Hollywood East

Local actor weighs in on film incentives

Submitted by Bailey Hicks on Thursday, August 29th, 8:06 am

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - As state leaders go back and forth on whether or not to continue with film incentives, one local actor is weighing in.

JW Burriss says leaders need to listen to people who make their living by being in the business. Burriss says he's been in everything from Safe Haven to Revolution to Sleepy Hollow, and says acting is how he pays the bills.

He worries if film incentives are cut or altered, that productions will go elsewhere, costing him his job.

"It would be devastating, I would have to find another profession to go into, or I would have to move to where the productions go," explained Burriss. "This is my home, I grew up here, I was raised here, when I got out of the military I came right back here, I don't want to leave."

It wouldn't just be him. He says the decision would impact hundreds of others.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by Ashlea Kosikowski, WECT News

Tuesday, August 20th, 2013, 9:24am

"Sleepy Hollow" will film in Wilmington. (Source: Fox)

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Sleepy Hollow is hitting the road and heading to Currie this week.

The new FOX show will film scenes in Currie on Wednesday.

For those scenes, the production is looking for extras to play "drivers with cars" and customers.

They're also looking for Native American men.

Sleepy Hollow will return to Wilmington Thursday and Friday for filming.

Thursday, the show will shoot scenes involving police and SWAT cars at 221 N. Fifth Avenue, according to film permits. The shoot will last from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Friday, Sleepy Hollow will take to Barbary Coast at 116 S. Front Street for interior scenes.

To submit to be an extra on the show, email sleepyhollowbackground@gmail.com with the subject "Native American."

View Comments | Post a Comment

Future of film incentives in NC unclear, film commission concerns grow

Submitted by Alex Giles on Tuesday, August 13th, 7:18 am

RALEIGH, NC (AP/WECT) - The nation's major film and television series producers are warning that North Carolina could lose thousands of jobs and millions in economic investment if it doesn't extend a state incentive program set to expire at the end of 2014.

The Motion Picture Association of America's senior vice president for government affairs wrote to state officials four days before the Legislature adjourned.

Vans Stevenson wrote that the unwillingness of lawmakers to extend the program is already having an effect on the state and meant North Carolina would no longer be considered for major future feature films.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by Sarah Crandall, Web Producer

Friday, July 19th, 2013, 1:20pm

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – The nominations for this year's Emmy Awards are in, and two TV shows that got nods have ties to Wilmington.

The pilot of NBC's Revolution was nominated for Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role, and the show's episode Nobody's Fault But Mine was nominated for Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series or Variety Program.

While the pilot was filmed in Atlanta, the rest of the first season was filmed in and around Wilmington. The next season will be filmed in Austin, TX.

Additionally, Wilmington residents and casting directors Craig and Lisa Mae Fincannon were nominated for Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series for their work on Showtime's Homeland.

Homeland is filmed in the Charlotte area.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by Ashlea Kosikowski, WECT News

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013, 7:30am

Jamie and Matt Warzel with Ron Jeremy; courtesy: Matt Warzel

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – Adult film actor, Ron Jeremy, has been spotted around Wilmington.

Jeremy is in town to star in Dale Archdale, a movie currently being shot in Hollywood East.

Dale Archdale is an R-rated comedy about a raunchy private detective who is called upon to investigate a case in his hometown of Burgaw, NC.

Matt Warzel, wrote, produced and is staring in the flick. To learn more about the project and extras casting for the film, go to the movie's Facebook page.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by WECT Web Staff

Tuesday, June 4th, 2013, 7:38am

The roar of celebration at a viewing party for the season finale of NBC's Revolution droned out any sadness that the show is leaving Wilmington.

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – The roar of celebration at a viewing party for the season finale of NBC's Revolution droned out any sadness that the show is leaving Wilmington.

Extras from the show piled into The Cellar for a Monday night ritual that first began at the show's start. Many of them are members of the militia, and now they have their own militia too.

Sergeant Sam's militia is named after a production member who wrangled the extras on set for the past couple of months. As the season progressed, the size of Sgt. Sam's militia grew.

"They had become a band of brothers, and in the this case a militia brothers," David Schift said. Schift had an extra roll in Revolution where he acted as one of Monroe's Militia.

He says the bond the extras formed was almost instant calling it "an overnight friendship."

View Comments | Post a Comment

Submitted by Ashlea Kosikowski, WECT News

Friday, May 31st, 2013, 7:47am

'Revolution' filmed its first season in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Revolution spent millions of dollars in North Carolina filming its first season.

According to Johnny Griffin, with the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, the NBC show spent an estimated $56 million.

That number includes all wages earned and taxed in North Carolina and all goods and services bought and taxed in the state.

The show is filming its second season in Austin, Texas, a move that many said had to do with the direction the show was going in terms of its storyline.

You can watch the last Wilmington-filmed episode of the show when the season finale airs on Monday at 10:00 on WECT.

View Comments | Post a Comment