Film & tv production picks up in New Orleans as hurricane season ends

With hurricane season ending, film and TV
production in south Louisiana is picking up, and New Orleans is on
track to break last year’s record.
    David Simon, creator of “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life on the
Street,“ started shooting his HBO series “Treme” in New Orleans
this month and actor Jason Statham had a downtown office building
bustling for a scene in the action thriller “The Mechanic.“
    Sherri McConnell of the state film office says they are among
more than a dozen projects statewide providing an end-of-the-year
boost.
    McConnell says summer is usually a slow time, because of higher
production costs during hurricane season.
    She says this year film industry strikes, the economy and
uncertainty over a tax credit program were also to blame.