Inside the state office working to make Minnesota a movie-making hotspot
A Newport, Minn., pharmacy is the backdrop in one scene from Marmalade, a film shot entirely in Minnesota. Minneapolis actor Kevin Lokey stands across from "Stranger Things" star Joe Keery.
Courtesy of Bo Hakala
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Well, did you the state of Minnesota has an office dedicated specifically to get movies made in our state? The Explore Minnesota film office launched just last year, and it's scouting locations across the state to help filmmakers bring their movies to life. I'm so curious about this. So just to share more, we have Nell Lawrenz-Wareham with me. She's the deputy director Explore Minnesota Film. Thanks for being with us today, Nell.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Such a pleasure. Happy to be here.
NINA MOINI: I love Minnesota. I think it's a beautiful place. It's the land of 10,000 lakes. It's pretty flat. I'm wondering what kinds of landscapes-- what are people using Minnesota for landscape-wise when they're making these films?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, well, it's such a range. One of the great things about filming in Minnesota is we have such a diversity of locations just when you land at MSP. Recently, we've had folks reaching out for barns, but we also have looked at converting old schools into morgues. We've looked at hillsides, rivers, cabins. It really runs the gamut.
NINA MOINI: And so I understand that when you're scouting these locations, there's probably even more to find, but you've got a list of 1,200 potential locations. Are there any that are just really caught you by surprise that people just wouldn't know?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Well, so many of the locations are really property owners who are getting excited about film, seeing the economic potential and uploading their special spaces to our database and really collaborating with us. And so we've seen like I said legacy cabins and just really special family heirlooms that are entering our database, and we're really thankful for those contributions.
NINA MOINI: And now tell me a little bit just about the history of films being shot here in Minnesota. It feels like there was a heyday maybe in the '90s a lot of really famous movies, and then now just in the last couple of years or so, you are helping to make this greater push with this office, this film office. What happened? What's it been like here in Minnesota over the past few decades?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Well, that's right. Minnesota has always been a leader in film. We led with the creation of a rebate many years ago, which brought really great films here to Minnesota. Folks are probably familiar with Fargo. We're celebrating 30 years this upcoming year, which is so exciting, as well as-- I know-- and the Mighty Ducks and also more recent films like Dear White People and really great films from Minnesota filmmakers like The Fundraiser. Most recently, we have 12 active productions right now across the state that are really spread out in terms of genre, in terms of budget size, and that's a three-fold increase from last year with more on the way.
NINA MOINI: And do you think that's part of the reason why all these new incentives and this new state office-- what kinds of incentives are being offered to these filmmakers to make Minnesota competitive?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: So we have a statewide film tax credit program, which offers folks 25% back on their qualified spend. The minimum spend right now is $1 million, and we, like I said, have 12 active productions that have met that threshold with more on the way. We also have updated our guidelines, so now we do things recognize their airfare. We're looking to make things easier for folks to apply, and we also have created a new qualified production facility program, which I'm really excited about. And we hope that will bring more investment to brick and mortar spaces and new businesses in the state.
NINA MOINI: What does it look like when you go out and find private property owners and you're talking about reinvestment and maybe building places up, brick and mortar places? Are people approaching you all with, hey, I got a great location, or is it more you have to convince them that this would be a beneficial thing to be a part of?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: It's a mix. We get emails every day, and I really do mean every day with folks who are excited. We just had a soap company list themselves. And folks see that every location can provide something to a production, and locations also don't have to look perfect.
A film may be set in the '70s or the '40s. It may-- they may be looking for an empty space. And so it's a real opportunity for communities who may have some space that's being underutilized to get creative and see how they can bring film to their community.
