Film and television production in the Mid-Hudson Valley generates tens of millions of dollars annually, with a record-setting $60 million in recent years. While still small in comparison to other business sectors like tourism and agriculture, the trajectory is going up. Once the location for primarily small budget indie films and a German soap opera, our area increasingly hosts bigger budget projects from Apple, HBO, Amazon Prime and others, and they spend on local services and goods. Local film production has moved from an economic novelty to having a real economic impact. With Hollywood gripped in the midst of pain and transition from recent fires, AI transition and rising costs, the opportunities for filming, production, and post-production in New York, the Hudson Valley and Kingston looks bright.

New York has long had its sights on being an alternative film location to California, using tax incentives primarily as the draw, and leveraging its close proximity to talent and resources in New York City. The New York Film Production Tax Credit is a refundable credit of 30 percent of qualified production and post production costs. And shoots with budgets over $500,000 that film most of principal photography in upstate counties like Ulster get 10 percent more on qualified labor. There are additional incentives to film locally, helping to boost our local economy by injecting direct spending, driving long-term tourism and creating specialized jobs.

Jillian Fisher is a local entrepreneur who has one of those specialized jobs in the local film industry. "I've been working on film locations for around fifteen years. Most folks associate me with location scouting for movies, television and commercials. But I provide other resources as well,” Fisher said. "For almost two years one of my clients has been a production company that creates true crime docuseries for streaming platforms. For these productions, in addition to locations, I’ve sourced cars across the country for their re-enactment scenes. Also, as location scout, I'm one of the first people brought onto a production, and I often recommend other resources in the Hudson Valley to find crew. We have incredibly talented people in the entertainment industry living locally.”

Fisher notes that the local film industry has changed over the years. It’s “grown exponentially since I first began bringing movies here around 15 years ago. Back then, since we didn't have as many trained professionals living locally as we do now, many of the folks coming up from Manhattan and the boroughs didn't have access to vehicles. It was important to me to work with productions on their lodging as well to ensure that cast and crew had things to do in their down time. Everyone was blown away by how film-friendly Kingston was. And everyone in each film family would then go on to their next projects and share the virtues of filming in this small, friendly city in upstate New York.”

According to Fisher, “the appeal of Kingston and Ulster has always been its chameleon nature. Production is hard-pressed to not to be able to find its [needed] locations here. The fact that they can do so in close proximity from lodging to wherever their set is for the day saves them money.” Over time, because of her intimate familiarity with the city and region, Jillian became a go-to for the industry “because I was able to help turn Kingston into whatever the script called for, and in relatively close proximity from one location to the next.”

Fisher cited some examples of where and how she helped find set locations in Kingston for films. “For the movie, ‘Cold in July’, a driving scene was filmed in a bay of the Kingston Firehouse on Frog Alley with a green screen behind them. The police station was actually the lower level of City Hall. And [actor] Michael C. Hall’s character had a business on North Front Street. ‘The Sisterhood of Night’, was filmed at George Washington School as well as the high school. It also filmed the homecoming parade coming down Wall Street, which of course still had the Pike Plan!” she said. For that movie they filmed on the Rondout at the old Skilly Pot Antiques (now Rosie’s) as well as on the Wurts Street Bridge. Another movie, "Growing Up Smith”, was filmed all over Uptown including having turned the former Duo Restaurant into a Kentucky Fried Chicken & Win Morrison Realty into a general store. Fisher reflects that “many of the movies with which I’ve worked have become time capsules because that portion of Kingston has changed. It’s different now.”

When asked what kinds of locations are most commonly asked for by producers, Jillian said, "I wouldn't say that there is a most commonly asked for location – that's the beauty of my industry as well as the Hudson Valley. My attention to detail and ability to find almost anything here is what initially set myself and our area apart. For example, in ‘Growing Up Smith,’ Kingston’s Rotary Park became India for the film. The advantage I have in being a local location scout is that once I read a script, and it calls for a specific style, I know where to find it.”

Film production boosts our local economy with direct spending, creating specialized jobs and driving long-term tourism. Film crews rent blocks of hotel rooms and hire local caterers and restaurants for daily meals, and productions buy hardware, rent vehicles, and source specialized supplies from regional vendors. Increasingly in Kingston, productions are able to hire local crew members, talent, security and administrative workers. Other local resources that film production may use include contractors, tradespeople, tailors, dry cleaners, hair and makeup. Of course, featured locations can experience long-term boosts in foot traffic from fans visiting filming sites. All of this is helping to establish a growing and thriving film and video ecosystem, and all the technical and creative jobs in the sector, from production assistants to editors, gaffers, and many more.

As for current trends in the local film production industry, Fisher says that "when I first began bringing movies here, the majority of productions were independent feature films. There’s still a really strong presence of indies filming here. However, big budget feature films and shows have been filming here with regularity as well. Those productions can afford to pay much more for a location than an indie film.” And with all the filming and growing budgets, local businesses are increasingly used as vendors and resources.

Recognizing the potential industry growth of our area, a few organizations have planted roots in Kingston to build upon the filming trends of the Hudson Valley. Stockade Works is one such organization, based in Kingston helping to grow local production talent so that film making can better tap local resources. According to the executive director of Stockade Works, Susie Sofranko, their organization "works closely with the Hudson Valley Film Commission, along with county and state partners, to help strengthen the film and television industry in the Hudson Valley.”

Sofranko said that “as a workforce development organization, our role is to create pathways into film and television careers for local residents, with access and inclusion at the center of that work. While there is more to be done to strengthen and sustain the film ecosystem here in the Hudson Valley, we’re incredibly encouraged by the number of productions reaching out for crew this year and choosing to base projects here – a sign that our collective efforts are paying off.”

Another local non-profit involved in growing the local film ecosystem is HUDSY. In addition to making impactful documentaries that provide support to underserved communities and providing top quality production services all along the Hudson River and beyond, HUDSY offers opportunities for local creatives to expand their skills and industry connections with a paid Filmmaker Apprenticeship Program.

For local businesses interested in connecting into the local film ecosystem, Fisher says that "businesses being film-friendly is incredibly important to the continued sustainability of filming in our area. That means first and foremost, [they need to] keep an open mind. Ask lots of questions, and let local resources like Ulster County Tourism as well as the Hudson Valley Film Commission know that [your] business is film-friendly.” This, she said, goes a long way.

When asked for any words of advice for entrepreneurs looking to get into the local film industry, Fisher replied, “We actually have a lot of local opportunities if one is truly interested in working in the film business. Before I ever worked in this industry, I participated in three different film festivals. My first film festival was an internship during college. I really enjoyed it, and happily did everything they asked. The breadth of my experience there led me to a board of directors position on the next one. Real-life experience is invaluable. Find a film festival and volunteer.

Also, one of our greatest local assets is Stockade Works. They offer a Below the Line Bootcamp which trains individuals in a variety of just about every position one can think of on a movie set. They also offer scholarships if the workshop fee is too much. I would also encourage folks to find and attend every film meetup event going on locally. From HUDSY to Upstate Women in Film & Television to the Woodstock Film Festival, subscribe to everyone's e-blasts. In the entertainment industry, as in so many others, oftentimes it's as much about who you know as what you know.”