Chair 10 co-owners Lauren and Jonathan Black are hoping to bring a little bit of Hollywood magic to Connecticut.

Following in the footsteps of other states like Georgia and New Jersey, where states have offered tax incentives, and infrastructure — such as sound stages — has been built to support filming TV shows and movies, Chair 10 has been working with the Connecticut state government and seeking investors to make the dream of filming in the state a reality.

Jonathan is originally from Georgia and Lauren is originally from Newtown (she was valedictorian for Newtown High School’s Class of 1997). They met in Los Angeles, Calif., when both were working in the entertainment industry, though in separate tracks. After falling in love and becoming a couple, in 2017 they decided to combine their talents into their own production company.

They decided to relocate to Connecticut both because they saw an opportunity to open the state up to filming, and so that Lauren could be closer to family. Lauren noted that her children are going to the same elementary school that she did.

“That’s the concrete foundation of Chair 10: family,” said Jonathan. “We’re bringing the family atmosphere from LA to here.”

The family focus extends to how they treat their clients and how they conduct their business.

Connecticut has a 30 percent maximum tax credit for film productions, usable by both residents and non-residents. All above the line (ATL) staff, including producers, staff, directors, and cast, are eligible for the credit. The tax credit applies to TV shows and feature films (including features released on streaming services). There is no state annual cap or production cap. The only cap is on compensation for lead cast, which is capped at $20 million. While cast and crew are eligible for the tax credit, however, they are subject to the Connecticut personal income tax for income earned in-state, at a maximum rate of 6.99 percent.

The Blacks said that Connecticut’s incentives are better than those offered in other states — New York only has a 25 percent tax credit, and has a maximum cap of $420 million, whereas Connecticut has no cap, for instance.

Louisiana offers a 25 percent tax credit with a $150 million cap, Massachusetts offers a 25 percent tax credit with no cap, and Georgia offers a 20 percent tax credit with no cap. While Rhode Island and New Jersey equal or better Connecticut’s tax credit, with 30 percent and 35 percent tax credits respectively, Rhode Island has a $30 million cap and New Jersey has a $100 million cap.

Additionally, Connecticut is offering a 20 percent tax credit for any taxpayer who invests $3 million in a state-certified entertainment infrastructure project.

The tax credit being better than other states was the result of hard work by the Blacks, who said they worked with former Connecticut Speaker of the House Jim Amann to “move through the political waters.”

“We want to bring business to Newtown, Danbury, and elsewhere,” said Jonathan. “This whole area is great for filming TV and movies.”

Jonathan recently returned from a trip back to California to try and sell Connecticut to production companies such as Hulu, Disney, and Universal.

“We’re really doing marketing and pushing for big productions,” he said.

“The time is ripe,” said Lauren. “A lot of people have been going to Georgia to film in recent years. When they started their tax credits, things exploded there and it became a big production hub. But film companies are looking for the next Georgia. We want to grow the community, we can mimic what Georgia has done in the last 15 years.”

Lauren said that the film tax credit has “put Georgia on the map.”

“It’s phenomenal,” she said.

The Blacks have been busy scouting filming locales across the state, in areas as varied as Bridgeport, Kent and Mystic as well as their Sandy Hook and Newtown backyard. They have talked to mayors and other town officials and many towns and cities.

“Connecticut has a lot to offer,” said Lauren. “It has mountains, oceans, cities, farmland, and everything in between.

The Blacks noted that Connecticut has “talented cast and crew in the state.” The crew from IATSE Local 52, Local 74, and Teamsters 817 can be used. Also, because Connecticut is so close to New York City, cast and crew can be pulled from there. They also noted the fact that Connecticut has some of the highest vaccination rates and lowest COVID numbers in the country, which is a selling point for productions.

Connecticut is also “somewhat more attractive” to film companies because the politics of some southern states makes some film companies not want to film there.

Chair 10 is building relationships to bring in services and vendors at cheaper rates than in Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana, and New York City.

Lauren said bringing a production to the area has a lot to offer a town, from foot traffic in local businesses and hiring local caterers to renting rooms in hotels, plus people visiting restaurants and bars. She said people also like to see productions.

“People like to see their street on Netflix,” said Lauren. “A film production can showcase the community in general.”

A production can pull 150 to 550 people into the area, including drivers, production assistants, wardrobe, hair and make-up, and other crew.

Lauren noted that the one area Connecticut is lagging behind places such as Georgia is in sound stages. In Georgia, she said, many sound stages are booked months or years out and there is a demand for more. Georgia has 40 sound stages but a single production could use three or four. A big focus for Chair 10 right now is seeking investors willing to finance the construction of sound stages.

Jonathan recently met with the mayor of Stamford, Caroline Simmons, regarding the possibility of building soundstages and filming in the area.

Learn more at chair10productions.com.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.