NINA MOINI: So when a film is shot in a community, what kind of economic activity does it bring because it's not just the cast and crew show up. There's other jobs, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: That's right. The big thing is housing. When crews come to town, they need a place to sleep, and then they need a place to eat. They're using their per diems. They're getting food. They're exploring. They're--
We get stories of people going on kayaking trips on the weekend and looking at houses is the big one. That's really the big impact that we see. People just they come here, and they don't want to leave. They love it.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Are there any communities that you can think of that have recently felt this economic boost. I know-- wasn't Timothée Chalamet was here doing the Bob Dylan biopic movie? Can you really feel it in these towns? Are the numbers there?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Absolutely. One of the places where we see the most filming is up in Duluth, and they're bringing in significant spend year over year with productions, like I said, really of all sizes because if you have even two productions going on in a city at a given time, that may mean hundreds of hotel rooms filled, especially off-season. Films are on a different schedule than other tourism, other seasonal tourism, so this is a really great opportunity for folks to keep their communities vibrant and active with new folks coming to town and seeing what's possible.
NINA MOINI: I wonder, too, what states are we as Minnesota competing with because this obviously isn't New York. It's not LA. It's not a super mountainous area. Are there other states that Minnesota is really competing with for these locations?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: With the improvements in technology, how rapid things are changing, we're honestly not competing with other states. We're really competing more with runaway production, films going abroad. And also we're really trying to find ways to work with our neighbors. We're really excited that Wisconsin and Iowa are coming online with their own film offices. We're excited for more eyes on the Midwest, and we think that collaboration with our neighbors and all the skilled folks really across the Midwest will help make our region the best place to make films.
NINA MOINI: And do you feel that it is just cheaper generally than the coasts? Is that part the incentive to really make this a hub?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, of course. For example, we get stories all the time. We just had a film team from California come in, and they were saying it just makes so much sense to shoot here. You can shut down a street for a fraction of the cost of what it would be in California. And once you really start running the numbers of what's possible here in Minnesota, it's just a no brainer.
NINA MOINI: And do you have a sense or a number for how much money-- just how much Minnesota is bringing in from the film and television industry and their projects?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Absolutely. So in the last fiscal year, productions across the state contributed more than $6.5 million to Minnesota's local economy and provided jobs for 145 Minnesotans. And we are like I said in a three-fold increase from last year just today.
NINA MOINI: And are there any other industries that benefit when films come to town. You mentioned people need housing. I used to know somebody who their whole job was providing mobile bathrooms for sets of films, and that was their whole job. And then things dried up for a while. They moved to Florida. Have you been hearing much from people in the film industry who are seeing the tide's turning again and who maybe left and are coming back?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Yes. We are having folks move back from Atlanta, from Los Angeles. Every day we're getting Minnesota ex-pats that are feeling the pull home, and we welcome them.
But some of the other businesses that are affected by film, like I said, outside of lodging and catering are also lumber yards, carpentry. People have to create sets, and that may mean actually physical production of those builds that might be for an internal shot. We're also seeing makeup artists, hairstylists, wardrobe. Vintage stores are often-- get rated for when a film comes to town, especially if it's a period piece.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: And we're seeing-- what else? Certainly technology productions need laptops and they need monitors and they need headsets and walkie talkies. Your office supply store will also get busy. Lots of printing, lots of call sheets.
NINA MOINI: Interconnected. Yeah, it's really fascinating to about the reach of something like that. And now before I let you go, I got to ask, what is your favorite movie that was shot here in the great state of Minnesota?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, mine is certainly Drop Dead Gorgeous.
NINA MOINI: I was going to say that, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: That's my favorite.
NINA MOINI: I was going to say that, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: They're all so good.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: But I just love that sense of humor and-- it's so wacky and outrageous but also so heartwarming. I just-- it's a favorite.
NINA MOINI: Part of what makes Minnesota special now. Thank you so much for stopping by Minnesota Now and telling us about these efforts. Really appreciate your time.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Thank you.
NINA MOINI: That was Nell Lawrenz-Wareham, the deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film.
