Inside the Utah Film Commission with Virginia Pearce

Intro: This is Brand USA Talks Travel, elevating the conversation about international travel to the United States. Here's your host, Mark Lapidus. 

Mark Lapidus [0:09]: What are a few of the most famous movies filmed in Utah? 

Virginia Pearce [0:12]: There have been so many movies made in Utah, I think it's hard to pin down all of the favorites, but I would say the most well-known are probably movies like Footloose, Thelma and Louise, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I would even put High School Musical up there. Kind of something for everyone, I would say. 

Mark Lapidus [0:31]: I can't wait to have this conversation. My guest today is Virginia Pearce, Director of the Utah Film Commission. Previously, Virginia was at Spy Hop Productions and at Sundance Institute. Welcome to Brand USA Talks Travel, Virginia. 

Virginia Pearce [0:43]: Thanks. Thanks for having me. 

Mark Lapidus [0:44]: I'm so excited to be talking films and TV today! My two favorite subjects. Virginia Pearce [0:48]: I mean, it's exciting, yes, 100 years of film and TV, and we've been having such a blast this past year, celebrating all throughout the state. You know, it really is an industry that touches almost every community across the state. So it's been a lot of fun thinking through just how to celebrate that legacy. 

Mark Lapidus [1:07]: Congratulations on Utah celebrating 100 years of film and TV. What events are planned for your centennial celebration? 

Virginia Pearce [1:13]: Well, our goal was really to broaden the event base out of Salt Lake City, where we're based, to really include the entire state of Utah. A lot of the movies got their start in southern Utah; it's really where most of the westerns were filmed, back in the '20s and '30s, so obviously we wanted to include some of those iconic locations. And we've been having events from screening series to parties to, we had a really fun event around Footloose. It was the 40th anniversary of Footloose this year, and so we managed to entice Kevin Bacon to come back to the high school where- 

Mark Lapidus [1:54]: 40 years! I bet he looked a little different. 

Virginia Pearce [1:57]: I know, we all were in awe that it had been 40 years, those of us who remember seeing it in the timeframe, and it was just the best event. He hadn't been back since he shot the movie, and he was such a good sport and spent a lot of time with the kids at the high school, and really reminded us that even 40 years later, this is a film that still resonates with young people. It was fun. 

Mark Lapidus [2:17]: Any idea how many movies and tv shows have been filmed in Utah? It's gotta be in the hundreds. 

Virginia Pearce [2:22]: Actually, I think it's in the thousands. 

Mark Lapidus [2:25]: Wow. Wow, wow, wow. 

Virginia Pearce [2:26]: You know, for 100 years we have been making movies, and there have definitely been periods of time when we were more prolific. I would say the western genre of the '30s and '40s, I mean, there were 40+ movies made here a year, and I think we've definitely kept that up in various degrees. So, yes, for sure, in the thousands. 

Mark Lapidus [2:49]: How long has the film commission been around? 

Virginia Pearce [2:51]: So the film commission celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, so, 1974. There were other film commissions that had started earlier in southern Utah. The Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission has been around since 1949. In Salt Lake, you know, I think it was finally a realization that there needed to be some focus put on it from the governor's office, and there's definitely an economic impact. And so I think the economic development side of things realized that would be great to have some intent behind just, you know, saying "yes" when films came in. 

Mark Lapidus [3:24]: Certainly not all cities and states have film commissions, so could you kind of just tell us in a broad outline what a film commission does? 

Virginia Pearce [3:31]: So we are an office, a state agency. We're nestled in with the Office of Tourism and the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. So we do similar things that tourism and business do, in that we're trying to encourage more production in Utah. So whether that's local, or whether that's producers coming in from other parts of the country or the world, it's about, you know, showing off our locations, about getting them to hire local crew, and really making the most of the time that they're here, and showcasing Utah locations to audiences around the world. 

Mark Lapidus [4:05]: And you do that proactively, I assume. 

Virginia Pearce [4:07]: We do. So there's a lot of forward thinking to what's happening in the industry right now, and what projects are rumbling that we might want to have in Utah. It also kind of depends on, you know, what the filmmakers are looking for, so, do our locations fit? Do we have the kind of infrastructure they need? Film incentives are a big part of that these days. 

