Biography

The North Carolina Film Office was established in 1980 at a time when light new technology, audience demand for location authenticity and Hollywood’s need for lower production costs were driving filmmakers to search distant sites throughout the nation for fresh places to make movies.

North Carolina’s timing was perfect.

The state had already drawn the attention of Hollywood in the 1950s, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's brought "The Swan", starring Grace Kelly and Alec Guiness, to the grounds of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Walt Disney Studios chose Cherokee, North Carolina, as one of the backdrops for the motion picture, "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier."


STUDIOS!
The industry really began to take notice, when, in 1973, a young, self-made millionaire tool salesman from Shelby (40 miles west of Charlotte), decided he was going to be in the motion picture business. Earl Owensby built eight Hollywood-quality sound-stages, editing facilities, crew housing, and a private runway on 200 acres and began building not only the state's film infrastructure, but also our crew base — training and nuturing everyone from cinematographers to actors who continue in the industry today. The studio remains active hosting a variety of projects.

It wasn't long before Hollywood's elite such as Dino De Laurentiis came to North Carolina to get in on the action. In 1980, Gov. Jim Hunt established the North Carolina Film Commission to help facilitate and provide a base of operation for the state's film industry economic development. Gov. Hunt named then tourism director Bill Arnold to the post of "Commissioner." Mr. De Laurentiis founded Carolco Studios in 1984 in Wilmington (Southeastern NC). The 32-acre, nine-stage facility is now in under the management of EUE/Screen Gems, where as many as 300 films and numerous television series have been shot. It's the state's most active and vibrant studio facilities.


LOCATIONS!
A sprawling land with a stunning variety of locations — 300 miles of Atlantic oceanfront; the highest mountains in eastern America; more than a million acres of unspoiled forest, cities, towns and villages that can simulate almost any area of the country (or world!) — the state became even more viable with the advent of the two studios. Business was booming. To assist with the influx of film makers, Gov. Jim Hunt called for the creation of the North Carolina Film Commission in 1980, and appointed Bill Arnold to head the agency. Arnold devoted 26 years to the job that required recruiting movies, television, and other production as part of the state’s economic development operations.

With an annual budget of $500,000 and a staff of four, the agency is now a unit of the NC Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. After 26 years in the Film Office, and 30 years of service to his home state, Bill Arnold left his post — and set a record for having served longer than any Film Commissioner/Director in the history of the Association of Film Commissioners International — and his work remains a bedrock of our state's the continuing industry success story.

In the spring of 2007, Aaron Syrett (formerly at the helm of the Utah Film Commission), was named director of the North Carolina Film Office. While building upon North Carolina's legacy, he is also taking a 21st century approach to boost the global visibility of our state's resources.

The Film Office has helped establish the basis for a substantial infrastructure that includes eight studio complexes, 32 soundstages with more than a million square feet of production space — more than any state in the nation except California — and 400 production and support service companies. We’ve helped build a foundation that has created five regional film commissions and one of the foremost film schools in the country — the North Carolina School of Filmmaking — and has attracted a resident crew base of more than 2,000 professionals that continues to grow.

After more than a quarter of a century, the North Carolina Film Office emphasizes its commitment to personalized service. We provide tailor-made, Web-based location packages using state-of-the-art software from North Carolina-based Reel-Scout™. We're your liaison with state agencies and will assist with Federal property needs to expedite and accommodate your production needs. We promote our professional, hard-working crew and service infrastructure through an easy-to-use online directory and handy print directory and provide job information through our online Current Productions - Opportunities and our 1.800.232.9227 Hotline.

We work continually to recruit industry-related business by participating in major industry trade shows, sales missions, and through our affiliations with industry organizations.