That is it for Minnesota Now today. I'm Nina Moini. Thanks so much for listening. Tomorrow an organization is hosting a conference here in Minneapolis to focus on a topic in women's health often overlooked, menopause. Plus a new authors collective is publishing more than a dozen books in Hmong in an effort to sustain the language. That is coming up tomorrow at noon. We hope to see you back here. Until then, have a great rest of your day.
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NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Such a pleasure. Happy to be here.
NINA MOINI: I love Minnesota. I think it's a beautiful place. It's the land of 10,000 lakes. It's pretty flat. I'm wondering what kinds of landscapes-- what are people using Minnesota for landscape-wise when they're making these films?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, well, it's such a range. One of the great things about filming in Minnesota is we have such a diversity of locations just when you land at MSP. Recently, we've had folks reaching out for barns, but we also have looked at converting old schools into morgues. We've looked at hillsides, rivers, cabins. It really runs the gamut.
NINA MOINI: And so I understand that when you're scouting these locations, there's probably even more to find, but you've got a list of 1,200 potential locations. Are there any that are just really caught you by surprise that people just wouldn't know?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Well, so many of the locations are really property owners who are getting excited about film, seeing the economic potential and uploading their special spaces to our database and really collaborating with us. And so we've seen like I said legacy cabins and just really special family heirlooms that are entering our database, and we're really thankful for those contributions.
NINA MOINI: And now tell me a little bit just about the history of films being shot here in Minnesota. It feels like there was a heyday maybe in the '90s a lot of really famous movies, and then now just in the last couple of years or so, you are helping to make this greater push with this office, this film office. What happened? What's it been like here in Minnesota over the past few decades?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Well, that's right. Minnesota has always been a leader in film. We led with the creation of a rebate many years ago, which brought really great films here to Minnesota. Folks are probably familiar with Fargo. We're celebrating 30 years this upcoming year, which is so exciting, as well as-- I know-- and the Mighty Ducks and also more recent films like Dear White People and really great films from Minnesota filmmakers like The Fundraiser. Most recently, we have 12 active productions right now across the state that are really spread out in terms of genre, in terms of budget size, and that's a three-fold increase from last year with more on the way.
NINA MOINI: And do you think that's part of the reason why all these new incentives and this new state office-- what kinds of incentives are being offered to these filmmakers to make Minnesota competitive?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: So we have a statewide film tax credit program, which offers folks 25% back on their qualified spend. The minimum spend right now is $1 million, and we, like I said, have 12 active productions that have met that threshold with more on the way. We also have updated our guidelines, so now we do things recognize their airfare. We're looking to make things easier for folks to apply, and we also have created a new qualified production facility program, which I'm really excited about. And we hope that will bring more investment to brick and mortar spaces and new businesses in the state.
NINA MOINI: What does it look like when you go out and find private property owners and you're talking about reinvestment and maybe building places up, brick and mortar places? Are people approaching you all with, hey, I got a great location, or is it more you have to convince them that this would be a beneficial thing to be a part of?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: It's a mix. We get emails every day, and I really do mean every day with folks who are excited. We just had a soap company list themselves. And folks see that every location can provide something to a production, and locations also don't have to look perfect.
A film may be set in the '70s or the '40s. It may-- they may be looking for an empty space. And so it's a real opportunity for communities who may have some space that's being underutilized to get creative and see how they can bring film to their community.
NINA MOINI: So when a film is shot in a community, what kind of economic activity does it bring because it's not just the cast and crew show up. There's other jobs, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: That's right. The big thing is housing. When crews come to town, they need a place to sleep, and then they need a place to eat. They're using their per diems. They're getting food. They're exploring. They're--
We get stories of people going on kayaking trips on the weekend and looking at houses is the big one. That's really the big impact that we see. People just they come here, and they don't want to leave. They love it.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Are there any communities that you can think of that have recently felt this economic boost. I know-- wasn't Timothée Chalamet was here doing the Bob Dylan biopic movie? Can you really feel it in these towns? Are the numbers there?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Absolutely. One of the places where we see the most filming is up in Duluth, and they're bringing in significant spend year over year with productions, like I said, really of all sizes because if you have even two productions going on in a city at a given time, that may mean hundreds of hotel rooms filled, especially off-season. Films are on a different schedule than other tourism, other seasonal tourism, so this is a really great opportunity for folks to keep their communities vibrant and active with new folks coming to town and seeing what's possible.
