North Carolina sound stages have over thirty sound stages and seven major studio complexes. North Carolina is actually the number 3 filmmaking state, following only California and The Big Apple. Screen Gems Studios, found in nearby Wilmington, North Carolina, has been in existence for over 20 years and has produced over 300 film, tv, and commercial productions. Most likely this is the reason why Southport, North Carolina appears in a lot of motion pictures. Or maybe it is just Southport’s tree lined streets, historic settings as well as beautiful scenery which makes filming in Southport very popular.
North Carolina is among the most busy states for filming films and tv outside of California and New York. In fact, it has the most soundstages (1,000,000 Square Feet’s worth) and production hubs of any state in the union beyond the borders of California. Through the years it has played host to over 700 feature film productions and fourteen major tv shows. Do not be surprised if 1 day while strolling down the sidewalk in Southport, North Carolina you pass by Tom Cruise. Why? Southport, North Carolina is a very famous place for films. Numerous movies have used Southport as their primary location. Additionally, there are numerous films that use Southport for a part of their scenes.
Now how can you become involved in the flourishing acting scene in North Carolina? The first and most practical step you can take is to move to Charlotte. It is a great city which has a large community of actors and entertainment experts, and it is within driving distance of any production or audition in the state. It’s also near to many other major Southern Cities. Charlotte also has the most production companies as well as advertising agencies of any city within the Carolinas, which do a big volume of commercial and model casting. You can also find a number of professional Equity theatres in the city that run stage shows year round which are sustained by a professional and amateur acting group referred to as First Friday.
Many of the roles and jobs available for actors in North Carolina are non-union, which has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, non-union work are easier to acquire, more abundant, build up your curriculum vitae, and enable you to side step cumbersome union rules and work qualifications. The main downside is that these types of roles do not pay union scale, and will not necessarily help you to get a SAG membership.
North Carolina sound stages in which motion pictures like Being There, Forrest Gump, The Fugitive, The Last of the Mohicans, Firestarter, Cold Mountain, Dirty Dancing, and The Patriot have been shot mostly or entirely in North Carolina. Dawson’s Creek, the most successful show ever to air on the present defunct WB network, was filmed in NC for 6 years. One Tree Hill is currently in production there too. In all these cases many roles were cast from the local populations, and most of the background actors were pulled from local neighborhoods. This is a great opportunity for local people of the Carolinas. Independent production is likewise ramping up considerably; since 2001 over a hundred independent movies and shows have been shot in-state. The Science of Cool, starring Scott Bakula, currently is in production in NC, and is also a high-profile HD feature.
North Carolina stages are soundproof, hangar-like structures utilized for motion picture as well as television productions. In addition, North Carolina sound stages make it easier for the production team to design and build the sets to be used.