By Connie Hill

February 2005



The film industry has made a $300 million contribution to the Utah economy, although future work is threatened by the fact that other cities, such as Quebec, Canada, offer major incentives to filmmakers who base productions in their city.

In 2004, the Utah State Legislature implemented Utah film production incentives through the Industial Assistance fund, which offered productions a tax rebate for filming in Utah. Similar incentives will be proposed at this year's legislature.



A brief history

Using Utah as a backdrop for films and television began in the 1920s, when "The Covered Wagon," a silent western, was shot on Antelope Island and at a location west of Beaver. In 1935, "Stagecoach," starring John Wayne, was filmed in Utah and several other western filmmakers followed suit, taking advantage of the red rocks in the Moab area for their films. In the 1950s, several episodes of "Gunsmoke" were shot in Kanab, as well as "King of Kings" and "Planet of the Apes."

In the 1970s, filmmakers started to see the merits of filming in the northern part of the state. "Grizzly Adams" was shot in the Park City area, and an impressive list of major motion pictures have been filmed in Utah since then, including: "Footloose," "Thelma & Louise," "Octopussy," "City Slickers II," "Con Air," "Electric Horseman," "Fletch," "Forrest Gump," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "The Jewel of the Nile," Mission Impossible II," "Waiting to Exhale," "The Hulk," and "National Treasure," to name a few.

Television series, including "Touched by an Angel," "The Promised Land," and "Everwood," have also brought a significant amount of recognition to Utah.



A complete package

Leigh von der Esch, executive director of the Utah Film Commission, says that once people came here to shoot films, they discovered they could get a complete package as far as geographical variety, support services and talent.

"Our local [performing arts] theaters are extraordinary for the size of our community," von der Esch says. "We have Pioneer Memorial Theater and the Hale Center Theater, among others. The caliber of professionals that BYU is turning out is astounding. Bonneville International Media grew a structure of people who worked on the LDS Homefront series, so our independent production has become as enviable as the landscape."

She points out that two recent films, "Saints and Soldiers," a movie filmed in Utah, and "Napoleon Dynamite," a film written and directed by a BYU graduate, were both nominated for Independent Spirit Awards, an honor in independent film similar to winning an Oscar. "We're very proud of what we're attracting, as well as what we've been doing with our own talent.

"Salt Lake City is the only hub between New York City and Los Angeles with as much crew and talent," says von der Esch. "There are over 1,500 people in Utah who are working in this industry, and we see more and more people deciding to live here and commute to Los Angeles instead of vice versa."



A success story

One of those actors, Michael Flynn, has called Utah home since 1980, when he moved here from Southern California. "Utah is a great place to raise a family, and it's still close enough to L.A. and other states that I can do work there," Flynn says.

Flynn points out that Utah doesn't have the volume of work that L.A. and New York City have. It can be frustrating for local actors when films come to town with prime roles already having been cast.

"There are easier ways to make money in life," remarks Flynn. "You have to be ready to really suffer for a long time unless you are extremely talented and get some good breaks.

"I had no idea [acting] would be this competitive," he continues. "It is a good thing I'm a competitive person. I love the auditioning process."

Flynn has successfully earned his way onto well over 100 productions, many of which he still gets residuals from. "That's where many actors make the bulk of their money," says Flynn. "Every time something gets replayed, you get paid. One of the tricks to being an actor is to amass a significant amount of work so that residuals become a part of your income."

Because residuals have many stipulations, those payments aren't always large. Flynn actually received a residual check in the amount of one cent. He may laugh, but it's no joke that he still gets paid for his small role in the 1984 film "Footloose," whenever it airs.

Flynn has expanded his repertoire of talents to include that of producing. He is the producer behind "The Best Two Years," and hopes to continue his success story both in front of and behind the camera.



Local hero

Another famous Utah face is that of Kirby Heyborne, an actor who followed up his first film, "The Singles Ward," with "The R.M.," "The Work and the Story," "Saints and Soldiers," "The Book of Mormon Movie," "The Best Two Years," "Hoops," and "Sons of Provo." More recently, Heyborne appears as the man eager to test drive a car in a national Mazda commercial.

Heyborne has been performing ever since he can remember. A Wyoming native, he moved to Utah when he was in sixth grade and lived here until his recent move to Southern California.

Heyborne's parents encouraged all five of their children to learn how to play instruments and there was always singing and performing in their home. "A lot of people ask me who they need to talk to in the industry to break into acting," Heyborne says, "but it's not like that at all. You don't just jump into it. You need to participate in things like community theater and high school theater so you have something to stand on when you want to do something bigger. I've been getting a resume together since the age of two."

That impressive resume is what helped him find work in Los Angeles, where actors are not taken seriously unless they have experience under their belt. According to Heyborne, Utah was a great place to start his career. "There are a lot of people on their way to Hollywood who stop in Utah to get experience," says Heyborne. "We have the Shakespearean Festival, local theaters and other places that make Utah a great middle-ground for actors. The terrain provides deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes and forests, so it makes for ideal settings.

"The nice thing about Utah is that it's a right-to-work state, so it's easier to get hired for Screen Actors Guild (SAG) productions."

In big cities, actors must belong to the SAG in order to work on major productions, but in order to belong to the SAG, you must have worked on a guild-sanctioned film. It's a catch 22, unless you find work in a place like Utah, where actors can read for a part even if they don't belong to the SAG.

"There are a lot of people making films in Utah right now," Heyborne says. "And because the cost of living is lower in Utah than what it is on the east or west coast, it makes it an ideal location to get involved in the industry."