JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) – In a state famous for its banjos and bluegrass, television and movie production certainly isn’t the most acclaimed of the Volunteer State’s entertainment industries.
But a report released in January by the Center for Economic Research in Tennessee found video production employment has boomed in Tennessee since 2010, with the state ranking seventh in the country for employment in the illustrious industry.
The report also said that in the past seven years, show business employment has grown by 8 percent, with nearly 4,400 Tennesseans earning an average of nearly $59,800 before benefits. That figure ranks 21.3 percent higher than the average wage of all industries in Tennessee.
While the television series “Nashville,” and movies “The Green Mile,” ”The Jungle Book” and “Walk the Line,” were filmed in the middle and western parts of the state, productions based in East Tennessee have slowly begun to grow.
“Believe,” a Christmas movie released in theaters on Dec. 2, was largely filmed in Bristol, Tennessee, giving local East Tennessee State University film and television students an opportunity to gain notoriety.