What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1065377
LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette In the past, says Kerri Elder, owner and executive producer at Fayetteville's production and media company Rockhill Studios, Arkansas lost a lot of talent in the television and film production arena. "They were leaving the state to seek more jobs," she notes. "They were going to states like Louisiana and Georgia, because those states were the most competitive as far as production facilities and state incentives were concerned." One of those young talents was Kerri's son, Blake Elder, now president of Rockhill Studios, who left Arkansas for New York City in 2008 in order pursue a career in television and film production. "I was doing entry-level production assistant work in New York to get my feet wet," he says. "I picked up a lot of experience and worked with other professionals, and when I started working with other locals here, I realized their professionalism and skill level was top notch. Everything just kind of started making sense and pointing in an upward direction for the industry here." The duo were so confident that the area was ready to compete for more projects in movies and television that they started their own production and media company. The grand opening for Rockhill Studios and Rockhill Media was last April, and they've stayed consistently busy since. Rockhill worked on the feature film "F.R.E.D.I." — shot almost entirely in Bentonville, the film won Best of the Fest at the Bentonville Film Festival — and "To The Stars," starring Malin Akerman, which was just accepted for a screening at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. They're currently working on post- production on "Sweet Inspiration," a film shot mostly in Fayetteville in July and August. That film will screen in Fayetteville at the end of January. "I would say that the main reason that we wanted to put a studio in Northwest Arkansas was not just from a business standpoint — that wasn't it at all," says Kerri Elder. "Really, it was that the state needed a facility in order to compete with other states in the country. It's very competitive, getting a production into a state. We wanted to be able to provide a facility where we could hire some in-house people and bring more and more productions in to facilitate that, so the jobs can stay here, in state." DECEMBER 23-29, 2018 WHAT'S UP! 5 TOP 10 FYI 'True Detective' Films in NWA "The 'True Detective' Season 3 production hired over 1,000 Arkansans over the course of eight to 12 months. It brought local jobs for those you'd consider traditionally to be in the film industry — cast and crew — but many other opportu- nities wouldn't have happened otherwise such as housing, caterers and other goods. Being set — and filmed — in the state provides a stage for Arkansas to play to people who aren't familiar with the landscape and culture. What we provide to the film industry is what we offer to any other new business — professionalism, hard workers, hospitality and a good business proposition. This season is getting a tremendous amount of positive buzz, for the storyline and its actors. That can only lead to more productions seeking to film in Arkansas, bringing new money and more jobs into our economy." — Mike Preston, AEDC executive director Lights! Camera! Action! Arkansas making its name in the movies A private screening for "True Detective" Season 3, the first premiere worldwide, was held Dec. 14 on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. Several local cast members were in attendance with Gov. Asa Hutchison (center) and First Lady Susan Hutchinson (far left) on the red carpet. Pictured from left are Susan Hutchinson, Madison Probus, Jesse Bray, Corbin Pitts, Gov. Hutchinson, Missy Gipson, Warren McCullough and Sara Edgerton. Photo courtesy Melissa Brawner Photography See Film Page 6