With “Leverage” Over, What’s Next For Oregon’s Film & TV Industry?

Some Leverage Fans Are Campaigning To Move The Show To Another Network… (source: TVFilmNews.com)

The holidays weren’t all that happy for fans of the shot-in-Portland series Leverage.  After months of waiting and speculation, cable network TNT announced that it would not renew the series for a sixth season on Friday December 21.  The show’s Season finale on December 25th ended up being the series finale… and Oregon lost one of three television shows that helped grow media production into a $130 million industry in the state.

Many Oregon film and TV workers have voiced concern about the health of the state’s industry in the wake of this news, but Oregon’s Governor’s Office of Film and Television Executive Director Vince Porter isn’t among them.

In a message circulated among film and TV industry members Porter stressed that Electric Entertainment, the producers of Leverage, have other projects in development they plan to bring to the state.

We have not finalized anything nor have they made any firm guarantees but their intent is to keep a presence here in Oregon.  Had Leverage been renewed we had a deal in principal for the 6th season - but it would have eaten up our available incentives into 2014.  With this news we have a small amount of money
in 2013 available and will look to lock that money up in the New Year with a project.

No matter what I do not see this as a setback. We continue to get a flood of calls about filming in Oregon… and I’m sure we will always land work if we have the incentives to offer.

As the saying goes, “when one door closes another opens.”  We’re looking forward to hearing about new projects brought to the state with the additional money Leverage has opened up in the Oregon Production Investment Fund - and we hope that bringing additional projects will help the state’s legislature see the value of increasing the OPIF’s funding so even more projects can be brought into the state.