New Rules, Fresh Shoots: September Highlights for New Orleans Video Production
New Orleans video production is charging into mid-September with a potent mix of set activity, policy tailwinds and professional training opportunities. Whether you’re scouting crew gigs, chasing permits or polishing your directing chops, the next two weeks offer plenty to track.
Feature Film “Tell Me A Secret” Wraps on Sept 16
The coming week marks the final stretch for “Tell Me A Secret,” a feature drama that has occupied soundstages and neighborhood streets since Aug 18. According to the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy, the shoot is scheduled to wrap on Sept 16, capping a 30-day schedule that hired dozens of local grips, costume artisans and background players. Producers have kept plot details under wraps, but casting calls hinted at high-school-aged extras and interior classroom builds—an encouraging sign that area schools continue to double as back-lot locations. Wrap day will free up crews and rental gear just as autumn’s production calendar heats up.
Tax Credit Overhaul Supercharges Budgets
Producers crunching numbers will rejoice at Act 44, signed in June and officially live this fiscal quarter. The overhaul lifts the base credit to 25 % and layers on 15 % in bonuses for Louisiana hires, VFX work performed inside the state and scripts penned by local writers—opening a path to the full 40 percent headline rate. Just as crucial, lawmakers scrapped the per-project and per-payroll caps that often forced studios to split shoots across multiple states. Film New Orleans staffers say early inquiries center on whether the first projects qualifying under Act 44 can still begin principal photography this fall; LED guidance indicates approvals can process in as little as 10 business days, meaning green-lights in late September are realistic. Expect a jump in street-closure notices and location-scout visits citywide.
Key takeaway bullets
- Refundable up to 40 % of qualified spend
- No more $20 M project cap or $3 M per-person payroll cap
- Bonus tiers for local talent, scripts and in-state VFX
- Program extended through 2031, providing seven-year planning runway
Workshops & Festival Deadlines Keep Crew Sharp
Training is equally vital to keeping productions rolling. NOVAC’s “Directors: Working with Actors” session on Sept 15 (6-9 p.m.) offers an affordable $30 ticket and a hands-on curriculum covering actor vocabulary, improv and director-actor collaboration. Seats are limited; NOVAC recommends early registration.
On the same date, the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) closes its media-accreditation portal. Journalists and bloggers aiming to cover the Oscar-qualifying fest—slated for Oct 23-27—must file by midnight Sept 15. With last month’s announcement of an opening-night documentary and 133-title lineup, NOFF buzz is already translating into brand partnerships and early-bird ticket sales that will ripple into fall production services.
What This Means for New Orleans Video Production
The confluence of a major feature wrap, lucrative new incentives and workforce up-skilling suggests a busy Q4 for New Orleans video production companies. Vendors can prep for gear turnover once Tell Me A Secret vacates stages; caterers, drivers and security firms should monitor Film Office postings for sudden permit upticks tied to Act 44. For creatives, the NOVAC workshop offers practical tools to meet rising demand for director-level talent, while NOFF’s press deadline heralds a marketing spotlight that can amplify local projects. In short, the next fortnight is less a lull than a launchpad.
