South Carolina Focus

The film industry provides much needed economic impact for South Carolina, netting $61 million in revenue for the state in 2018. The revenue is generated through the South Carolina Film Commission, which provides a $15 million dollar annual subsidy to filmmakers. The subsidy is funneled to the state's film commission through the state's government. The goal of the subsidy, called film incentives, is to financially reward filmmakers for shooting in the Palmetto State, whether they are residents or from out of state. By investing in filmmakers, the state can then net a return profit. Tom Clark, the South Carolina Film Commissioner, explained these incentives. "We have and manage these film incentives, and if you spend a minimum of a million dollars in our state, you'll get a rebate of up to 30 percent on what you're spending. That's hiring, the hotels, everything that goes along with it." The incentive is divided among a select number of entities each year. This is how South Carolina was