NINA MOINI: I wonder, too, what states are we as Minnesota competing with because this obviously isn't New York. It's not LA. It's not a super mountainous area. Are there other states that Minnesota is really competing with for these locations?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: With the improvements in technology, how rapid things are changing, we're honestly not competing with other states. We're really competing more with runaway production, films going abroad. And also we're really trying to find ways to work with our neighbors. We're really excited that Wisconsin and Iowa are coming online with their own film offices. We're excited for more eyes on the Midwest, and we think that collaboration with our neighbors and all the skilled folks really across the Midwest will help make our region the best place to make films.
NINA MOINI: And do you feel that it is just cheaper generally than the coasts? Is that part the incentive to really make this a hub?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, of course. For example, we get stories all the time. We just had a film team from California come in, and they were saying it just makes so much sense to shoot here. You can shut down a street for a fraction of the cost of what it would be in California. And once you really start running the numbers of what's possible here in Minnesota, it's just a no brainer.
NINA MOINI: And do you have a sense or a number for how much money-- just how much Minnesota is bringing in from the film and television industry and their projects?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Absolutely. So in the last fiscal year, productions across the state contributed more than $6.5 million to Minnesota's local economy and provided jobs for 145 Minnesotans. And we are like I said in a three-fold increase from last year just today.
NINA MOINI: And are there any other industries that benefit when films come to town. You mentioned people need housing. I used to know somebody who their whole job was providing mobile bathrooms for sets of films, and that was their whole job. And then things dried up for a while. They moved to Florida. Have you been hearing much from people in the film industry who are seeing the tide's turning again and who maybe left and are coming back?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Yes. We are having folks move back from Atlanta, from Los Angeles. Every day we're getting Minnesota ex-pats that are feeling the pull home, and we welcome them.
But some of the other businesses that are affected by film, like I said, outside of lodging and catering are also lumber yards, carpentry. People have to create sets, and that may mean actually physical production of those builds that might be for an internal shot. We're also seeing makeup artists, hairstylists, wardrobe. Vintage stores are often-- get rated for when a film comes to town, especially if it's a period piece.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: And we're seeing-- what else? Certainly technology productions need laptops and they need monitors and they need headsets and walkie talkies. Your office supply store will also get busy. Lots of printing, lots of call sheets.
NINA MOINI: Interconnected. Yeah, it's really fascinating to about the reach of something like that. And now before I let you go, I got to ask, what is your favorite movie that was shot here in the great state of Minnesota?
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Oh, mine is certainly Drop Dead Gorgeous.
NINA MOINI: I was going to say that, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: That's my favorite.
NINA MOINI: I was going to say that, too.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: They're all so good.
NINA MOINI: Yeah.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: But I just love that sense of humor and-- it's so wacky and outrageous but also so heartwarming. I just-- it's a favorite.
NINA MOINI: Part of what makes Minnesota special now. Thank you so much for stopping by Minnesota Now and telling us about these efforts. Really appreciate your time.
NELL LAWRENZ-WAREHAM: Thank you.
NINA MOINI: That was Nell Lawrenz-Wareham, the deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film.
That is it for Minnesota Now today. I'm Nina Moini. Thanks so much for listening. Tomorrow an organization is hosting a conference here in Minneapolis to focus on a topic in women's health often overlooked, menopause. Plus a new authors collective is publishing more than a dozen books in Hmong in an effort to sustain the language. That is coming up tomorrow at noon. We hope to see you back here. Until then, have a great rest of your day.
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