Washington Filmworks (WF) and the Seattle Office of Film + Music have partnered to launch Commercialize Seattle, a new business development campaign designed to work with WF’s Commercial Business Development Plan (CBDP) to drive more advertising business to Washington. The campaign has a two-part strategy:
- Design and launch an innovative and creative campaign to market the region to advertising executives as a destination for commercial production and,
- Implement a new business plan that represents a smarter, more strategic approach to allocating incentive dollars for commercial production.
The first commercial project to receive incentive dollars through the recently launched CBDP was a national campaign for Kia Motors, produced by Recommended Media. Filming took place during the month of August and brought production to several areas of the state, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Shelton, and Mt. Baker.
WF Production Services Coordinator Krys Karns visited the set of the Kia campaign and observed several sequences being shot in the Downtown and Belltown neighborhoods of Seattle. Crew filmed with a “Russian Arm”, a high-speed mobile crane used for photographing moving vehicles. The arm allows for shots from almost any angle, in all weather conditions, and shots can be adjusted instantly to allow for exciting dynamic sequences.
“A number of factors brought this commercial to Washington,” said Location Manager on the project Doug duMas. “By comparison, production could never have coordinated this shoot in Los Angeles in the short amount of time available. The variety of locations was a big incentive to come here, so was the funding assistance from the Commercial Business Development Plan.”
Projects approved for funding assistance through the CBDP bring valuable business to Washington State. They provide good wages and benefits for local labor and increase business for area film vendors. In addition, these commercials contribute to the local economy through the purchase of hotel rooms, food, equipment, and a variety of other operational services.
Want to be a part of Commercialize Seattle? Interested local production companies should register here.