Mark Lapidus [4:31]: Without giving away any state secrets, Virginia, how do you find out what films are in production? 

Virginia Pearce [4:36]: I have a great team. I have a production manager who's been in the business almost 20 years, and we keep our ear to the ground. We have a lot of contacts in different states, and there's also some, you know, production reports that lend themselves to figuring out who's thinking about what. But a lot of it comes down to, you know, producers are also thinking forward, and thinking, you know, "Okay, next year, I'm thinking about this movie, and I think Utah could be a fit," and it's definitely a two-way street. 

Mark Lapidus [5:04]: So what percentage of films do you go after, and what percentage of films go after you? 

Virginia Pearce [5:09]: I would say we get more calls. We get more people that are coming to us saying, "Hey, okay, I want to think about Utah," than we do going out. Just nature of the, you know, these projects we may not know about. So probably 60% to 40%. 

Mark Lapidus [5:25]: And what percentage of the business is television? 

Virginia Pearce [5:27]: Lately, more and more, because there's more and more television shows being produced, and a lot of, you know, the streaming series are just pumping, pumping out these series. So we have started to do more television, which we like, because they're usually here longer. They usually hire more people, and it ends up being a bigger economic impact. 

Mark Lapidus [5:48]: What is the average stay for a production in Utah? 

Virginia Pearce [5:50]: It depends on the size of the project. And I think our sweet spot - you know, we do, we love the television series, we've done a fair amount of those - but outside of that, our sweet spot is really the small- to mid-sized independent film, and those projects are usually on the ground for about three months, with pre-production and post-production. Shooting days are usually around 30, but with your ramp up and your ramp down, it ends up being a little bit longer. 

Mark Lapidus [6:16]: Is there a special time of the year where things happen in Utah for film and television in terms of weather? 

Virginia Pearce [6:21]: It ends up being similar to the big tourism times of the year. You know, people want to take advantage of the weather. We do have some productions that are looking for snow, but a lot of productions - Hallmark is a notable one - that just makes their own snow. So they shoot in the summer, and create snow if they need it. So we do, most of our production happens between May and November. 

Mark Lapidus [6:45]: With that level of production that you're doing, what kind of reaction do you get from people who live in Utah and are witnessing these films and TV shows being made? 

Virginia Pearce [6:53]: We are fortunate to live in a very film-friendly state. People are still very interested and excited about the films that are made here. It's fun to see things that are happening in their backyard, and be proud of things that end up on the air and say, "Hey, I know that location." I think Kevin Costner's big Project Horizon was really fun for people to be able to see these beautiful locations that they may know from camping or driving through southern Utah, that they really got to see in a very different look. 

Mark Lapidus [7:21]: One of the things that we deal with quite a bit at GoUSA TV is helping production companies get permits. How much of that is in your work? 

Virginia Pearce [7:28]: So we don't issue permits. The film office supports getting to the right people to help productions get the correct permit, and also ensuring that those productions are getting permits, because we want to leave the location better than they found it. We want them to be good stewards of the land. We want, you know, to make sure that everyone's being safe and cared for. And so permits are an essential part of the film production business. 

Mark Lapidus [7:55]: I know you're going to tell me that you love all of your children, but tell me how you deal with the different cities all clamoring for TV and film productions. 

Virginia Pearce [8:04]: I mean, it really, again, depends on the kind of film that you're making. So obviously, Western is going to be looking for a specific look, and northern Utah may not be the right fit. But even within southern Utah, yes, there are, you know, lots of cities in southern Utah that would love to see the economic impact. We have really honed in on, you know, where have there been films? Where haven't there been films? And so we try to make the rounds and make sure if it could fit in a variety of places that we spread the love. There are a lot of really great producers who are willing to kind of play that game with us as well, you know, "You tell us where you want us to shoot, and we could make this anywhere," because they recognize that the more that they can create a positive impact in a small community, the better chances that they will have to bring something back and have a great experience. 

