Merli Column: The state of Virginia is for (movie) lovers

In his State of the Commonwealth address this week, newly crowned Gov. Bob McDonnell noted that Virginia has to do a better job of promoting itself beyond our borders. While presumably all 50 states strive to promote themselves to varying degrees with mixed success, it's been a while since the oft-cited (and sometimes reincarnated) "Virginia is for Lovers" tourist slogan first made its way into the lexicon of pretty much the entire country.

When we consider what some states have to offer industries looking to set up shop in new locales, it's obvious some have more going for it via their natural resources, geographic location, climate and perhaps lax laws on the human foibles of gambling, etc., than other states. And sometimes a state will surprise everyone with its resilience. I recently read that North Dakota is one of very few states that are actually weathering the current recession quite well, thank you very much. I can see it now: "Go West, young man, to Fargo!"

What our new governor noted in his remarks to the Virginia legislature were a few steps to encourage more outside businesses (temporary and permanent) to seriously consider the commonwealth for their projects. Specifically, he suggests increasing the current (and unbelievably miserly) $200,000 per year allotted for the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund by a cool $2 million. (He also suggests lawmakers boost the state fund for promoting Virginia's growing wine industry -- maybe because if the movie business doesn't pan out, we'd have all that local wine to ease the pain).

The film promotion idea makes a lot of sense when you consider that when a major motion picture is filmed in the commonwealth, dozens or scores of local jobs are created (albeit temporary), and when Hollywood folks are forced to live in a specific area for weeks or months at a time, they tend to spend a lot of money on hotels, catering, recreational and other activities that all go to the local economy. In fact, McDonnell mentioned in his address that when a movie about legendary racehorse Secretariat was filmed, the Hollywood crew chose sites in Louisiana and Kentucky in which to shoot most of the scenes. The horse, however, was a native Virginian by birth, and losing out on this one film to others likely cost the commonwealth an estimated $30 million, he said.

Of course, some movies are shot in Virginia and not given credit in the storyline itself, such as in the Bill Murray summertime comedy "What About Bob?" where apparently Smith Mountain Lake filled in for Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Precious few other films, such as "National Treasure II," both take place in, and film scenes here, too. (I guess it's hard to fake the National Archives in Washington and Mount Vernon on the Potomac, even digitally.)

Beyond movies, Virginia gets credited with more than its share of TV series locales, but without aid to the local economy. Supposedly D.C.-based characters in shows like "NCIS" and "Bones" are dispatched weekly to dastardly crime scenes in "Manassas," "Quantico" -- and once in a while "Woodbridge" and "Centreville." (Now all these Los Angeles-based script writers and actors have to do is stop referring to "The 95" and "The 495" like they call their highways out West.)

Considering all the historic and natural beauty the commonwealth has going for it, and our location near several major Eastern and Southern cities, beaches and mountains, putting a relatively small amount of increased funding into marketing our wares to Hollywood seems like a prudent investment. It's hardly monumental, to be sure, and it will have little real impact on the state's economy -- but $30 million here and $30 million there and (with apologies to the late U.S. House Speaker Everett Dirksen) "pretty soon you're talking about real money."

John Merli has been a News & Messenger columnist since 1985. He can be reached at: j.merli@Comcast.net.