A refundable tax credit of 25 percent of direct production expenditures will now be offered to filmmakers shooting in Wisconsin. ,”

• Filmmakers will now receive a 25 percent tax credit to shoot motion pictures in Wisconsin.
• Experts expect a $150 million economic impact.
• Universal Studios is scouting a movie starring Johnny Depp in Wisconsin.
• Some say budget limitations may exclude local filmmakers.

Moviegoers will see the Wisconsin vista revealed on the big screen more frequently as the result of tax incentives for filmmakers who decide to shoot in the Badger State.

A refundable tax credit of 25 percent of direct production expenditures will now be offered to filmmakers shooting in Wisconsin.

Scott Robbe, executive director of media sustainment group Film Wisconsin, began a grassroots effort for such tax incentives in 2005 after government budget cuts sliced funding for Wisconsin motion pictures. Prior to Jan. 1, when the credit took effect, Wisconsin offered no incentive to shoot films in the state. Robbe said most states that are successful in luring film, television and videogame production business offer some form of financial enticement.

"In order to compete nationally and internationally, Wisconsin needed to put tax incentives in place," he said.

Now Wisconsin has what some call the most aggressive incentives in the nation.

After what Robbe called a "virtually non-existent" film history in Wisconsin, he said a flood of scouts has sought out the state after the incentives went into effect.

The last major productions filmed in Wisconsin were "The Last Kiss" starring Zach Braff in 2006, the 2005 remake of "The Amityville Horror," and "Mr. 3000" starring Bernie Mac in 2004.

According to Melissa Musante, associate director of Film Wisconsin, last year only one major motion picture scouted Wisconsin as a filming site. Now that the incentives have taken effect, an estimated 12 pictures are scouting here, including a Universal Pictures film starring Johnny Depp called "Public Enemies," she said.

Wisconsin Films lost $70 million in films because of the lack of tax incentives. With the new incentives, the economic impact is expected to be $150 million, she said.

"We have (from) virgin pine forests up north, to Wisconsin Dells, to the Mississippi River Valley, to the great farmland prairies, to a world-class city," Musante said. "Madison is a fantastic college town and we have 400 miles of uninterrupted coastline that could double as any ocean."

Peter Etzweiler put Madison's college town atmosphere to use as assistant director of "The Last Kiss." Now an independent contractor doing commercial work, he said the incentives issue had always existed.

"We're hoping new incentives are going to address that and bring more production to Wisconsin," he said.

Etzweiler added the incentives do not offer much to local filmmakers.

Clay Simchick, who works lighting for films and commercials, said the incentives do not attract small films. Films budgeted less than $100,000 and commercials less than $50,000 do not qualify for the credit, he said.

Simchick added a film industry does exist in Wisconsin—it is just small compared to other states. Commercials for Nike, McDonald's and Hyundai have been filmed in Wisconsin in the past year, he said.

Meg Hamel, director of the Wisconsin Film Festival, said of the 183 films in the festival last year, 48 films were shot in Wisconsin or by Wisconsin filmmakers.

"The most delightful part about putting the festival program together is making connections with the filmmakers in our own backyard," Hamel said.

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