Welcome to the Keep Film in WA Series – The Faces of Film!
This series aims to shine a spotlight on the people behind the films of Washington State, using portraits of them at work to remind the public and legislators the lives (and livelihoods) that are at stake if the incentive program disappears on June 30. Along with each portrait, the cast or crew member will share in their own words the important role that the incentive has had in creating their career and why it is important to have a vibrant film industry in Washington State. We hope that these photographs serve as inspiration, and that you share your story with us ([email protected]) and social media (#keepfilminwa)—and most importantly with the elected officials that represent you in Olympia!
Name: Alex Terzieff
Town/city: Ballard, Washington
Describe your work: I arrange and coordinate stunt sequences for TV and film as well as hire the stunt performers and stunt doubles to pull the scene off safely.
Years in the industry: I have been in the industry 16 years.
What kind of financial benefits have you seen or experienced from the incentive for yourself or your community?
I have enjoyed a good living the last three years in Washington. I have invested a lot in equipment and managed to bring a fair number of Washingtonians into the business.
One of the reasons I initially got into the movie industry is because we had several movies coming into Washington in the ’80s and ’90s. The only stunt man to ever win an Oscar for his work was a man named Yakima Canutt, a native of Colfax, Washington. I always viewed the film industry as an American industry, since we pioneered the vast majority of it.
What would happen to your film career or future work prospects if it were to go away?
If the incentive goes away, I will have to move out of the state for sure. That’s not an easy choice for a third generation Ballardite, but I just have too much gear and overhead at this point and would have to go to an incentivized state.
Photo Credit: Daniel Schaefer