As the money grows, Washington’s film and TV industry is taking root

While the writer’s strike is bringing major studio productions to a standstill, there are plenty of commercials and independent projects still underway in the Northwest.

Created by the Washington state legislature in 2006, the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program is meant to draw filmmakers and TV creators to Washington.

“We like importing dollars from Hollywood and paying our local folks,” said Amy Lillard, executive director of Washington Filmworks, the nonprofit that manages the MPCP and the state film office. “That’s really how we define our success in many ways, which is, can we help support creative people making a living being creative here?”

Filmed in a park in North Seattle, “JourneyQuest” is a fantasy comedy show following the adventures of orcs, wizards and zombies. The series has a Dungeons and Dragons vibe and just wrapped its fourth season.

“It’s been crowdfunded for years,” said Lillard. “And it is all creatively driven by local folks.”

“Going Home” is a medical drama filmed in Spokane. It follows a nurse at a fictional hospice facility while she cares for patients coming to terms with the lives they have lived, said creator Dan Merchant.