Mark Joy and Tracey Gold in Perfect Daughter.

Wilmington, North Carolina is leading the way in the state's ongoing drive to be one of world's top film production sites. Dennis Hopper liked working in Wilmington so much that he bought the old Masonic Building downtown and plans to turn it into an actor's school. Linda Lavin moved her operation to Wilmington lock, stock and barrel, purchased three properties and has started acting workshops. Tom Berenger bought a house in Wilmington after working here, and Henry Winkler returns periodically since making One Christmas here with Katherine Hepburn. Paul Newman, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger all visit this quaint city of 16,000 every chance they get.

But stars aren't the only ones attracted to Wilmington. "We're beginning to look like an expatriates' community," notes Ralph Colelli, referring to all the film people from Los Angeles, New York and other major cities who have made Wilmington their new home. Colelli, himself a onetime Hollywood resident, now has a production office in Wilmington, where he has been producing commercials for national and international clients for two years. "When there's a lot of production going on, schedules can still be hectic, but at least you don't have a two-hour commute home. There are a lot of talented craftspeople here." Wilmington is a different lifestyle, he points out, "but you can't help but fall in love with the area, the people, the beauty. We might not have as much work as Hollywood, but when you have 16,000 hours of talent for 800 crew people, you can make a decent salary."

Over the past decade, Wilmington residents have grown accustomed to the sight of production trucks, cables, crowds hovering around the action. It's not uncommon for Wilmington to have six or seven productions underway at one time. The city brings in $30,000 to $80,000 a day--anywhere from 12 to 15 percent of the city's total revenue. "Eighty percent of the film work done in North Carolina is done in Wilmington," explains Mark Stricklin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission. "There is more production in Wilmington than in 45 other states combined."

In 1995, in fact, Wilmington (which ranks third as the most popular film location in North America, surpassed only by Los Angeles and Toronto) brought in $240 million as a result of the film industry.

Several factors have contributed to Wilmington's popularity. It has a solid film-related infrastructure: crew, equipment, camera/grip/electrical packages and support people. It also has the largest complex of construction stages available in the East, Screen Gems Studios' 100,000-square-foot complex. There are a variety of locations that provide riverfront charm and quaint downtown backdrops. Surrounded by the Cape Fear coastal waterways and the Atlantic Ocean, the area has handsome beaches, low country, and charming small-town and old-Southern settings, include plantation homes. The only things missing are a major cityscape--Charlotte is used when that's needed--and mountains, for which Asheville fits the bill. The Screen Gems back lots, however, have doubled for major cities, as have the Wilmington Film Commission studios.

Robert Duvall and Olga Bellin in Tomorrow.

Wilmington has attracted medium-budget projects in the past, but is beginning to see larger budgets. To the city's credit, Wilmington has been used in feature films including The Hudsucker Proxy, Rambling Rose, Betsy's Wedding, Date With an Angel, Blue Velvet, and a portion of the remake of Lolita. Made-for-TV movies have included Noble House, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Sophie and the Moonhanger, and Anjelica Huston's Bastard Out of Carolina. In addition, Wilmington has hosted the TV series Matlock, American Gothic and The Road Home, as well as scores of commercials for clients such as American Express, Revco, McDonnell Douglas, and numerous music videos.

The bottom line is always a driving force when making movies. But Wilmington's large talent pool and film savvy also a major factors for this influx of activity. "They know they don't have to bring their own crew," Stricklin explains. "Wilmington has some of the best crew people you can find." Of the 1,200 crew people in the state of North Carolina, 800 are to be found in Wilmington. "They not only work here, they live here, so they're not going to step on anyone's toes," says Stricklin. "This is our bread and butter."

A sleepy coastal town, Wilmington was once home to Dino de Laurentiis, who set up shop with Carolco Studios in 1983 to produce Firestarter. It remains the largest film studio on the East Coast. Just recently, Carolco, which was rented out for film projects while in bankruptcy for two years, was auctioned off to the highest bidder. It went to EUE/Screen Gems Ltd. for $3.4 million and installed Frank Capra, Jr. as studio head.

Word seems to be spreading rapidly about the benefits of working in Wilmington. Stricklin, who until recently ran the Film Commission singlehandedly, says the office gets hundreds of scripts each year. He reads through them and sends the appropriate location photos (selected from over 50,000) that could work for the script. "The film office also serves as a clearinghouse, putting out-of-town film people in touch with local people who can help them locate a production manager and coordinator," he points out.

Judy Cairo, executive producer of Her Deadly Rival, a TV movie produced in Wilmington, hopes to produce more projects in Wilmington. "I'm not tied to a particular location. I can choose anywhere in the world," she says. "[But] anytime I'm looking for a location, I consider Wilmington. There's a fabulous crew base, and we have a comfort level because of the amount of production being done there. We know people have had good results. I know when I work in Wilmington I'll have professionals, beautiful scenery . . . And because North Carolina is a right-to-work state, we get more for our money. We can come in on budget." Terry Morse, who produced To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, scouted Wilmington, along with Los Angeles, for the upcoming production of The Marshall Plan. He, too, cites the cost of working in Wilmington as a selling point. "The large base of non-union people, good people, is a definite advantage," he says. "Salaries and housing are reasonable if you're shooting during the off-season. If there's any drawback to the area, it's a shortage of actors and actresses, but that's a very small disadvantage."

