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Almost Hollywood, Nearly New Orleans: The Lure of the Local Film Economy
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Early in the twenty-first century, Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the United States, redirected millions in tax dollars from the public coffers in an effort to become the top location site globally for the production of Hollywood films and television series. Why would lawmakers support such a policy? Why would citizens accept the policy’s uncomfortable effects on their economy and culture? Almost Hollywood, Nearly New Orleans addresses these questions through a study of the local and everyday experiences of the film economy in New Orleans, Louisiana—a city that has twice pursued the goal of becoming a movie production capital. From the silent era to today’s Hollywood South, Vicki Mayer explains that the aura of a film economy is inseparable from a prevailing sense of home, even as it changes that place irrevocably.
Early in the twenty-first century, Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the United States, redirected millions in tax dollars from the public coffers in an effort to become the top location site globally for the production of Hollywood films and television series. Why would lawmakers support such a policy? Why would citizens accept the policy’s uncomfortable effects on their economy and culture? Almost Hollywood, Nearly New Orleans addresses these questions through a study of the local and everyday experiences of the film economy in New Orleans, Louisiana—a city that has twice pursued the goal of becoming a movie production capital. From the silent era to today’s Hollywood South, Vicki Mayer explains that the aura of a film economy is inseparable from a prevailing sense of home, even as it changes that place irrevocably.
162 pages, Paperback
Published February 24, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 6, 2018
Overall, this was a dry, minced, and slow book about the film industry in New Orleans.
October 9, 2021
TERRIFIC & thorough analysis of why the film industry fled Lost Angeles & went to New Orleans (& elsewhere) & the damage caused to the local economy! A must-read if you have a history of being in the biz & wondered what the hell happened. Excellent analysis of the response to the media culture by normal civilians. I need to re-read this to drill down to the nitty-gritty.
OUTSTANDING!
OUTSTANDING!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews