Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 51 Kevin Costner filming Yellowstone in Montana, courtesy Paramount Network COSTNER SAID, "I DON'T JUST PRETEND TO BE A COWBOY. I LOVE THE LIFE. SO I KNEW I WOULD MAKE THIS TYPE OF SHOW." And as it turns out, one of the most important reasons to shoot in Montana is something that natives enjoy every day—the lack of a sales tax. Emilie Saunders, Communications Director for the Montana Film Commission, estimates that many productions can save 7 to 10 % of their budget right off. And while there are lodging taxes, they can be refunded by the state if the shoot lasts longer than 30 days. ere are also generous grants available through the government provided the production meets certain criteria, such as 50 or more percent of the film having been shot in Montana, or if the filmmakers are Montana residents. It is clear how filming in Montana benefits the filmmakers, but what is perhaps less immediately obvious are the ways that film and television production benefit Montanans. For one, productions that come from out of state tend to bring out of state money with them. Every crew member on the set is a mouth that could, and probably will, eat a few Montana steaks during their visit. And while they're at it, they just might sample a local brewery or distillery's wares, get a new t-shirt, or buy a new pair of cowboy boots. In essence, a film shoot can be like a concentrated form of tourism. But Montanans get even more out of the deal. Extras and crew members from Montana are hired, often right out of the film pro- grams at Montana State University and the University of Montana. And in many cases the cast of the film or program is rounded out by actors whose previous work has been in local theater or television. Or those jobs may go to folks who never really considered a role in movies before, like 16-year-old J. D. Hoppe, star of TIMBER THE TREASURE DOG, who was born and raised in Montana and discovered a passion for acting and directing after being cast in the film. VIDEO GAMES Now that the future has arrived, the Montana Film Commission is branching out into film-adjacent media, like video games. For instance, the hit game "Far Cry 5," out now for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and for Windows, takes place in fictional Hope County, Montana, but for re- search the team at Ubisoft sent real people to Montana, where they interfaced with the MFC to find just the right church steeple as a model for a location in the game. The lucky church they went with, now a star, is in Poplar. The crew also filmed in Anaconda and other places in Southeast Montana. It just might be the start of an auspicious career in virtual reality for our fair state. CONTINUED

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