Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 10, 1992 TAG: 9201100265
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chris Gladden
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
VA. TRIES TO CASH IN ON CIVIL WAR
Ken Burns' critically acclaimed television documentary, "The Civil War," has gotten the attention of television and movie producers who hope to cash in on its popularity.And the Old Dominion may reap the benefits, says Laura Oaksmith, director of the Virginia Film Office.
So far, filmmakers involved in two projects have expressed interest in Virginia as a potential location. Location scouts for a feature film about Reconstruction have visited a mansion in Bath County, and the producers are "looking closely," says Oaksmith. She says they're also considering plantations elsewhere in Virginia and in other states.
Oaksmith says she can't supply any more details because the project isn't firm yet. Filmmakers can be as secretive as the CIA when it comes to things like this.
But a Bath County source who met with the scouts says the names of Jodie Foster and Richard Gere were mentioned as leads. The mansion under consideration is in Hidden Valley. The movie, if it comes there, could start shooting in April and run through June to take advantage of the spring foliage.
Oaksmith says there also is interest in Virginia as a location for a network television series based on the Civil War but says she can't provide any details.
The film office is hoping to capitalize on the interest in the Civil War and has been contacting producers to promote the state.
There's some education involved, Oaksmith says.
"The film industry has an image of the Deep South - the Tara look," she says. "It doesn't think Virginia looks the part. The West Coast thinks of Virginia not as a Southern state but as a mid-Atlantic State. We have to remind them that the capital of the Confederacy was here and that 60 percent of the war was fought here."
Not only would movies and television bring money into the state, they will help raise its profile among tourists interested in history, Oaksmith says.
"History is why people come to Virginia. We want to highlight that interest." She notes that the film office has a list of 16 projects in Hollywood involving either the Civil War or the Revolutionary War, with the Civil War predominating.
Virginia is a logical candidate for all of them.
Oaksmith says such picturesque towns as Lexington are ideal, and they're immersed in real history to boot.
"This is clearly a trend," Oaksmith says.
"It's our marketing focus for this year."