To Darla McGlamery, recent news that an ABC TV series would be coming back to Wilmington to shoot its second season is partly a testament to the strength of the local film industry workforce.

McGlamery, business manager for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 491, said R.J. Decker is a recent example of productions choosing to return to the Cape Fear region because of the people who work here. IATSE Local 491, based in Wilmington, covers North Carolina, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia and has nearly 967 members, she said.

Those in the local industry thought Wilmington might lose R.J. Decker, a comedic crime series starring Scott Speedman, to another state because of incentives, she said.

“But we actually kept it, and I would tell you that part of it is because of who we are as a state, and even more locally as a film community,” McGlamery said. “They ended up staying, they enjoyed their stay, and now they’re coming back for another season. This is what you want in an industry and creating a pipeline instead of a hit or miss.”

Adding to the good news for McGlamery is Cape Fear Community College’s decision to move its film and video production technology program to a soundstage at Cinespace Studios on North 23rd Street this summer.

“I think it’s fantastic,” she said. “They need the space to really kind of dive into what it takes to become a professional film technician or artist.”

The move will nearly triple the program’s footprint, from about 2,500 square feet to 7,200 square feet, according to CFCC President Jim Morton. Currently, 39 students are enrolled in the curriculum program and 127 participate in the continuing technical education side. The college is building out the space over the summer and expects to welcome students there this fall.

“For more than 20 years, we’ve dreamed of building this program into what it was always meant to be. Relocating CFCC’s film and video production technology program to Cinespace gives students the rare opportunity to learn in the environment where professional filmmaking happens every day,” said Duke Fire, the program director. “Being immersed on a working film lot is instrumental for future filmmakers, and experiencing on-set protocol firsthand provides knowledge and experience that simply can’t be replicated in a traditional classroom setting.”

Based on conversations with a CFCC instructor who is also a union member, McGlamery said, “I think grip and electric are really going to be able to expand under this, and that’s important for your technical crafts.”

Grip refers to technicians who work on a number of technical aspects of filming, including logistical support for camera angles to ensure shots are what directors  want the audience to see.

She highlighted the hands-on infrastructure the new space is expected to provide. “They’re also going to have a grid to work from for grip and electric. That’s a big deal for students and people who are looking to get into this industry. It’s going to be an incredible program for them to get some skillsets, and when they walk onto a set, have something that they can contribute to a professional film program.”

Because the expansion includes continuing technical education offerings, McGlamery said it opens the door to more aspiring film workers.

The union runs its own craft-specific and continuing education trainings, and McGlamery said CFCC’s program aligns with that work.

“It works hand in hand with our training program, so we’re thrilled,” she said.

Wilmington earned the nickname “Hollywood East” during a locally based production boom that began in the 1980s. While the Wilmington area has seen a lull in film production post-COVID, the state saw an estimated $185.5 million in direct in-state spending in 2025, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce, and local lawmakers have proposed legislation to boost grants and rebates for productions that choose North Carolina.

Morton and Erin Easton, vice president of economic and workforce development at CFCC, said the college’s film program’s expansion will help build a sustainable local talent pipeline that could lure more productions to the Port City.

“As Wilmington grows, we have to be willing to change and pivot to meet the industry needs, and this is an example of us doing that,” Easton said. “Even though film has its ups and downs, if we have the workforce here, that gives us a better opportunity for more productions to continue to come.”

McGlamery said the potential for a stronger incentive program and a newly expanded community college training facility represents a coordinated push the industry needs.

“Our local community college is stepping up,” she said. “One of our local stages is stepping up to help with the training, providing that space for these folks, and not necessarily just young folks, but people of all ages, with the continuing education part.”