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Loring is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and creative producer. His work has been commissioned by a diverse range of clients- from Havas Worldwide to Wisecrack, inc.- and has been screened around the world. Through a background that blends project development with physical production across multiple formats, Loring has developed a uniquely eclectic skillset as a visual storyteller.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
To support both visiting and local filmmakers, the Maryland Film Office offers a variety of tools, services, and opportunities.
Let’s take a look at three specific resources that you can leverage for your next production.
Here at Wrapbook, we talk to film offices all the time to better understand how we can leverage next-gen technology to help film finance and accounting teams achieve more success faster. A running theme of our conversations with these experts is the importance of production incentives. It’s no surprise then that—to remain competitive—Maryland has developed its own substantial incentive program.
The Maryland Production Activity Tax Credit offers a refundable tax credit against state income tax for certain qualified expenses incurred within the state of Maryland. The program offers a substantial credit of 28% of total authorized direct costs for qualifying feature film productions and a potential 30% of authorized for qualifying television or streaming series.
To assist independent productions with lower budgets, Maryland also maintains an adjacent program known as the Maryland Small Film Tax Credit. The program acts as an extension of the state’s primary incentive, offering the same 28% of qualified expenditures but with a dramatically reduced minimum spend requirement and a more limited tax credit maximum.
As mentioned previously, the Maryland Film Office administers the incentive program directly, granting filmmakers easy access to any information or guidance they might need. The state’s entire incentive program is currently limited to $12 million in available tax credits for participating productions, making it critical to submit applications as early as possible.
The ability to scout locations digitally is central to efficient pre-production. It can save valuable time, money, and the logistical headaches of unnecessary crew travel.
In addition to the local insight of their expert staff, the Maryland Film Office also maintains the Maryland Locations Directory, an easy-to-use digital tool that collects available shooting locations around the state into a single, searchable database. Whether you’re searching for a sprawling forest, historical building, or the right neighborhood in Baltimore, the Maryland Locations Directory can point you to an array of viable options with nothing more than a few keystrokes.
Similar to their locations directory, the Maryland Crew & Resource Directory is a digital tool that enables productions to search for local crew and support services from anywhere they have internet access. Users can search by crew position, keyword, and other search fields. Results may also include IMDB links, professional website links, resumes, and even product brochures.
As a service to the Maryland film community, the Maryland Film Office has made this comprehensive database available for free. It presents a mutual benefit for both visiting and local film professionals.
To contact the Maryland Film Office, you can reach out by phone at (410) 767-6340 or toll free at (800) 333-6632. Specific personnel are available by email at specified addresses available on the film office’s contact page.
Filmmakers can also stay up to date with the Maryland Film Office on social media via Facebook or X.
Beyond the statewide assistance of the Maryland Film Office, other film offices within its borders have emerged to meet more regional filmmaking needs.
Below, we’ll highlight two regional film offices that you may want to contact for your next production.
As the name suggests, the Baltimore Film Office is the regional film office operating within the city of Baltimore. The office is “dedicated to maintaining Baltimore as a premier location for filming.”
If you’re looking to secure permits or lock down city streets, the Baltimore Film Office is the designated liaison between productions, city services, and the local community. Follow them on Instagram for all the latest updates.
The Prince George’s Film Office was established in 2013 to facilitate the increasing popularity of Prince George County as a filming destination. Their mission is “to streamline your path to completing your projects by helping navigate permits, procedures and resources hassle free and expeditiously so you can focus on creativity.”
Beyond the inherent value of production assistance, the Prince George’s Film Office also administers a substantial film grant program. Application deadlines are established on regularly announced dates, so be sure to check the office’s website on a regular basis.
Maryland’s unique visual identity makes it an undeniable option for the right film and television productions. The Maryland Film Office holds the keys to maximizing the state’s production potential and optimizing your filmmaking experience within its borders.
For more on Maryland’s tax credits, check out Wrapbook’s quick reference breakdown of the entire program or contact us to speak with one of our in-house incentive and financing experts for personalized consultation.
You can also explore incentives across the United States for yourself with Wrapbook’s Production Incentive Center. Resources like our Production Incentives Finder and Incentive Comparison Tool are available for free and can help you identify the right shooting location as efficiently as possible.
With strategic proximity to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and a host of sprawling woodland environments, Maryland occupies a unique niche for filmmakers in the United States. To unlock its full potential, professional productions know that their first stop should always be the Maryland Film Office.
In this post, we’ll give readers a crash course in everything you need to know about the Maryland Film Office. Together, we’ll explore the tools, services, and unique opportunities available for your next shoot.
Though many audience members may not realize it, Maryland has been making its presence felt on both the big and small screens for decades. Television enthusiasts will be familiar with Maryland as the backdrop for modern classics like Veep, House of Cards, and—of course—The Wire. Likewise, movie lovers will know the state’s landscape from films like The Blair Witch Project, Gods and Generals, and Wedding Crashers.
As the state’s already impressive filmography continues to grow, one organization is paving the road to an even brighter future in film. The Maryland Film Office acts as a central hub for visiting and local filmmakers alike, providing crucial resources and enhancing the state’s production ecosystem.
Officially an arm of the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Maryland Film Office is guided by its mission to “attract productions to film on-location in the state of Maryland, as well as support the State’s local film community.” Their efforts are focused on a single goal: to make filming in Maryland as easy as possible.
The Maryland Film Office offers a direct connection to a set of resources, services, and information that would prove vital to any production in the region. From finding the right location to locking in your film finance strategy, the office can put your shoot on the fast track to success.
Below, we’ll discuss two key areas in which the Maryland Film Office can assist with your next project.
Whether it’s film or TV, a studio blockbuster or independent production, the right shooting location can make or break any project. For visiting filmmakers, Maryland’s quiet diversity can be both unfamiliar and overwhelming. However, with the help of the Maryland Film Office’s expert team and crucial resources for location scouting, filmmakers can cut through the noise and discover hidden cinematic gems without breaking a sweat.
Of course, aesthetic appeal isn’t the only factor that makes a location production-worthy. The Maryland Film Office can also help to support your project’s logistical and administrative needs. While the office does not directly issue permits itself, their staff can help you identify the correct municipal authorities and regulations without unnecessary fuss. They’re also tapped into professional networks in the region, making it easier for your production to reap the benefits of hiring local crew.
In the modern production industry, production incentives are almost as important as a shooting location’s visual appeal. They’re a critical component of an effective film finance strategy and an obligatory consideration when choosing a production region. In recognition of this fact, Maryland maintains its own competitive incentive program.
Incentive programs are increasingly common from state to state, but Maryland has the additional (and rarer) advantage of offering a direct link between filmmakers and the incentive program itself. As part of the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Maryland Film Office directly administers the state’s production incentive program. That means that filmmakers can go straight to the source for any information they might need to maximize the value of their budget within the state.
