With its close proximity to the nation’s capital and wide diversity of filming locations – including the Appalachian Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay, multiple small towns, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis – Maryland offers producers multiple shooting options.
To sweeten the pie, the state provides a generous 25% refundable tax credit for films and a 27% refundable tax credit for television.
Other program specifics include a minimum spend of $500,000 per project and a $500,000 compensation cap. The state has no project cap. To qualify, a production must conduct at least 50% of its principal photography in Maryland.
Over the years, many high-profile projects have filmed in the Old Line State. In particular, shows with a political orientation looking for opportunities to shoot near Washington D.C. have set up shop in Maryland. These include TV series “The West Wing (NBC),” which ran from 1999 to 2006; and ongoing series “Veep” and “House of Cards (both on HBO).”
HBO’s “The Wire,” which ran from 2002 to 2008, is set in the grittiest parts of Baltimore and also shot there.
Feature films that have shot partly in Maryland include “Pixels” (2015), “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014), and “Ted” (2012).
Going back, Maryland has hosted films such as “The Accidental Tourist,” “Hairspray,” and “Enemy of the State,” and “True Colors.”
Information courtesy of EP Financial Solutions, a production incentive consulting and financial services company.
| Production Incentives | |||
| $500k | Minimum spend | ||
| $500k | Compensation cap | ||
| 25% | Refundable tax credit for film | ||
| 27% | Refundable tax credit for TV | ||
| 50% | Principal photography that must take place in state | ||