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Businesses grow as Hollywood embraces Louisiana

By WTOP Staff

STACEY PLAISANCE
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A batch of big-budget films is set to be shot in Louisiana over the summer as the state’s investment in a tax credit program draws cost-conscious producers.

Among planned shoots are “Fantastic Four,” ”Terminator 5,” ”Pitch Perfect 2″ and “Jurassic World,” the fourth film in the “Jurassic Park” series. The television series “NCIS: New Orleans” and “American Horror Story: Freak Show” are also being shot this summer.

The flurry of activity is encouraging entrepreneurs who provide services for production companies, in turn creating jobs. Louisiana ranked ahead of California — and anywhere else — in the number of live-action movie shoots in a study of 2013 releases from Hollywood’s largest studios.

Chris Stelly, executive director of Louisiana Entertainment, the state-run film office, said officials certified nearly $810 million in production company spending on 123 projects in 2013 and issued $251 million in tax credits.

Louisiana offers tax credits of up to 40 percent of the money spent to buy, build and use movie production facilities.

Since the tax credit program began in 2002, services that have grown in the state include studios, sound stages, special effects, casting, costume rental, post-production and editing.

Andre Champagne’s Hollywood Trucks LLC is one of the success stories. The Louisiana native launched the company in 2007 with a private partner and assistance through the state tax incentive program after moving back from Los Angeles.

The company has grown annual revenue from about $600,000 in its first year to $5 million in 2013, Champagne said. Its fleet expanded from seven vehicles to more than 300, including luxury trailers used by Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck and Chris Rock.

Hollywood Trucks recently expanded to Georgia and has plans to open in London.

“One project led to the next, led to the next, led to the next, and before we knew it, I was here for two or three years, and it’s just grown substantially every year since,” he said.

Louisiana’s progress was demonstrated in a recent report by the permitting agency Film L.A. that examined the locations for shoots by the six major movie studios and five of the biggest independent studios. The agency said that 18 of the studios’ 108 motion pictures released last year were shot in Louisiana, including “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” ”Dallas Buyers Club” and “Grudge Match.”

California and Canada had 15 projects each, followed by Britain with 12 and the state of Georgia with nine.

“Now we represent about 14,000 jobs, up from roughly zero 10 years ago, and that’s a pretty important thing for us to do,” said Will French, president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association.

French said TV production is also thriving in Louisiana. Among the newest is a pilot now filming in Shreveport called “Salem,” based on the colonial-era witch trials.

“It’s exciting. It just is,” said actor John Goodman, who starred in the New Orleans-shot HBO series “Treme” and moved to New Orleans from Los Angeles in the 1990s. “I don’t like to see Los Angeles getting hammered, but it’s nice to see so much business down here.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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