students will complete this part at home.


Storyboard Rubric- Lesson 2 Not at all Somewhat Completely Total Title Box includes title of PSA and students' names.

0 2.5 5

Content in storyboard is related to North Carolina film industry.

0 2.5 5

Storyboard gives students' views on the tax incentives possibly being cut in North Carolina.

0 2.5 5

Storyboard persuades the audience of importance of tax incentives or cutting tax incentives.

0 2.5 5

Order of events in PSA is obvious. 0 2.5 5

Storyboard includes digital illustrations from StoryboardThat program.

0 2.5 5

No errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

0 2.5 5

Total Score (out of 35)

Edmodo Reflection Rubric-Lesson 2 Not at all Somewhat Completely Total Student has explained how the tax incentives for the film industry have helped businesses in the Wilmington community.

0 2.5 5

Student has used examples from Skype interview guest in their response.

0 2.5 5

Student explains how storyboarding impacts the filmmaking process.

0 2.5 5

Total score (out of 15 points)

LESSON #3 Behind the Scenes


CONTENT

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Students will demonstrate knowledge of script writing by INTERACTING with their group members to create a script for their PSA. Students will demonstrate their opinions that they have formed about the Wilmington film industry through the script that they write together.

POINT TO PONDER

You can change the public’s opinion through the use of film.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can we convey the importance of the Wilmington film industry through a Public Service Announcement?


● Elements of Scripts ○ Setting- where it takes place ○ Dialogue- what the characters

say ○ Stage Directions- what the

characters do ○ Types of Shots

○ Extreme Close-Up- Subject exceeds the boundaries of the frame ○ Close-Up- Frames a person’s face, cuts off at midneck, usually shows entire head. ○ Medium Close-up- Frames head and upper torso, cuts off at mid-chest. ○ Medium Shot-Frames a subject from the waist up ○ Long Shot- Frames the subject from the feet up or may be slightly further away to show motion ○ Wide Shot-Camera is far away from the action

○ Types of Angles

○ Low Angle-To film this shot, the camera is placed lower than the person or object to be filmed ○ High angle- the camera must be placed above the actors or objects ○ Dutch angle-the camera has to be tilted to the right or left

II. PRE-PLANNING


Students will understand how they can show the importance of the Wilmington film industry by creating a script to show their reasoning. Students will understand the multiple elements of a script (dialogue, stage directions, etc.). Students will connect this knowledge to the essential question by creating a PSA that conveys the importance of the Wilmington film industry.


Students will be able to INTERACT with their group members in order to create their PSA.

III. PLANNING


Play game “Guess that Script” and have students talk about what they notice about each script and what each script entails. (download from Weebly site) (5 minutes.)

INSTRUCTION Explain Step-by-step what you will do in this lesson. Be

● Show students Sample Script (http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/30683_script.pdf). Discuss the different elements that are included

explicit about ties to Points to Ponder, Essential Question, and Interactions here. Include ALL support and teaching materials with your unit.

(setting, types of shots, etc.). (5 minutes)

● Explain to students that after storyboarding, the next part of the process is scriptwriting. We will be using an online program called Celtx to complete this process. Display the Celtx website (link on Weebly site) and show them how to navigate site. (5 minutes)

● Students will work in their PSA groups to create their script for their PSA. It is up to the students to decide how many will be on camera (they can take turns holding the camera or one person can be designated as the camera operator, etc). (30 minutes)

● Bring students back to the whole group. Discuss the progress that has been made from each group. Explain to students that we will now be doing a “table read” within each group so that everyone is familiar with the script. As the students read through the script, teachers will walk around the room to INTERACT with the groups and to discuss the different parts of the script that were included, such as the actions and types of shots being used. (10 minutes)

● Explain to students that when filming, different shots and angles can be used to make a film more interesting. These shots and angles INTERACT with the other elements included in the script to capture the audience’s attention. Give students the handouts to use as a reference (http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/30683_shots.pdf) and (http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/30683_angles.pdf). Go through the different types of shots and angles on the note sheets and then have groups discuss amongst themselves what types of shots and angles they can use in their PSA. They can add this new information to their scripts on

Celtx. (10 minutes)


Students will write a reflection on Edmodo, where they explain how their script conveys the importance of the Wilmington film industry, as well as how the public may react to it. We will use the attached rubric to assess their responses. If time runs out, students will complete this part at home. (5 minutes)


Edmodo Reflection Rubric-Lesson 3

Not at all Somewhat Completely Total Student explains the importance of the Wilmington film industry to the community.

