SEATTLE --Stunt drivers crashing through parking meters on University Avenue provide an unexpected thrill for spectators passing by a movie set in Seattle.
But there are concerns over the future of movie-making here. When asked if this could be one of the last films shot in Washington, line producer Tony Grazia replied, "I hope not."
The film being shot right now is called "21 and Over." It's among the last to take advantage of a now defunct state incentive plan. Movie makers got a 30 percent refund for expenses incurred while shooting a film here, but budget cuts recently eliminated the incentive. That could mean lights out for movie making here for quite some time.
"It's gonna hurt," said Grazia. "You need the incentives to bring film makers here."
Consider this -- the biggest movie to come out of Washington in years, "Twilight," was actually shot in Oregon -- largely because Oregon offers bigger incentives. Industry experts say Washington is losing millions in jobs and revenue every year to Oregon and Vancouver, B.C.
"We've become the quintessential flyover state," said Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks. "Making movies sounds sexy, but it's about employing people and bringing money to the state. That's really what we do."
Opponents of the incentives said they just didn't provide enough bang for the buck in Washington. They believe the money would be better used to help other struggling industries.
Film makers say they will be back in Olympia next session to try to get the incentive reestablished.
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