Genesis Studios in Cayce announced an initiative today that it hopes will boost the state's film industry.

The idea, called Emergent Films, is aimed at simultaneously attracting film projects to the state and at growing the in-state film production talent needed to attract major film projects to the state in the future.

Emergent Films will seek to boost the industry locally by attracting investors for two-three short genre films and one full-length feature per year. At the same time, part of the initiatve is also to train local crews: Films will be produced using paid professionals as department heads and students-in-training working under them.

The educational part of the group's mission will come under the umbrella of the Emergent Foundation, a nonprofit that will train students during a pre-filming "preparatory boot camp."

“We are committed to building a motion picture industry in this state one brick at a time," said Genesis president Cliff Springs in a press statement. "We at Genesis
and Emergent Films want to make sure that five years from now producers, writers, directors, and all crew positions are better off than they are now.”

Where they are now is in a weak position. South Carolina has served as a location for several major films -- including The Big Chill (1983, Beaufort), Forrest Gump (1994, Beaufort, Fripp Island and Savannah, Ga.) and The Patriot (Edisto, Charleston and Brattonsville), as noted in a 2008 Free Times cover story on the local film industry. But growth of the industry has been hampered by a lack of trained local crews and, more recently, a change in state policy on incentives for filmmakers to come here.

Genesis attributes the restriction of incentives to out-of-state filmmakers "overlooking in-state crew to staff their films," which in turn led state leaders to conclude that incentives were not doing enough to boost the local economy. The restriction of incentives has slowed the number of films being produced in the state.

Springs pledged that the initiative is about more than his own studio.

"Emergent Films is not about Genesis Studios, it’s about South Carolina having the long-range vision to lay a foundation, build upon it, and show the rest of the country just how special we can be."

Whether the initiative can succeed remains to be seen, but no doubt many South Carolinians with an eye toward careers in film hope that it will. You can learn more about the project at emergentfilmssc.com.

In other state film news, Columbia-based Afflicted Picturehouse announced that it will film a feature-length thriller/drama called Amazing Grace in Greenville and Spartanburg counties in October.