From Projo.com

‘Body of Proof’ filming injects $30 million into state economy

By Jenna Pelletier

Journal staff writer

PROVIDENCE –– They like us –– they really like us.

The cast and crew of the new ABC series “Body of Proof,” gushed at the State House Friday about their experiences filming in Rhode Island for the last five months. No doubt the comments were just the sort of good publicity the Rhode Island Film and TV Office and other advocates of the state’s film and TV production tax credit like to hear.

Stars Dana Delany and Jeri Ryan joined Film and TV Office executive director Steven Feinberg and elected officials in celebrating the near completion of filming the premiere season’s 13 episodes. Though the drama is set in Philadelphia, it is being filmed entirely in Rhode Island.

“Having produced ten feature films and two hundred hours of television all over the United States and out of the country, I can tell you this has been my best experience to date,” said executive producer Matt Gross. “The state supports the needs of production like no other I have ever been to.”

Gross credited the state’s film and television production incentive for drawing the project to Rhode Island. The law provides a 25-percent transferable tax credit for all production-related spending in Rhode Island. “Body of Proof” has spent about $30 million in Rhode Island so far, according to Feinberg.

The tax incentive isn’t the only advantage of filming in the state, Gross said.

He raved about the food, including restaurants Bacaro, Nick’s on Broadway and Al Forno.

Other draws? Rhode Island has diverse landscapes, is easy to navigate and residents and law enforcement have been more than willing to make way for the cameras, he said.

“In L.A., people don’t always have a lot of patience for film crews shooting on location,” said actress Ryan, who plays Delany’s boss on the show. “I’ve never been anywhere where people are so genuinely happy to see you shooting on their streets.”

The production has led to the creation of about 170 (temporary) full-time jobs, said state Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, who was joined at the celebration by elected officials including Speaker of the House Speaker Gordon D. Fox, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch and Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis.

“I was one of the skeptics when the film-tax credits came out ... but have come ... to be a real believer because we now know that it works,” said Paiva Weed. She cited a recent study showing film-tax credit generates $8 for every $1 of investment from the state, adding, “I don’t think there’s a better investment that also builds on our tourism industry.”

Delany, who plays neurosurgeon-turned-medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, is a Connecticut native. She said she hadn’t been to Providence in decades but was pleasantly surprised to discover the city’s rich creative culture. Delany has been living in Downcity Providence during filming.

Shooting is expected to wrap in mid-December, said ABC publicist Marsha Smith.

The series is scheduled to premier on Tuesday, March 29, at 10 p.m. If the show is renewed, Feinberg said he is hopeful the cast and crew will return for more filming next year.

“I’m learning that people don’t leave — or they come back,” said Delany. “I just want to say, I hope that I’ll be back.”