Soundside goes to the movies: How do we get productions set in WA to actually film here?

There are lots of movies set in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, like "Sleepless in Seattle," or "Twilight."

But many aren't actually filmed here.

Soundside spent a day at the movies talking local classics and how we can get more movies produced in the region.

Washington in film

David Schmader is the author of the new book, "Filmlandia: A movie lover’s guide to the films and television of Seattle, Portland and The Great Northwest." As Schmader puts it: “The Pacific Northwest presents a double whammy of ravishing cinematic locales; offering hyper-modern cityscapes amid vast natural splendor. Here movie makers find a reliable setting for all sorts of cloudy human experiences."

Schmader is also a playwright. He's also well known for his work at The Stranger, and for hosting special annotated screenings for the Paul Verhoeven classic "Showgirls."

Schmader started "Filmlandia" amid Covid restrictions in 2021, after Sasquatch Books reached out to see if he'd be up for the task. And what better way to spend time inside than watching over 200 films set in the Pacific Northwest!

"I got to have a great experience of watching 200 movies all set reasonably in the same place," Schmader explained. "And anytime you see a collection, you notice patterns and themes that, in a way, would never pop up unless you saw half a dozen or 200."

The themes that Schmader discovered here in Washington centered on dark secrets and psychological intrigue. Or as he described it, "We have the 'Twin Peaks' and 'Twilight' cinematic universes lodged here."

Other TV shows, like "Grey's Anatomy," "Frasier," and more recently, Joel McHale's "Animal Control" are set in Seattle. But none of those shows were filmed here — "Grey's Anatomy" and "Frasier" were filmed in LA, while "Animal Control" was filmed in Vancouver.

Unfortunately, one of the driving factors for so many movies being set in Washington without actually having most of the production here is money.

"It has always been a world-class place to film," Schmader said. "But when it's 30% cheaper 180 miles north, that's hard."

Seattle's new film commission wants to change those circumstances. Members say they hope this newly formed group will be able to address some of the roadblocks that have kept Hollywood away from Washington.

"That infrastructure that people, producers think about for films just hasn't been here," said Beth Barrett, a commission member and artistic director for the Seattle International Film Festival.

A lot of it comes down to economics. For years, Washington's tax incentive has been capped at $3.5 million dollars.

By comparison, Oregon and Montana have film incentives of $20 million and $12 million dollars. Vancouver, B.C. (a frequent stand-in for Seattle) doesn't have a limit on their incentive at all.

But in 2021, the Washington State Legislature voted to increase the state's tax incentive to $15 million dollars. Commission members are hopeful that addressing economic concerns and other shortfalls in Seattle's film infrastructure will attract more Hollywood filmmakers, and not lose another big project like season two of "The Last of Us" to Vancouver.

"I've seen...as a fan and just a movie goer — someone who watches a lot of shows — I see it all the time...the Space Needle just like Roto Brushed in, you know. It sucks," said commissioner Michael Huang.

Commission meetings are open to the public and the first slated to happen on Monday, April 24 at Seattle City Hall.

Listen to the full story above.