( UNSPOKEN RULES )
Mallow Run Winery
ask THE HOOSIERIST
Out of the Limelight Q: WHY ARE A FAIR NUMBER OF TV SHOWS AND MOVIES SET IN INDIANA, BUT SO FEW FILMED HERE? A: Mostly because movie and TV productions are attracted by tax breaks and local production facilities—neither of which Indiana offers in abundance. That’s why a series like Stranger Things, the first few seasons of which took place in the mythical Indiana town of Hawkins, was actually shot in Georgia. The Peach State has made a multi-decade push to attract such projects, and it shows. In 2021 Georgia hosted 95 films and 107 TV series, compared to Indiana’s three movies and seven series. “We are simply not as competitive as other states,” says Greg Sorvig, artist director at Heartland Film. “But there has been momentum for expanding our tax incentives and infrastructure to attract more high-profile productions, both set in and out of Indiana.” We’ll know we’re in the big leagues when a movie set in Atlanta is filmed here. — S A M S TA L L
THE STATE STAT
546,000 Hoosiers employed in manufacturing
14
IM | JULY 2023
BYO lawn chair, blanket, or cushion to claim your turf in front of the covered stage. Or arrive early to snag a coveted picnic table. (Concerts kick off at 6 p.m.; local bands start playing on the patio at noon.) Bring the kids. All non-Mallow Run alcohol is prohibited. Treat yourself to the Mallow Run sweet Picnic collection, sold by the glass or bottle. Don’t sleep on the wine slushies. Don sensible shoes to navigate the grassy slope with food-truck nachos in hand and run up to the stage when legendary Indy rock orchestra The Woomblies sounds the first notes of Sweet Caroline on July 29.
Indiana’s factories produce a bit more than a quarter of our state’s gross domestic product. That’s small potatoes compared to California, where 1.3 million hold manufacturing jobs. But they contribute only around 12 percent to Cali’s GDP. The rest is no doubt made up of non-Indiana strengths like tourism—and film production.
ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN JOHNSON; RULES PHOTO COURTESY MALLOW RUN
A MANNER-FESTO FOR THE SOUTHSIDE WINEMAKER’S PICNIC CONCERT SERIES, WHICH RUNS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16.