Wyo Legislature Considers Bill to Attract Hollywood Productions

Why is a television show or movie that is set in Wyoming, not made in Wyoming?

Sometimes it's about the weather. But often when you see a backdrop of beautiful mountains, that scenery is not actually Wyoming.

Wyoming even has Alien landscapes. The movie Starship Troopers used Hell's Half Acre just northwest of Casper for the landscape of the "bug planet."

For a number of reasons, this should be a great state to make a movie or TV show.

The TV show Longmire was highly successful. It was supposed to take place in Wyoming but they shot it in New Mexico.

Why do that when everything they needed was right where the TV show and books claim it to be? I'm sure the producers had their reasons. But I still think they made a mistake.

Your Wyoming state legislators hope to change that.

The idea of an incentive program to encourage production in Wyoming has been approved by the legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Committee.

The proposal is to use $3 million from the Wyoming Tourism reserve and projects account for reimbursements for various cinema and TV projects.

The bill offers incentives for production companies to train and use Wyoming residents in productions. That might mean extras in front of the camera. But there is so much more that happens behind the scenes, as well.

Moving from the committee the bill will go to the house and senate for debate.

Part of that debate would be the proper role of taxpayer money. Should the government provide subsidies of any kind to any business?

The state of Wyoming has been trying to figure out how to get companies to move to Wyoming, with some success, for a very long time. But as with most government incentive programs, a lot of money goes out with little return.

Perhaps many of those rich and famous Hollywood actors and directors in Jackson might want to encourage their friends to come and take another look at the many great locations they are missing out on.