Nevada Film Office
Charles Geocaris, Director
555 E. Washington Avenue, Suite 5400
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 486-2711
Fax: 486-2712

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeanne Corcoran
(702)486-2713

January 17, 2003
NFO Production Manager Nevada Film Office Releases Calendar Year 2002 Figures

LAS VEGAS, Nv. ­ Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt, Chair of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development which oversees the Nevada Film Office, has announced $125,661,000 as the calendar year total revenue figure for filming of all types in the State of Nevada. More than 2,500 days of production were generated by 543 projects served by the NFO during the 12 month calendar year of 2002.

"The calendar year outperformed the fiscal year by more than $10 million," says Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt. "We are pleased to see the increase, although any year that exceeds one hundred million dollars in filming revenue is a great success. Nevada has exceeded that mark consistently for the last several years, which we attribute to the aggressive and proactive approach taken by the Nevada Film Office, coupled with exceptional intergovernmental teamwork and community support. Those factors continue to build our Œfilm friendly¹ credibility throughout Hollywood and the world."

Highlights of production during 2002 have included notable feature films in both northern and southern Nevada such as Intolerable Cruelty starring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones, Looney Tunes with Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman, The Cooler starring William H. Macy, Little John from Hallmark Hall of Fame, and The Core starring Hillary Swank. The made-for-television movie Lucky starring John Corbett has now been picked up as a weekly television series on the FX Network, bringing return business to Las Vegas as some episodes are shot in the downtown area. Charlie¹s Angels 2, The Hulk, George of the Jungle 2, Head of State with Chris Rock and Timeline by Richard Donner have short portions of those films in Nevada as well during 2002. Numerous small budget "indie" films added into the total of 40 feature films for the year contributing over $21 million in revenues as 17% of all production.

"Television series, specials and other programs represented the largest portion of the year¹s filming revenues, equaling 48% of the state¹s production for nearly $60 million channeled into Nevada¹s economy," says Charles Geocaris, Director of the Nevada Film Office. "Commercials ranked third in volume, as 16% of overall production for nearly $20 million in revenue. Often, only high profile movies are Œnoticed¹ by the public at large, while television and commercials pump tens of millions of dollars more into the economy. We energetically pursue all types of filming in addition to feature films for that very reason."

The balance of $24 million in the year¹s revenue came from documentaries ($9 million), still photography projects ($8 million), music videos ($4 million), corporate and industrial productions ($2 million) and student and miscellaneous filming ($1 million).

"Our commitment to keeping Nevada competitive and visible as a filming destination includes many elements," says Robin Holabird, Deputy Director of the NFO, located in the Reno/Tahoe office. "Widespread marketing and advertising, a strong presence at trade shows and industry events participation, distribution of top-notch materials, providing extensive information and physical services such as locations assistance, research, and much more, all combine to keep our numbers strong."

The Nevada Film Office is located at 555 E. Washington Avenue, Las Vegas, and at 108 Proctor Street, Carson City, with operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Each office has a toll-free number for out of state inquiries: Las Vegas 877-638-3456, and Reno/Tahoe 800-336-1600.