The explosion of reality TV has created practically a whole new filmmaking genre that didn't exist just five or six years ago. A survey of the top 75 TV markets last year reported that the Cincinnati market ranks #1 in reality TV viewing. Scarborough Research, which tracks media and lifestyle trends, found 29 percent of tri-state viewers say they typically tune in to reality shows. The national average is 23 percent. Cincinnati Film Commission has capitalized on this poll and reached out to production companies to shoot where the highest viewership resides. They have listened and have come to Cincinnati to film. We have worked with the following shows to bring in jobs and revenue in the last two years:

2009- Television
NFL Films: HBO Hard Knocks
MTV Taking the Stage 
MTV Taking the Stage (season two)
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
VH1 Top 20 Video countdown (Film Commission won Queen City Advocate Award)
Wife Swap
Dirty Jobs (shrink wrap)
Dirty Jobs (wool factory)
Diners Dives and Drive Ins
Clash of Choirs (2008)
HGTV Top Designer
HGTV Bang for Your Buck
MTV World's Strictest Parents
Survivor
Bachelor Auditions
Amazing Race Auditions
New VH1 Series
Boutique TV_ The Alley (entire series here in Cincinnati)
Food Network Food Quest
As The World Turns
History Channel Life After People: Flight 33 films
On the Job
Pizza Infinity
America's Heartland
ABC Primetime: Where Are They Now
BBC Savior Siblings
Discovery Network: Dog Fighting
Clean House
TLC- Wedding Story
Bridezilla
Perfect Proposal
Real People Catalogue
Oxford Scientific Films
Animal Planet
TV Land Show
Reconnections- Bongo LLC
Good Morning America
BBC Apollo Wives: Neil Armstrong
Style Network - Wolfgang Delgado
Alchemy-Arthur Stevens
 
2010- Television
Diner Dives and Drive-Ins
Animal Planet - Monsters Inside Me
Undercover Boss
The Bowling Show- TLC
SuperNanny
World's Strictest Parents
HGTV
Food Network
Big Brother
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Fox Network
ESPN

FILMS ON THE RISE THANKS TO INCENTIVES: On the REALITY flip side, the movie business is on its way back to town. Three films are slated for 2010 with one currently looking for crew and talent. If interested email resume to Kristen Erwin: kristen@filmcincinnati.com

The year 2009 was an exciting one for the Film Commission, with some very proud accomplishments and challenging opportunities: we helped complete two national television series; we've expanded our training and networking programs for local media industry professionals; we've assisted in producing a state motion picture tax incentive; and we've succeeded in bringing an estimated $22 million in direct spending for media production to Greater Cincinnati. However, there is still much more work to do in order to spur production and create new jobs in southern Ohio. Working with business volunteers and film community members, the Film Commission's staff and Board of Directors has devised a strong strategic plan for the future of our organization, bringing focus and structure to the most crucial areas of our work: Government Advocacy, Workforce Development, and Business Attraction.

Ohio is one of the last states to have a tax incentive for film and television production. Our advocacy on behalf of motion picture incentives for the state was imperative to making Ohio competitive with our neighboring states, such as Kentucky and Michigan, both of which have highly competitive motion picture tax incentives. The neighboring industry boom has begun to attract a significant amount of talent and business away from Ohio, and we want it back. So far, four films have been approved for Northern Ohio, and we are helping two Cincinnati films meet criteria for application. We hope to see these films go into production within the next four months. Now that a motion picture incentive has been included in the next biennial budget, our secondary goal will be to lobby for improvements to the incentive that will make it more accessible and competitive, and to ensure that the state's spending cap on the incentive sufficiently supports the influx of production to our area.

The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission's Workforce Development Program is designed to provide local talent with the training and networking tools they need to succeed in the industry. With the passage of a state motion picture tax incentive, our workforce development efforts have become a top priority.  We must immediately begin working with our partners to retrain skilled workers for production-related careers, while simultaneously training new creative workers with our educational partners. If the local media industry workforce is not prepared when the incentive passes, productions will be more inclined to hire workers from out of state. This would not only be detrimental for local media industry professionals, but would also be more expensive for productions, which will lower our region's competitiveness. Our first seminar will happen mid year and is called "How Do I Get Work." It will be a day-long seminar targeted to people who want to get into the business, who are in the business and want to find more work, people who need to polish their skills on selling themselves, and people who are in the business but would like to raise their awareness and credentials.

For more information on this seminar or the film commission, please email me at Kristen@filmcincinnati.com or visit our website.

When people hear of the Film Commission they often assume we are a group of people who watch movies - or some might assume we "screen" independent films. False. Others might think we are a group of people that sit around hoping Hollywood calls and needs something in Cincinnati. False again  - though that would be nice. Finally they may assume we work with mainstream movies, showing them Cincinnati, hoping they use it because they will come here, raise awareness and spend money. Partly true but vastly understated.

The Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission's mission is to attract, promote and cultivate media production in Southern Ohio for the economic impact it has on the community. By using effective strategies for attraction and workforce development, the Film Commission's works will help build an artistic infrastructure through film and media. Our vision is to achieve increased economic development in Southern Ohio by using the artistic and culturally enriching activities of film and other media production to strengthen the workforce, support the media production industry, and attract media production to the region. That said - shouldn't we be called a media development agency or a film, television, commercial, or media commission? Probably. 

We are one of the oldest film commissions in the world. We are 23 years old and were the first film commission to be set u as a non-for-profit agency. We were also the first film commission to cross state lines. Now, many film commissions around the globe are modeled like ours, and have come to us with questions on longevity success and community involvement. 

To date, we are a full-service agency. We are not only getting the word out about Cincinnati to the film, television, and commercial industries - but we are also helping to facilitate production once those out-of-state companies are in Cincinnati so that they have a positive experience and want to come back. Where else can you call to get location information, freelancers, hotel bids, equipment suppliers, audition space, production office help, film permits, assist in hiring police, fire - bag parking meters, street closures, restaurant lists and how to shut down a bridge, light up Cincinnati, shoot B roll of the skyline, or re-route interstate traffic. In a nutshell, we help from beginning to end - and it isn't just big budget Hollywood. We open our location library to anyone scouting, have software to help first time filmmakers, educational seminars and networking nights for freelancers, and keep an updated website of resources for anyone coming to town or who is already here and might need something production related.

Become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!