I am writing to thank you for your story regarding our state's Film Incentive Bill. As a casting director for feature films and a South Carolina resident, I am well aware of the filming and income effects caused by the decrease in our state's film incentives first hand.

For many state film crew members, myself included, it means no work or lack of work in our state. Many have to venture to other states for work, paying taxes to those states instead of our own, while others simply have no work at all.

South Carolina also misses out on the large amounts of money a film company and its crew bring and leave in our state. Supplies, rentals, vehicles, equipment, housing/hotels, food and salaries needed for filming and its crew are a major source of funds left in our state.

In addition, on Leatherheads alone, I watched film crew members from out of state pay and join area gyms, go to movies, visit area attractions and sites, or shop every weekend. They flew their families in for visits, took day trips to visit our state's tourist areas in other cities, and additionally spent much of their own personal money in our state.

Besides the obvious financial aspects, the press and exposure our state gets nationally and worldwide from a major motion picture being filmed here is priceless. While taking a two- year break from film crew work for personal reasons, I was fortunate enough to work as a project manager at the South Carolina Film office. I received calls daily from individuals or tourist groups worldwide who were planning on visiting our state just to see a certain filming location.

As the extras casting director on Leatherheads, I had well over 15,000 people in our state express an interest in being an extra in the film. This number reflects only those who actually drove to a casting call in the Upstate or mailed in their application. Be it Walterboro, Rock Hill, Columbia, Camden, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, Gaffney, Chester, Beaufort or Charleston on every film I cast, thousands of people excitedly sign up eager to work as background from the filming area. Be it for the extra income it may provide, for the brief brush with Hollywood, or the excitement of being a small part of such an opportunity, the reasons they sign up vary. All I know is they are all South Carolina residents, taxpayers, and seemly love the idea of having a film shot nearby and in their state.

If the Secretary of Commerce and those against passing the Film Incentive Bill can't fully understand the income filming truly brings into our state, maybe they can understand the positives in passing it for this.... The happiness, excitement, and a little extra income it can bring to our residents as well as the priceless exposure it brings to our state.

Tona B. Dahlquist Extras casting director