Oregon Film – Do You Know Who We Are and What We Do? (June 2023)

“What does Oregon Film do?”  Do you know?

We’re the state film office. Or, the State Film Commission. Or, Oregon Film as some call it. And, as such, we are tasked with growing the film, television, commercial, interactive, and media industry here in Oregon. We bring attention to, elevate, and support the industry in many different ways.

Project support. We think that Customer Service means a great deal. Therefore, we make sure we are responsive, it doesn’t matter if a project is big or small, from out-of-state, or coming from one of our local producers or companies. Our work is to perform incentive audits, handle location and permitting questions, create project “look books” and ensure each producer feels as though we want them to be working here in Oregon…exclusively.

In this time of some industry upheaval and change it is also of great importance for studios and producers to understand “Why Oregon?” It is an easy thing to sell our crews, our talent, our locations, and our incentives but we also work to ensure that studios and producers just want to work here and keep coming back with all of their projects. This means we continuously reach out and develop connections, and make sure that their interaction with our office and our programs goes as smoothly as possible. We want all of our projects to leave here thinking “I have to work in Oregon again.” 

Film tourism. Oregon has a rich cinematic history. In fact, did you know that creative production has been part of the Oregon culture since 1908 – even before there were studios in Southern California? Because of that, we have worked for many years to develop the nation’s first Film Trail, designed to harness the growing film tourism sector. The Oregon Film Trail (OFT) now boasts more than 40 signs statewide and a robust partnership with SetJetters that creates global exposure. Oregon has led the way in this effort and is being used as a successful example for other states looking to capitalize on their cinematic history.

Creative career building. Through the Creative Opportunity Program, we have created 30 different programs to help support our workforce and industry. This includes the Pathways Training and Placement Program, the Outdoor Adventure Film Grant, and the Tell Your Story Grant; support for partnership programs with the Central Oregon Film Office, Southern Oregon University, Lane County Studios, and BendFilm; and developing programs that showcase and educate screenwriters, professionals, entry-level workers, and crews at all levels through partnership programs with Desert Island Studios, PAM CUT, OMPA and Outside the Frame.

Showing the value of our industry. We spend a great deal of time reaching out and meeting with our legislative members – both in Salem and in their districts. We want them to know the value this industry brings to the state and how best to support its growth. We also travel the state attending events, festivals, and mixers to connect with the local community and see local projects. 

#OregonMade. Did you know that all projects that come through our programs celebrate the #OregonMade brand? This includes logo placement on the Oscar-winning “Pinocchio,” “Wendell & Wild” on Netflix, Kelly Reichardt’s “Showing Up,” Sony’s “65,” Amazon’s “Somebody I Used to Know” and “Toonami” on Adult Swim. We’ve also helped to bring Oregon’s VFX talent to series like “The Peripheral,” “Westworld,” “For All Mankind” and “Superman & Lois” and interactive games like “Madden 23,” “Rival Peak” and “Floppy Knights.” 

Incentive programs. All of this is supported by two main incentive programs: the Oregon Production Investment Fund (OPIF) and the Greenlight Oregon Labor Rebate program (GOLR). Together these programs allow our office to utilize about $25M per year to retain and recruit creative projects to Oregon. They provide additional incentives for regional and locally produced work providing a rebate of 25-30% on project and labor spending in Oregon. In the last fiscal year, these programs tracked more than $200M of direct in-state spending, affecting more than 3000 jobs and supporting work in places like Bend, Mollala, Jacksonville, and the Oregon Coast.

Help us help (y)our industry! Post a picture of yourself working on a set, in a studio, or on a project and tag it #OregonFilm, #OregonMade, #OregonProduces, #OregonFilmTrail, and/or #OregonTalent. Let people know where in Oregon you are working and, to the extent you can, what your project is.

Reach out to your state representative or senator telling them about you, your work, and the importance of our programs to keeping you busy here in Oregon. You can find your state reps by searching on your address at this site.

Tell us if you hear about a project or producer who needs help gathering reasons to work here in Oregon.

Thank you…for all the work that you do for our industry and please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s more we can be doing to help you.