0 2.5 5

Student explains how their PSA script will show this importance.

0 2.5 5

Total points (out of 10)

LESSON #4 And… Action!


CONTENT

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of operating a digital camera by putting their script on screen. Students will demonstrate knowledge of editing by using iMovie to add transitions, music and other appropriate effects to their PSA. Students will capture their opinion on the Wilmington film industry by creating a persuasive PSA.

POINT TO PONDER

Film is a powerful tool that can be used to persuade an audience and even create jobs within a community.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How does a community benefit from the INTERACTIONS with a large industry such as the film industry?


• Impacts of film making on communities. • This year marked the second annual NC Film Rally in Wilmington, NC. • Rally is sponsored by Wilmington Regional Film Commission. • People attending the rally try to convince lawmakers to keep tax incentives by explaining the benefits of having the film industry in the community.

• Digital Cameras- tool that you can use to record • IMovie- production software tool used on

Macbooks or iPads • Effects can be added • Publishing can be done to complete product

II. PRE-PLANNING


Students will understand how to operate a digital camera, edit their film, and appropriately show their opinion through film. This connects to the essential question by showing the targeted audience ways the

public can benefit from the film industry in Wilmington.


Students will be able to correctly operate a digital camera to film their work, use the iMovie program to edit their work, and INTERACT with their audience to demonstrate their opinion on the Wilmington film industry.

III. PLANNING


Show FILM=JOBS rally video (link on Weebly site). Have the students discuss with their groups how their PSA relates to the video. (4minutes)

INSTRUCTION Explain Step-by-step what you will do in this lesson. Be explicit about ties to Points to Ponder, Essential Question, and Interactions here. Include ALL support and teaching materials with your unit.

● Have students discuss with their groups the qualities that the speaker in the video had and decide whether or not he successfully got his point across. How can they use strategies that are similar or different from his to make their PSA more persuasive? (4 minutes)

● Explain to students that they will now begin filming their PSA. Hand out digital cameras and briefly explain how to operate them (more specific instructions will come when we know how to operate them). (4 minutes)

● Students will work in their groups to film their product. Teachers will INTERACT with groups to assist them as needed. (30 minutes)

● Show students example video (link on Weebly site) that was created by the teachers. Once students have watched the video ask them what their opinion of the video was. Was it exciting? Was it persuasive? What could we have done to improve it? (5 minutes)

● Pull up the same video in iMovie (display using LCD projector). Explain that we will now be using the program to edit our work in a

way that will make it more interesting. Show students how to navigate iMovie by adding effects such as music, transitions, credits, etc. Have the students participate by giving teachers ideas throughout the editing process. (10 minutes)

● Give students the rubric that will be used to evaluate their PSA. Have students come up with a tentative plan of edits that they could make in iMovie on their PSA. They may want to write this list down in their COW notebook. Explain to students that their plan may change when they are actually editing, but it is a good idea to start with a plan. (10 minutes)

● When students come back to work on their products, they will be expected to get on iMovie and finalize their PSA. Teachers will INTERACT with groups to assist as needed. (40 minutes)


Using rubric provided, students will demonstrate their knowledge of camera operating, editing, content and views by completing their PSA.


Public Service Announcement Film Rubric-Lesson 4 Not at all Somewhat Completely Total Students' opinion is stated in the PSA.

0 2.5 5

Students' argument is persuading to their audience.

0 2.5 5

Students correctly discuss tax incentives in North Carolina.

0 2.5 5

Students discuss the impact the industry has had on the Wilmington community.

0 2.5 5

Students add appropriate effects using iMovie.

0 2.5 5

Overall, the film is attractive and enjoyable.

0 2.5 5

Total points (out of 30)

Behind the Scenes… Stand Up For North Carolina’s Film Industry!

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Transcript of Behind the Scenes… Stand Up For North Carolina’s Film Industry!