CARY - The North Carolina film industry saw another banner year in 2014 with more than $316 million spent in the state on movie, television and commercial productions. The figure is 24 percent higher than 2013s direct in-state spend of $254 million.

The year-end projections by the North Carolina Film Office show that the film industry created more than 3,000 well-paying crew positions for the states highly skilled workforce. All told, the productions contributed nearly 19,000 job opportunities including talent and background extra positions in North Carolina.

The film industry pumped money into the economy of more than one-third of our counties, said North Carolina Film Office director Guy Gaster. The benefit was felt in Haywood, Onslow and Guilford as well as Wilmington and Charlotte. It was a boost for the workforce, the businesses that provided goods and services, and residents from Asheville to the Outer Banks, who will take pride in seeing their communities in the spotlight.

All told, more than 50 productions registered with the Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2014. Those projects amassed more than 3,300 production days with filming in more than 35 of the states 100 counties.

Projects cover the spectrum of production types:

Major television series. Highlights include season 2 of Under The Dome (CBS), season 2 of Sleepy Hollow (FOX), season 3 of Banshee (Cinemax) and the first season of Secrets and Lies (premiering March 1 on ABC) plus the lifestyle series A Chefs Life (PBS) and part of the first American-filmed season of Love It or List It (HGTV).

Studio feature films. Among the features are two adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, The Choice and The Longest Ride; MGMs Max, a family adventure film; the comedy heist Masterminds for Relativity Media; the superhero feature Max Steel; and Paper Towns, the much anticipated adaption of John Greens young adult best-seller.

Independent feature. Titles include The Disappointments Room, Ashby, Blue Mountain State-The Movie, One & Two and Union Bound.

National commercials. Dannon Yogurt, Pepsi, Xarelto, Purina, Prudential Insurance and Burger King are among the brands with spots shot in North Carolina.

2014 marks the final year of North Carolinas 25 percent refundable tax credit paid to productions that have had a minimum direct in-state spend of $250,000. Beginning in January, the state will move to a new film and entertainment grant program. Information on the grant program, along with a draft of its guidelines, can be found here.

The North Carolina Film Office is a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, a non-profit corporation that works in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The Film Offices primary responsibilities are to recruit productions to North Carolina by marketing the states assets, which include the crew base, established infrastructure and locations statewide. The Film Office also assists productions with securing permits and handling other logistics and works hand-in-hand with regional film commissions across the state.