Mark Lapidus [8:58]: Once the production has arrived in Utah, is there somebody from the film commission that actually attends the shoot? 

Virginia Pearce [9:04]: We definitely do a set visit or two. Most of the times we try to, you know, help them get set up and then stay out of their way. We have a program called Film Ready Utah that has created, you know, an ambassador and basically a film commission representative in every county, so those are the people that we lean on to be there in case an issue comes up. But we definitely like to at least head to set one time and show our face, and say "Thanks for coming" and make sure everyone's having a good time. 

Mark Lapidus [9:34]: Besides, it's fun for you, too, right? 

Virginia Pearce [9:36]: Yes! Especially if we've been working on something for months and months, it's great to finally meet the producer in person and see how things are coming together. We've usually read the script, and so then to see it come to life off the page is a lot of fun. 

Mark Lapidus [9:48]: Likely you know a lot of these people already. 

Virginia Pearce [9:50]: I know a fair amount; you know, as you said, I was at Sundance for a long time, so a lot of the indie filmmakers are familiar to me. And then, just being in this industry for ten years has been a lot of the same people come and go, but there's definitely new people every year. 

Mark Lapidus [10:05]: So spending ten years at Sundance, was it odd to you to make the transition into tourism? How did that happen? 

Virginia Pearce [10:11]: Well, I mean, yes, I am in tourism, but it really is pretty film-focused. I always like to say it's a different side of the film industry. So at Sundance, I was heavily involved in encouraging filmmakers to bring their work to screen. So whether that was through the director's lab or the writers lab or just on the festival side, you know, helping them navigate the process of getting their film seen. On this side, we're definitely involved a little bit earlier; it's really the pre-production and making sure you have the locations and the permits, and that's something I never even thought about at Sundance. So just a different side of it, and it's been a lot of fun. 

Mark Lapidus [10:51]: Sundance just marked its 40th anniversary. How has it shaped Utah's film industry? 

Virginia Pearce [10:56]: Yes! 40 years, I can't believe it. You know, I started there in 1998, and it was when the festival was really experiencing this major growth. It was getting a lot of attention, and a lot of directors getting their film seen by a worldwide audience was just such a thrill for them, and for us on the other side. But on the, you know, "how has it impacted Utah" side, as we've talked about, Utah has been in the movie making business for 100 years, so we've kind of had a leg up on Sundance. But I think where the festivals really had an impact is in the filmgoing community. They've really built a community of film lovers here in Utah, and knowledgeable film lovers. So now we have some really top-tier film organizations that show independent films all year long and get great audiences, because we've cultivated this incredible community of people that really recognize and appreciate independent film. 

Mark Lapidus [11:48]: What's your favorite part of Sundance? 

Virginia Pearce [11:50]: I mean, seeing a movie in an audience, a full house that has never been seen before, and hearing from the director and the cast after is just an incredible experience. And if you haven't seen a movie in that setting, it's really worth it, because there's something magical about the immediacy of it. To really feel the passion that the filmmakers put into the movie and then hearing directly from them after the show. 

Mark Lapidus [12:17]: Hopefully you know that Brand USA's mission is to bring international tourists to the United States, and of course, to Utah, so I'd love to hear any details that you can give me about your international. 

Virginia Pearce [12:27]: Well, I mean, I think we're lucky in that Utah's landscapes really do the work for us. We have such varied terrain, and that attracts both travelers and filmmakers. The red rocks, the salt flats, the high mountains, the skiing. I mean, we attract actually a lot of what we call set-jetters, now, that want to see where some of their favorite movies were made. 

Mark Lapidus [12:48]: Yeah, we call that screen tourism. 

Virginia Pearce [12:50]: We're leaning into that side of it. But trying to get the film industry here from afar has been tricky the last couple of years, because Covid really cut down on the amount of travel people were willing to do. The union strikes. A lot of international filmmakers have just really tended to stay away from the U.S. lately, but, you know, we'd love to see more of it. 

Mark Lapidus [13:13]: Well, this is their open invitation to come back. 

Virginia Pearce [13:15]: Yes. 

