NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- A new series in the "9-1-1" franchise, "9-1-1: Nashville," is filming in Music City this summer before it premieres on WKRN this fall. It’s the latest in a slew of TV shows and movies setting up operations in Nashville.

However, Nashville being a destination for TV and movie production isn’t new. The closed-down Tennessee State Prison could probably join the Screen Actors Guild with how many films it's been in, such as "Nashville," "Green Mile," and "Walk the Line."  

What has changed, at least in the past decade, is the added incentives to film in Tennessee. 

“In the last 10 or 12 years, we’ve become a competitor in the market, with the state film incentives getting better,” explained Dave Hodgin, who owns Hodgin Production Rentals. “Twenty years ago, we were doing a show here every two or three years, and now we’re working back to back back, which, economically, is good for everybody.”

The Tennessee Entertainment Commission Production Incentive offers up to a 25% grant if your company or studio produces a large project ($200,000 or more) in the state. In 2018, the incentives expanded.

“It’s not just for film and television. It actually impacts scoring, music scoring. The other thing that the grant helps to attract is animation. Animation is something that is a growth industry here,” said Bob Raines, executive director for the TEC.  

Raines said there’s more continuity and sustainability in the industry, state-wide, than there was when he took his role 15 years ago. 

Since the incentive program first began in 2008, more than 13,000 jobs have been added to Tennessee, according to Raines. Last year, the industry generated nearly $730 million. 

“Honestly, I don’t see that stopping, just with all the people moving here, with all the new content creation that is being done,” said Raines. 

Meanwhile, Hodgin and his crew are currently in charge of transportation -- moving the cast, sets, etc. -- for "9-1-1: Nashville." He thanked several state officials, including the TEC, for helping Tennessee and Nashville grow its appeal to filmmakers. 

“We’ve been very busy for the last several years, and we've got a lot of work ahead of us, and we're filming everywhere, not just in Nashville or not just Franklin. We're all over Middle Tennessee. We’ll be going to Knoxville, we’ll be going to Memphis, so we’re all over the state,” said Hodgin. 

When he started out nearly 40 years ago, Hodgin said he never imagined the local landscape would change so much or that he’d be in his current position.

“We’ve got more work than almost anybody in the country,” Hodgin said.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/weve-become-a-competitor-tennessees-film-and-television-industry-on-the-rise/