Wisconsin has gotten recent big-screen time with movies like A Cherry Pie Christmas, Green and Gold and Winter Hymns, all of which were filmed in the state. Television shows, including Bravo’s Top Chef: Wisconsin, have also been shot in the Badger State.
The Wisconsin Department of Tourism has taken note, and recently launched Film Wisconsin, an office within the department dedicated to promoting and supporting the film and television industry in the state and administering $5 million in annual film tax credits. The office came about as the result of a provision in the biennial budget bill, signed by Gov. Tony Evers last July.
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However, this isn’t Wisconsin’s first film office. The original one closed in July 2005, and a film incentive program ended nearly a decade later.
The office is being led by Veronica Pope, a Mequon resident who assumed the role in January. The Emmy Award-winning producer has worked with HGTV, Discovery Science, The History Channel, Warner Brothers and others. She’s also developed content for Netflix, created and produced a travel series for the state of Louisiana and helped launch the Magnolia Network’s first slate of lifestyle programming and content.
“We want to put Wisconsin on the map,” Pope says. “Maybe we’ve been overlooked for production because we’ve been one of the few states that didn’t have a film office or tax credits. We really want to show the national stage that we’re ready.”
“There’s a lot of really talented people here who have already done really great productions,” she continues. “It’s really an opportunity to grow that [and add] the economic impact of bringing production here, and then having those productions promote and show and celebrate Wisconsin to the rest of the country.”
Over the course of two decades, Pope has worked as a showrunner, executive producer and development producer.
“I love making things. I love the final product and getting to show something for your work and telling a story that brings people in,” Pope says. “I’ve launched new platforms and have done a lot of large-scale project management roles. It was the combination of the creative work and the financial piece of my background that really made me excited for this role with Film Wisconsin.”
Craig Trost, Communications Director at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, said Pope’s hiring came after the most competitive search process he’d seen in 19 years of working in state government.
“It was a really incredible pool of applicants but Veronica just stood out. She was just the perfect fit,” he says. “It’s an office of one, so you’ve got to have somebody who can be a good administrator and can track the state law to make sure that we are adhering to administering tax credits only to qualified applicants, all while also promoting what’s great about Wisconsin and having those connections to bring filmmakers and producers here.”
An Evergreen, Colorado native, Pope landed in Wisconsin about 10 years ago due to what she described as a family work situation. She’s spent her early time on her new job working to launch the film tax credit applications.
“We really want to be able to administer these tax credits and get people going on their projects,” Pope says. “We want to support and enrich the creative community here and make sure that we’re attracting productions to Wisconsin, either through people who hadn’t considered the state before, or by getting some production here that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have happened without these tax credits.”
Film Wisconsin is dishing out a production services tax credit and a production company investment credit.
Those include a 30% tax credit on eligible production expenditures; 30% tax credit on the first $250,000 of wages paid to cast and crew; 100% of sales and use taxes paid in Wisconsin for purchases used in Wisconsin; 30% tax credit on tangible, personal property used for production; and a 30% tax credit to acquire, construct or repair production-based property.
The state is poised to benefit economically from hotel room-nights and the hiring of local crews and caterers, among other things, and Wisconsin offers an array of benefits for film production companies, Pope says. “We have such a diverse landscape that offers so many different visual backgrounds,” she explains. “There’s also a really talented group of professionals working here.”
There’s Plenty of Support for Film Wisconsin
Filmmaker Nathan Deming was among the most vocal members of Action! Wisconsin, a statewide coalition of filmmakers, producers, businesses and film and television project supporters that advocated extensively for state investment and infrastructure for the sector. The 36-year-old from Tomah is the founder of Eau Claire-based Nobody Pictures. His recent independent drama, Winter Hymns, was filmed entirely in Menomonie.
“After pushing so hard for this alongside Action! Wisconsin, it’s incredible to finally see us back in the game,” says Deming, who splits time between Los Angeles and Eau Claire. “Having these tax credits available is a total game-changer after years of Wisconsin losing out on projects. Now, with the office active and $5 million in annual incentives, we have a real opportunity to tell authentic Wisconsin stories while keeping our talented film and TV graduates and production dollars right here at home.”
Deming says he recently met with Pope and came away “very encouraged.”
“She brings a deep background in production and, more importantly, a real commitment to making the office collaborative and transparent for local filmmakers as well as larger Hollywood productions,” Deming says.
Pope says she has looked at other states, including Colorado, which recently expanded tax incentive credits for film, TV and commercial productions that desire to shoot in that state, and New Mexico, which ranks as a premier hub for TV and film production due to its competitive, long-standing incentive programs.
“Colorado has done a great job of building the film community and attracting business. New Mexico has done a great job, too,” Pope says. “We are excited to be on this kind of stage. We’re growing a brand-new office and I’m excited to take the best from all of the examples out there and apply that uniquely to Wisconsin’s program.”
There’s already growing support for Film Wisconsin from within the state, Pope says.
“I have met some incredible production people in Wisconsin and I know that there are so many producers, cinematographers and studios that are excited about the effort to bring these tax credits back,” she says.
The tax credit program, along with a decentralization of the once Los Angeles-centric film industry, could bode well for Wisconsin’s effort to make its mark as a spot for filming movies and television shows. “I never had to [live] in L.A., Atlanta or New York when I was a producer and a director,” Pope says. “We’ve seen a huge shift. People are coming back to Wisconsin. There’s a lot of really talented people that maybe left and are excited to come back to make things here. We have a great opportunity.”
In a state that is often deeply divided along political lines, Pope says there’s bipartisan support for the Film Wisconsin’s efforts. “It’s easy to see why,” she says. “Television and film production can mean big bucks for Wisconsin, and I think that’s something everybody can get behind.”
How Does the Application Process Work?
The application for tax credits is now open, and applications will be reviewed monthly. Eligible projects include feature and short films, scripted and unscripted TV series, documentaries and broadcast advertising.
“We’re excited to see who applies. We’re really looking for a great variety of projects to be able to support,” Pope says.
However, credits aren’t guaranteed. “You have to be approved and it’s discretionary,” Pope explains. “But our goal is to support productions that are going to add the most to Wisconsin, drive the most economic impact and interact with as many regions as possible across the state.
Applicants can go to Film Wisconsin’s website for more information.