Mark Lapidus [13:16]: I'd love to hear more about your view on screen tourism. 

Virginia Pearce [13:19]: Yeah, it's been a really fun journey. The last, I don't know, four or five years, thinking about the ways that film tourists or people that are traveling. Maybe they're coming exclusively to see something they've seen on screen, or maybe they're adding a day or two to an already planned trip so that they can make a side journey out to see a specific location. And working closely with the Office of Tourism, I think this is something that all film offices and offices of tourism could do more of, and do a better job at; I think we're just scratching the surface. I think places like New Zealand, Australia, the U.K. have really been doing this well for a lot of years, and through films like the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is a very robust part of the tourism industry. And we're just now doing some research behind it and seeing that, at least in Utah, is 37% of our travelers have come to Utah in part because of something they've seen on screen. So that's a significant number, and it's something that I think is worth leaning into. 

Mark Lapidus [14:24]: Do film commissions from various states ever talk to each other, or is the competition just so tough that you stay away from one another? 

Virginia Pearce [14:31]: No, you know what? We have such an incredible group of film commissioners across the state. In fact, on Sunday I leave for L.A. to the annual conference of the AFCI, which is the Associated Film Commissioners International, so it's film commissioners from all over the world. You know, hundreds of them come, and I have, now I count some of the film commissioners in faraway countries, some of my best friends: the Vienna Film Commission, Georgia and Washington and Oregon, Montana. I mean, we really do help each other out, and I think ultimately we know that if something is the right fit for a state, it will end up there, you know, even Montana, where we do share quite amount of production. Allison, who's the head of the Montana Film Commission, and I stay in close touch, you know, "How's it working? Do you need anything? Like, what do you hear about this person?" I mean, we really do want to know how filmmakers are working out in a certain place, because that'll help us in the future. 

Mark Lapidus [15:28]: Are incentives from the different film commissions typically the same, or do they vary quite a bit? 

Virginia Pearce [15:33]: In general, incentive programs have the same basic structure. I think where it really varies is the amount of funding that states put into it. So in Utah, we have about $20 million that we can use annually for a variety of film incentive programs. You know, we're not really in the same ballpark as some of the major industry sectors; I think New Mexico is at about 100 million now, California is upwards of 300 million. There's a lot of money going into this program because we do see the benefits, but it's a little harder for us to compete for the very large television series and features. You know, that's why I say these small to medium independent films are really where we do the best. 

Mark Lapidus [16:16]: Virginia, I know you've implemented several programs to encourage diversity in the entertainment industry. Could you tell me more about that? 

Virginia Pearce [16:22]: You know, we really wanted to see more women in the industry, and we've worked a lot with, there's a lot of great organizations nationwide that work with female filmmakers and female crew. And so we've created some systems that allow for, you know, where we're encouraging you to hire diversely. And we're also creating a series of training programs that start at the high school level, so that we can show people that may not think they have a way into the industry, that there are a lot of different jobs and ways to be involved, so that we can build up the industry on the back end. 

Mark Lapidus [17:01]: Virginia, it's been a pleasure getting to know you on this podcast. I hope we'll stay in touch with each other, and I'd love to have you back at some point to talk about what Utah is doing in the future. 

Virginia Pearce [17:10]: Yeah, great. Thanks so much for having me. 

Mark Lapidus [17:13]: To our listeners, if you're inspired to see more of Utah's cinematic landscapes, be sure and check out some of the great shows we have on GoUSA TV. We have Discover Moab, Epic Trails, and Ellis Family Vacation, all shot in the great state of Utah. And that's Brand USA Talks Travel. I'm Mark Lapidus, thanks so much for listening. 

Outro [17:31]: Your feedback is welcome! Email us at [email protected] or call 202-793-6256. Brand USA Talks Travel is produced by Asher Meerovich, who also composes music and sound. Engineering by Brian Watkins. With extra help from Bernie Lucas, Nthanze Kariuki, and Casey D'Ambra. Please share this podcast with your friends in the travel industry. You may also enjoy many of our archived episodes, which you can find on your favorite podcast platform. Safe travels!

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