By Paul Bonnette
Feature films, television commercials, music videos, HGTV tv shows, you name it – chances are Julie Gordon has helped make sure it films in Bay County. Bay County, known for its beautiful beaches and friendly hospitality, has been a draw to Hollywood for decades and Julie Gordon wants to make sure it stays that way.
“Commissioner Gordon” as she is affectionately known, has been working in the film industry for over twenty-five years including as a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) actor, so she is aware of what it takes to film on location. Shows such as “Good Morning America,” “HGTV’s House Hunters,” “Beachfront Bargain Hunt,” as well as music videos for Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Backstreet Boys, Alan Jackson, Colt Ford, and Trick Pony have all used the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches as their backdrop. Feature films such as “The Truman Show,” “Secondhand Lions,” “Dancin’ It’s On” and others have showcased this region to the world. According to Gordon though, it wasn’t always this way and after moving back to Bay County, she recognized that the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches” needed a film office to bring in more business.
“I was a competitive bodybuilder and got spotted in a couple of magazines and agents suggested I be in music videos. So, I got an agent and became a SAG actor for thirteen years. I did that and came back home to Panama City and started wondering why we weren’t filming in Panama City Beach. At that time there was no film office or even state film office. So, I wrote a four-year economic analysis of what we were losing by not having a film office and not going over opportunities. The County Commission then said, ‘Go forth and be Commissioner Gordon’.”
Starting the Bay County Film Office from scratch proved to be no easy task, but according to Gordon, once word got out about the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast as well as its hospitality that’s all it took.
“From being on the opposite side of the camera, it made me aware of what we needed to have on the other side of the camera,” explains Gordon. “So, I fell in love with the art of producing. Because Panama City Beach, and Bay County are off the beaten path, it was pretty hard to begin with. However, when they started coming here and realized this was an affordable place with untapped land and white beaches, and emerald waters, we started getting repeat business. We get a lot of repeat business because people love coming here because the community here is amazing.”
For Gordon, filming has been steadily increasing and ramping up as more shows, music videos, and films are looking to film on location.
“There is just always something happening, I had three HGTV/Magnolia productions in the last two weeks and more coming. Our economic impact is huge. We are bringing in over a million dollars each quarter. I’m not stopping. We’ve got plans and buildings and land and we’re showing everybody we can who believes in it. It’s a known fact that this is a great area,” Gordon says.
For more information about the Bay County Film Office or for those interested in helping with productions or filming please contact Julie Gordon at (850) 819-4694 or by emailing floridafilmoffice@knology.net.
