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SALISBURY – A UNC Charlotte study released Tuesday shows that while North Carolina is trying to make a name for itself in the film industry, the state makes more money on video production and distribution, which generated an estimated $470 million last year in the Charlotte region.

The study, from UNCC Professor John Connaughton, says feature films, video production and distribution also create thousands of jobs for Charlotte and 16 surrounding counties.

"Charlotte has this video production and distribution that's not rivaled that many other places in the country in terms of its size, and we have a lot of major players here," Connaughton said.

The study found film and video production and distribution created about 2,400 full-time jobs and increased economic activity by more than $468 million last year. Connaughton said beautiful scenery and tax incentives help lure those projects into the state.

"But more importantly, what we have is a very unique labor force," he said. "For the most part, these 2,400 jobs are very talented, hard to find in other regions, labor skills."

Starting Jan. 1, North Carolina will offer a 25 percent tax break to feature film productions that spend more than $250,000 on purchases in the state.