Filming in S.C. Causes Businesses to Boom

The story of a young man seeking answers after being plagued with a demon his whole life is causing a lot of cash flow for Rock Hill, South Carolina. The television series Outcast has been filming in York and Chester counties since June and has pumped more then $2 million into the local economy, production officials reported, according to an article in The State.

The show, which is based on a comic book series and comes from the writer and producer of the big hit TV show The Walking Dead has tapped into the local talent of Rock Hill as much as possible. The article cites that 626 local venders in S.C. have been used in the production. Properties in the city of Rock Hill have been used for several location shoots for the show, including a warehouse and a house rented for three days.  

Film and TV making in S.C. has long been an economy booster. South Carolina boasts a long list of high name films that were shot in the area, like Forrest Gump and parts of The Patriot.  The Palmetto State offered an appealing place to shoot films in the past because of a 15% cash rebate incentive that works to attract film makers that have at least a $1 million budget. But according to an article in the Post and Courier, S.C. was often losing out to the other states close by because they offered better deals.

North Carolina "offers a 25 percent tax credit and has a minimum spend requirement of $250,000," and "Louisiana provides a maximum 35 percent tax credit with a minimum spend requirement set at $300,000." In 2013, the legislature sought to fix this issue and make S.C. not only a gorgeous place to film but also a state that offerers a much more appealing deal. The result was raising the rebate to 30%, which put S.C. back into the film industry game. Rebates on supplies bought from vendors in S.C. also increased to 30%, up from the standard 15%, and wage rebates for hiring S.C. residents increased to 25%, according the the Charleston Regional Business Journal. 

As for York and Chester counties, they can expect to benefit from the show Outcast a bit longer. The show will air on Cinemax in the United States come Spring.