Everyone across the country is preparing for the return of televisions number one show Yellowstone. The show is all about a western families drive to keep their land from the Californians who want to take it.  It reminds us of what we deal with in Idaho everyday.

Who doesn't love a good movie or television series? One of the most popular shows is Kevin Costner's Yellowstone. The show was filmed in Utah for the first few years but recently moved its production to Montana. ( I know, a TV series about life in Montana filmed in Utah? It didn't make sense at the time.)  

Why Not Film Yellowstone in Idaho?

Our state is not in the business of giving incentives to film companies. We do give tax breaks to big corporations like Facebook and Micron.

Attracting a television/movie production to your state is not about the Western lifestyle; it's about giving big Hollywood wigs money, commonly known as incentives. Utah provided Paramount with several incentives detailed by the Deseret News.  

"Productions that meet several requirements, including spending a minimum of $500,000 in Utah, are eligible for a 20% to 25% tax rebate as part of Utah's film incentive program. However, the program is stunted by its annual $8.3 million cap."

Idaho's incentive package is not as appealing as another state's in the country. Currently, the Idaho Film Office coordinates any requests for production companies seeking to film in Idaho. Set Hero looks at what Idaho offers perspective incentives for filmmakers wishing to come to Idaho.  

Here's definitive look at what offers: To qualify for a 20% rebate, 35% of the production crew must be Idaho residents. If shooting a television series, each episode can be eligible individually, with a minimum spend of $200,000 per episode.

The state requires a minimum spend of $200,000 dollars capping the incentives at $500,000.  There are some negatives to having Hollywood in your state.  Georgia has a huge California presence changing the state from red to purple and possibly permanently blue.