Denzel Washington In A Scene From "Unstoppable."

From On Location Vacations:

“Filming in Pennsylvania: “One Shot,” starring Tom Cruise, is filming in Pittsburgh.”

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, and you’ve clicked on the “So You’re Probably Wondering” link on the top of this page, then you know I cover state government and politics for a major Pennsylvania newspaper.

Few topics in state government in recent years have been as polarizing as a $75 million tax credit program for the film industry passed under the administration of former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. The program was funded at $60 million in the fiscal 2011-2012 budget under new Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

Small government conservatives have piled on the program, arguing that it’s a waste of taxpayer money and doesn’t drive economic development. Rendell also took flak because of a lobbying effort by Lions Gate to get the credit.

One thing that seems inarguable, however, is that the state has become a destination for filmmakers. This summer, director Christopher Nolan shot portions of “The Dark Knight Rises” in The Steel City. The Denzel Washington-starring “Unstoppable” was also partially filmed in the state.

Over the weekend, the Patriot-News newspaper of Harrisburg took a look at Pennsylvania’s emerging film industry. Here’s the nut graf:

“‘Unstoppable’ needed rails and rural train locations, and Pennsylvania is perfect for that,” said Steven Kratz, press secretary for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which includes the Pennsylvania Film Office.
The return on that investment for Pennsylvania has been $800 million in direct investments by production companies and about $1.2 billion in total economic impact, according to Kratz.
When film productions come to the Keystone State, they bring actors, technicians and specialists who need hotel rooms, rental vehicles, restaurant meals and groceries.
The production companies hire local people as extras, rent equipment and pay to use sites where they plan to film.
“It definitely has a positive economic impact,” Kratz said.
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Read the full story here.