One of our roles at the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is film development, and recently, we heard from director Robert Rippberger and Dave Lugo about filming at the Chatham County Courthouse and Historical Museum.
The Importance of Film Development
Film development is a piece of the CVB’s broader mission to catalyze visitor spending and support our local travel and hospitality industry. According to the North Carolina Film Office, an estimated $138 million has been spent in North Carolina by productions so far this year. This spending creates jobs, supports local business owners, and generates state and local sales tax revenues.
Production can also impact a destination’s visibility. In their September 2025 Partner Webinar, Visit NC reported that searches for flights to Wilmington increased by 300% following the release of Amazon Prime’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty”. When a movie or TV show inspires travel, the economic ripple effects can provide a tremendous boost for the local tourism industry.
Our team has worked with several film scouts and productions over the years, providing support in advance of their visits and on-site assistance. The goal is always the same: provide accurate recommendations based on production needs, streamline time spent on location, and ultimately, showcase our area in their film against a fantastic backdrop.
We always welcome our guests, whether they are visiting for the day or staying overnight. An overnight stay is not always the immediate end goal for us – it’s about taking care of our guests in a way that best enhances their experience in our destination. If they’re based elsewhere and visiting non-consecutive days, as they were for this multi-week regional film production, it was essential for them to create their home away from home at their overnight base camp.
A Look at Life on Set
It was a thrilling request to serve as a location in the upcoming movie, A Good Fight, and an honor for SIE Films to welcome us behind the scenes. Their professionalism was top-notch, and it was both fun and insightful to see them at work. The production process is an impressive coordination effort between cast and crew as they work to bring the director’s vision to life. There are numerous details to consider—sound, set designs and props, wardrobe, lighting, shot composition—all while keeping everything on schedule and under budget.
As a movie set in the 1990s, achieving period accuracy required vintage props (a few sourced from locally-owned Screaming for Vintage) and a parade of old-fashioned cars lined up around Pittsboro’s iconic circle. Opting to forgo road closures, their team waited patiently to capture the perfect outdoor establishing shots, enduring record-high temperatures in the lead-up to the Fourth of July weekend.
While being on set involves a lot of downtime, wait time, and prep time, it can create opportunities for great conversations. We appreciated hearing how much this cast and crew valued spending locally, both in terms of time and money, and we were happy to provide resources whenever possible.
Production wrapped in Chatham County, and it was a truly special moment to share with their team. Robert Rippberger, Dave Lugo, and the cast and crew were gracious, respectful, and incredibly talented! We look forward to seeing the final cut of #AGoodFightFilm in 2026.
“A successful small-town businessman whose interview with an annoying college newspaper reporter spins out of control – and turns both their lives around. Discover a heartfelt drama inspired by a remarkable true story about a man trying to do the right thing, with a generous dose of comedy added to the mix.”
“A Good Fight”, directed by Robert Rippberger, stars Booboo Stewart, Aaron Kuban, and Academy Award-nominated actress Abigail Breslin. Owner of White Lightning Studios, based in Louisburg, North Carolina, Rippberger is putting the Triangle region, comprising Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Chatham County, on the map for movie, TV show, and documentary productions. Learn more about his journey here.
