Filmmaking in Rhode Island

Researched and written by Lauren Folden

Aptly named the Ocean State, Rhode Island is an excellent choice for seaside filming. Mostly flat and surrounded by water, no part of Rhode Island is more than forty-five minutes from the coastline. Although it is the smallest state, it is home to 30 islands including Aquidneck, the largest, and Block Island, which at only 12 miles off the mainland is known for its beautiful bluffs and landmark lighthouse, the Southeast Light. With many big-name Hollywood productions under its belt and a tax credit incentive to rival Massachusetts’, Rhode Island should be carefully considered by filmmakers hoping to capture its unique combination of feral seascapes, refined historical mansions, and quaint coastal towns like Newport, complete with cobblestone streets and rambling clapboard houses. Providence, Rhode Island’s largest and most populous city, is a maze of narrow zigzagging streets and a mélange of architectural styles, but its downtown area is most notable for its many 19th century mercantile buildings in the Federal and Victorian styles. Downtown is also home to Westminster Arcade, the country’s oldest indoor shopping center, built in 1828.

Site Location

With a landscape dominated by coastline, Rhode Island has a vast number of coastal towns, harbors, beaches, and lush green scenery, as in the Roger William’s Park in Providence. It should be noted, however, that the state’s metropolitan offerings, Providence included, are quite limited. Despite this, Newport is one of the best cities in New England for opulent Victorian mansions such as The Breakers, a onetime Vanderbilt estate, Marble House, and Rosecliff, which was used in the 1974 film The Great Gatsby.

Permits

A production seeking to film in Rhode Island should submit the free Permission to Film forms to the Rhode Island Film and TV Office at least 30 days in advance to allow time for processing. The forms can be downloaded from this page: http://www.film.ri.gov/permits.html

Police Assistance

The necessity of police assistance is determined differently from city to city, and is determined on an individual production basis.

Insurance

While insurance is required in larger Rhode Island’s cities, the Film and TV Office should be contacted for insurance requirements for specific towns.

Tax Credits

The state of Rhode Island provides a tax credit of 25% on costs for a production with a minimum budget of $300,000. To be eligible to receive tax credit, a production must submit an initial and final tax credit application to the Rhode Island Film and TV Office.

Related Reading

Interview with Steven Feinberg of the Rhode Island Film and TV Office, 06/04

Press Release - Rhode Island Film Festival; 08/07

Film tax credit update for RI, MA, and CT; 4/08