“Recently it was Bruno’s Family Restaurant & Bars pleasure to meet a small army of filmmakers in our town of Eatonville, WA. The crew of American Grit and its cast were an amazing group of individuals that embraced our small town in the foothill of Mt. Rainier as much as we embraced them. My fantastic team, and most of the town folk really enjoyed having the opportunity to not only serve these hard working people but spend their off time with them and many found jobs working with them. I am also on the board of the Chamber of Commerce and many of businesses benefited from having them here for the 2-3 months of production.

The grocery store, hotels, gas stations, restaurants and bars and the local lumber company saw record numbers for the time they were here as they depended on our town to furnish them with materials, places to stay and dine. The cast that we met were truly down to earth people and it was our pleasure to be here for them. Not only was having them in town a lot of fun, it also was an amazing boost to our local economy.”

— Jim Cross, Vice President, Bruno’s Family Restaurant & Bar, Inc.

“Beach Front Bargain Hunt has been back twice to feature Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. This has been extremely beneficial for our area in terms of tourism and destination promotion and real estate sales.  We’ve seen a marked increase building permits since the show has aired and property sales have nearly doubled over the last three years.  The show producers have been wonderful to work with in showcasing the activities and attractions for our area. One thing in particular I should point out, is that they didn’t just cover or focus on one city, but on the entire Long Beach Peninsula which is much more inclusive and beneficial for the entire south Pacific County.”

— Andi Day, Executive Director of Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau

“As you know there are many, many details that go into the planning and execution of even a simple shoot so the more resources and help a location or facility can offer the more likely I am to take my project there.  Producing a shoot like my recent Acura project involves traveling about 14 people, organizing lodging, food, and transportation for everyone.  Even a small shoot like ours can have a major impact on a local economy.  While shooting in Mt. Rainier we stayed in Ashford for two days and basically rented out the entire hotel, and eating in the local restaurants, injecting some good off-season money into the local economy.”

—  Tina Casey, Tango Charlie Production

“I’ve lived and worked in Seattle for sixteen years and there’s nothing I love more than being able to bring a production home. Because of our state’s Motion Picture Competitiveness Program, I have been able to shoot two features here in Washington that would have otherwise shot elsewhere: EDEN (New Mexico) and LUCKY THEM (New York.) This was a win-win–not only did the films spend millions of dollars in-state, employ hundreds of Washington residents and bring acclaim back to our artistic community, but our production, in turn, was able to utilize Washington’s diverse landscapes, incredible actors, crew members, vendors and city offices. In my years here, I have learned and grown as a filmmaker because of the nurturing of this community. There is a generosity of spirit here that is special and unique, and I hope to be able to make films in the Northwest for years to come.”

— Director Megan Griffiths

“The production was based in Everett, where the combination of urban and rural settings made for a very attractive production center and central location. Everett city officials were incredibly helpful. With picturesque locations and solid film crews, the lure to shoot in the Pacific Northwest is strong, but it was the 30% incentive from Washington Filmworks that helped make an unbeatable case for filming in the state.”

– Rick Rosenthal, Producer, 7 Minutes

“It was a great experience and opportunity for the downtown Everett Holiday Inn. The cast and crew stayed with us for a little over two months and our team enjoyed having them. They became like family to the many that assisted them on a daily basis. 7 Minutes filming in the area was great business for the hotel as well as many other companies in Everett.  Since their stay,  we have been fortunate to have had a commercial and TV show stay with us.  We look forward to welcoming additional crews to our hotel. Our entire staff is now very knowledgeable of the needs of this industry.  We really know how to take good care of them.”

— Tina Beckstrom, Director of Sales, Holiday Inn, Everett