WV ranked 6th best state for filmmaking

By RealWV staff,

In the latest rankings of best states for filmmaking, a surprising state has climbed the ladder. West Virginia comes in at the 6th spot, following California (1), New York (2), Virginia (3), Illinois (4), and Washington (5).

The rankings were compiled by Giggster, a company that scouts locations for film and special events. Giggster scored all 50 states based on their performance across 14 metrics, producing an overall ranking out of 100 points.

The ranking included the financial value of incentive programs as well as the flexibility, accessibility, and diversity of options from the filmmakers’ perspective. View their full methodology and breakdown here.

Here’s how they broke down West Virginia and placed the state 6th:

• The West Virginia Film Office offers a transferable tax credit  “comprising 27% base and an additional 4%” with a low minimum spend of $50K in a calendar year.
• There are no per-project or annual caps, talent caps, or shoot percentage requirements.
• Filmmakers benefit from sales tax exemptions, fee waivers, film grants such as the Filmmaking Grant, and training programs like the Governor’s Guaranteed Workforce Program, all of which help expand the state’s presence in the national production market.

Best suited for: Low- to mid-budget films, TV movies and series, post-production, music videos, and commercials with flexible budgets and in-state crew hiring.

For the full rankings, visit here.