FAQ

  • Q: Does the Rhode Island Film and Television Office help filmmakers get financing for their films?
  • A: No. However, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts does provide competitive grants to Rhode Island residents for film, television, documentaries and screenplays. For further information, please go to www.arts.ri.gov and click on grants.
  • Q: I have just finished my first screenplay. What do I do?
  • A: Contact any of the following:

Writer’s Guild of America East
555 W. 57th Street, Suite 1230
New York, New York 10019
Phone: 212-767-7800
Fax: 212-582-1909
www.wgaeast.org

The Writer’s Store
2040 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90025
Phone: 310-441-5151 or 800-272-8927
www.writersstore.com

Writer’s Guild of America West
7000 W. Third Street
Los Angeles, CA. 90048
Phone: 323-951-4000 or 800-548-4532
www.wga.org

  • Q: Are there any books or software available for writing scripts?
  • A: Yes. There are many books available at your local library or bookstore.
    Some of these include Syd Field’s “Screenplay”, a series of screenwriting books by Linda Seger and many other helpful publications.
    Final Draft is a software scriptwriting program utilized by many professional screenwriters and there are others as well. For further information contact:

    The Writer’s Store
    2040 Westwood Blvd.
    Los Angeles, CA 90025
    Phone: 310-441-5151 or 800-272-8927
    www.writersstore.com
  • Q: How can I be an extra in a film or tv production shooting in Rhode Island?
  • A: This is our most frequently asked question. The Rhode Island Film and TV Office does not hire talent. Please contact the casting agencies listed in our on-line production guide (casting.html).
    For union actors, please go to www.sagaftra.org
  • Q: When should recipients of the Rhode Island Motion Picture Tax Credit file annual reports to the tax administrator?
  • A: Forms TC-100 and 8201A should not be completed until the motion picture production is completed and the motion picture production company receives tax credits. Once the credits have been issued, form TC-100 must be filed by August 15th and form 8201A must be filed by September 1st.
     
    Around the beginning of July, the Division of Taxation will post updated versions of the reporting forms on its website and will also send the forms to each tax credit recipient for the fiscal year. https://tax.ri.gov/forms/other-forms
  • Q: What are the child labor laws?
  • A: With one exception, the state doesn’t regulate such employment because entertainers are not employees on a payroll, but are rather independent employees with agents. Therefore regulation is left up to the localities. The state does not permit minors under the age of 18 to work in commercial adult entertainment establishments.
    Here is a link to RI DLT child labor: https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/childentertain.htm
  • Q. Who offers film production programs locally?
  • A. The following is a list of local universities you can check with:

    BROWN UNIVERSITY
    Modern Culture & Media
    155 George St., Providence, RI 02912
    Lynne Joyrich, Chair
    Lynne_Joyrich@brown.edu
    401-863-2853

    BRYANT UNIVERSITY
    Film Studies
    1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917-1284
    Tom Dooley, Communications Professor
    tdooley@bryant.edu
    401-232-6924

    COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF RHODE ISLAND (CCRI)
    Film Courses
    400 East Ave., Warwick, RI 02886
    Allison N. Petro, Associate Professor
    apetro@ccri.edu
    401-851-1677

    JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY (JWU)
    Media & Communications Studies
    8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903
    Chris Westgate, Co-Director
    Christopher.Westgate@jwu.edu
    401-598-2764

    NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NEIT):
    Digital Media Production
    One New England Tech Blvd., E. Greenwich, RI 02818
    Tom Strolla, Department Chair
    tstrolla@neit.edu
    401-533-7081

    PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (PC):
    Film & Video
    1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918
    Father Kenneth Gumbert, Professor
    kgumbert@providence.edu
    401-865-2424

    RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE (RIC):
    Film Studies
    600 Mt. Pleasant Ave., Providence, RI 02908
    Vincent Bohlinger, Director
    vbohlinger@ric.edu
    401-456-8660

    RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN (RISD):
    Film/Animation/Video
    2 College St., Providence, RI 02903
    Dennis Hlynsky, Department Head
    dhlynsky@risd.edu
    401-454-6238

    ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY (RWU):
    Film Studies
    1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol, RI 02809
    Dr. Paolo Prado
    pprado@rwu.edu
    401-254-3546

    SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY:
    Film Program
    100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport, RI 02840
    Dr. D. Matthew Ramsey, Chairman
    dmatthew.ramsey@salve.edu
    401-341-3214

    UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE (URI):
    Film/Media
    257 Chafee Social Science Center, 10 Chaffee Rd., Kingston, RI 02881-0808
    Tom Zorabedian, Assistant Dean
    zman@uri.edu
    401-874-2853