Pennsylvania DCED Secretary Walker Tours ShootersINC; Highlights Job Growth in Pennsylvania Film Industry

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker today toured ShootersINC – a digital production and post-production facility - where he highlighted the opportunities for job creation and increased economic investment associated with Pennsylvania's growing film industry.

"Companies like Shooters are a great example of how building the film industry beyond production can lead to significant job creation," Walker said. "Over the course of a decade, Shooters doubled its number of full-time employees and sub-contracted hundreds of industry professionals every year."

In 2001, Shooters – with support from the commonwealth - relocated to Philadelphia. At that time, Shooters had 35 full-time employees. Nearly a decade later, the company continues to grow, employing 70 full-time workers and 250 sub-contracted industry professionals annually.

"Our hiring is largely based on the project growth within the local film, television and commercial industries, and we expect to hire more employees in the foreseeable future as the growth trend continues," said Shooters President Ray Carballada. "As new projects come here, we attract a higher caliber of creative talent, which has a huge impact on Shooters and Pennsylvania."

ShootersINC is a digital production and post-production facility that blends talent, technology and client services to provide quality and creativity. A consistent record of success has allowed the company to maintain a full-time staff and crew.  

Currently, Pennsylvania is primarily known for the production phase, and is viewed by the industry as a top 10 state for filming. With a strong network of colleges and universities and a fast-developing creative workforce, there is a great opportunity to capitalize on the often overlooked post-production phase. New technology and innovation make post-production a strategic component of developing a robust film industry, accounting for an estimated 40 percent of a film production's total budget.

"We are working with key industry professionals to map out a strategy for diversifying the film industry by developing post-production services in Pennsylvania," Walker added.  "We have all the tools right here in our state to attract more companies like Shooters and the jobs they create."

For more information on ShootersINC, visit shootersinc.com.  

For more information about the Pennsylvania Film Office, visit filminpa.com.  

For more information about economic development initiatives in Pennsylvania, call 1-866-466-3972 or visit newpa.com.

Media contact: Steven Kratz, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development