The first presentation will be 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Snowshoe Mountain Career Center, 206 8th Street in Marlinton. The second presentation will be 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Route 28/92 in Green Bank.

“Filming in West Virginia has greatly increased during the past several years, and it is important for the Film Office to reach out to communities and community leaders to help ensure they are prepared when their region is chosen for filming,” said Pam Haynes, director of the Film Office.

The workshop will include an overview of the film tax credit program and how it benefits West Virginia businesses and workforce, how communities may become film friendly, what to expect and how to handle filming when it knocks on the door, and how to work effectively with the Film Office. A brief tutorial on location scouting will be included, along with an assortment of helpful handouts.

Anyone interested in supporting the film industry in West Virginia — including business, tourism, and legislative leaders; mayors and city managers; county managers and commissioners; academic instructors for film/television studies; and film industry workforce and production companies — is encouraged to attend.

“This is a great opportunity for businesses and community leaders to learn how producers choose filming locations and how communities can support the film office’s efforts to recruit more film business into the state,” said Cara Rose, director of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Having assisted the film office throughout the years with location searches and connections to community leaders, Rose said the information offered is a great tool for anyone interested in becoming involved in the film industry as well as for property owners who would like to make their homes or businesses available for filming locations.

“An increase in filming activity is a result of a business development incentive, known as the ‘WV Film Industry Investment Act,’ passed by the West Virginia Legislature several years ago. The incentive allows West Virginia to be more competitive with other states in recruiting film industry business,” Haynes said. “Numerous high profile films and television miniseries have participated in the program, including the Paramount Pictures’ blockbuster ‘Super 8,’ and Stephen David Entertainment’s ‘The Men Who Built America’ and ‘The World Wars,’ both for History, and ‘American Genius’ and ‘The Making of the Mob: New York,’ for NatGeo and AMC, respectively. Since 2008, the program has resulted in the film industry incurring more than $34 million in direct in-state expenditures.”

Both presentations are free and open to the public. RSVPs are requested by July 15. To register, contact Cara Rose at 304-799-4636 orcrose@pocahontascountywv.com.

Visit the West Virginia Film Office at www.wvfilm.com, Facebook.com/wvfilm, or Twitter.com/wvfilm.