Over 230 projects looked at Wilmington in 1996, and 90 major productions scouted the area--an excellent track record. "I used to agonize over every project we didn't get," Stricklin recalls, "but we're landing one out of ten. That's pretty phenomenal."

At this writing, 43 projects had been completed in Wilmington in 1996: 23 TV movies, including A Degree in Deception; six features, including Blood Moon; three independent films; and a host of TV segments, documentaries and commercials.

Sophie and the Moonhanger.

Throughout the summer months, The Night Flier, an independent Steven King feature, was underway here, alongwith A Member of the Wedding, a major URSA movie. Then there were Santa and Me, a Lifetime movie of the week; Snakes and Ladders, a CBS movie of the week; and The Summer of Ben Tillman, a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. At present, Virus, a Universal Studios feature, is being filmed here, along with two more TV movies, Ditch Digger's Daughter and Love's Deadly Triangle.

"With several productions going on simultaneously, it can be a real juggling act," says Stricklin. "In 1993 we had two movies of the week in production--at the same time on the same street--while a merchant was having a sidewalk sale. That's when it became apparent we needed to have some procedures, a method to the madness. You have to orchestrate every detail. It's also important that we educate the community about the business of filmmaking," explains Stricklin. "Films have been made in Wilmington for the past 13 years, but we are seeing more and grander productions. We want the community to understand that people come here because of the crew and support services. They depend on the businesses here. It they don't have a pleasant experience, it could all be over in a heartbeat." A San Francisco native, Stricklin loves Wilmington. "I guess it's as close as we can get to the American dream, a Norman Rockwell kind of town. In this day and age that's pretty attractive."

And he's not alone. They keep coming: renowned photographer Brownie Harris; character actor Pat Hinkle; Peggy Farrell, a costume designer who moved her entire operation here from New York; and Suzze Toon, a Los Angeles native and makeup artist for 15 years, are a few more who now live in this latest candidate for the title "Hollywood East."

"I was a child actor. I grew up in the Hollywood of yesteryear," says Toon. "Wilmington has the feel of a younger, smaller Hollywood in its infancy." Since moving to Wilmington, she has established a retail cosmetics boutique downtown which carries her own line of makeup. "I love having the public come into the shop, along with the film people. I love a small town. It keeps everyone honest. And I certainly don't miss the earthquakes.".

Moviemaking in every region of North Carolina is setting records. According to Governor Jim Hunt, in 1995 filmmakers spent $391 million here in the process of making 54 features, 91 television projects and a variety of national TV commercials. In 1996, the number of feature films was down to 40. But, says Film Commission Director Bill Arnold, revenues are expected to be higher because the films were produced by Hollywood Studios with larger budgets.

Warner Brothers produced My Fellow Americans with Jack Lemmon and James Garner in Asheville. Paramount filmed Kiss the Girls with Morgan Freeman in Raleigh. Universal Studios used Wilmington for their remake of Day of the Jackal with Bruce Willis, Sidney Poitier and Richard Gere. Digging to China with Kevin Bacon and Diane Keaton was shot in the North Carolina mountains. To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, also rolled its cameras in the Tarheel State. And Body Count, which will feature David Caruso, Forest Whittaker and John Leguizamo, is scheduled to begin production in Charlotte in 1997.

"Filmmakers spent more than a million dollars a day, every day in North Carolina in 1995 alone, averaging a new movie every week," Hunt says. This placed North Carolina in third place, trailing only California and New York as the country's most active film production state. The 54 features made in 1995 shattered the state's previous high of 39, set in 1994, representing a 10 percent revenue increase. Two of the largest productions in 1995 included the $70 million Lolita, starring Jeremy Irons and Melanie Griffith, and the $50 million Eddie, featuring Whoopi Goldberg.

Wilmington captured the majority of production with $240 million generated from features and TV projects. The Charlotte area brought in approximately $89 million, most of that from Eddie and three other features, as well as 27 TV shoots. As a result of increased film activity, a regional economic development organization established the Charlotte Regional Film Commission. Film activity in the Research Triangle region generated $27 million in industry spending in 1995, with six features and six TV projects. Western North Carolina hosted a single feature and nine TV shoots, accounting for an estimated $15 million in industry revenues. Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad brought in revenues of $12 million, garnered from portions of Lolita, Eddie, and 24 TV shoots. The area also established its own regional film commission.

Since Governor Hunt established the state's film program in 1980, North Carolina has developed a variety of resources to help boost the industry: seven working production facilities, 29 soundstages, a back lot, support services and a skilled technical work force. These have helped bring 300 movies to the state and, last year alone, created 32,840 temporary jobs. Other states would do well to take notice. MM