With movies like “Breaking Dawn” and “Battleship” filming in Baton Rouge, the city is raising its profile in Hollywood.
To increase awareness of the state’s entertainment opportunities, the Louisiana Digital Gaming Initiative exists to help make Louisiana an international leader within the video game and digital media industry.
“We’re a nonprofit organization that does workforce development and economic development in Louisiana with digital media and digital games,” said executive director and founder of LDGI Jeff Pellegrin. “What we do is recruit studios to move to Louisiana [through networking].”
Pellegrin said his inspiration for the initiative stems back to 1992 when he was included in the August 1992 issue of Nintendo’s Nintendo Power magazine at the age of 10 after beating Super Mario World the day it was released.
And his passion for making video games led him to the University, where he graduated from the E. J. Ourso College of Business in 2006 and embarked on a career of multiple roles in the gaming industry.
“For the gaming industry to really foster in Louisiana, you have to take it from two approaches,” Pellegrin said, “You have to take it from recruitment and economic development and at the same time either workforce development and professional development.”
According to Pellegrin, the industry has made “great strides” in the state.
One benefit to video game developers is Louisiana’s digital interactive media tax incentive, which essentially allows production in Louisiana for two-thirds of the cost, Pellegrin said.
Pellegrin said movie productions come and go, but the digital media industry sticks around.
“These

projects take a very long time, much longer than a movie does. They have to set up locations, build up an office or lease an office,” Pellegrin said. “Unlike the movie industry where they come and go, the digital media industry brings in quality jobs and are longer lasting.”
Three of LDGI’s seven employees are University students.
“It’s good for Baton Rouge, and it’s good for the state that we’re trying to get companies down here,” said finance junior Tripp George.
 
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Contact Julian Tate at [email protected]