For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) COMPANY. A corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or any other business entity.

(2) DEPARTMENT. The Alabama Department of Revenue.

(3) ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. Those persons or entities engaged in the production of entertainment content as defined under paragraph a. of subdivision (8).

(4) EXPENDED IN ALABAMA. In the case of tangible property, property which is acquired or leased from a source within the State of Alabama; in the case of services, services performed for a qualified production project in the State of Alabama.

(5) OFFICE. The Alabama Film Office.

(6) PAYROLL. All salary, wages, and other compensation, including related benefits, including specifically, but not limited to, compensation and benefits provided to resident and nonresident producers, directors, writers, actors, and other personnel involved in qualified production projects in Alabama.

(7) PRODUCTION EXPENDITURES.

a. The term includes preproduction, production, and postproduction expenditures incurred in the State of Alabama that are directly used in a state-certified production, including, but not limited to, the following: Set construction and operation, wardrobe, makeup, set accessories, and related services; costs associated with photography and sound synchronization, lighting, and related services and materials; editing and related services; rental of facilities and equipment; leasing of vehicles; costs of food and lodging; costs of catering; digital or tape editing, film processing, transfer of film to tape or digital format; transfer direct to DVD, cable, or satellite for distribution; sound mixing, special and visual effects including duplication, film processing digital, DVD, music composition, and satellite distribution; total aggregate payroll; music; airfare; insurance costs of bonding; or other similar production expenditures as determined by rule or regulation.

b. The term includes financial contributions or educational or workforce development in partnership with related educational institutions, or local industry organizations, or both, contributed toward the furtherance of the local entertainment media industries.

c. The term does not include postproduction expenditures for marketing or any amounts that are paid to persons or entities as a result of their participation in profits from the exploitation of a motion picture production.

(8) QUALIFIED PRODUCTION.

a. The term means entertainment content created in whole or in part within the state, including motion pictures; soundtracks for motion pictures; documentaries; long-form, specials, miniseries, series, sound recordings, videos and music videos, and interstitials television programming; interactive television; interactive games; video games; commercials; infomercials; any format of digital media, including an interactive website that is intended for national or international distribution or exhibition to the general public; and any trailer, pilot, video teaser, or demo created primarily to stimulate the sale, marketing, promotion, or exploitation of future investment in either a product or a qualified production via any means and media in any digital media format, film, or videotape, provided such program meets all the underlying criteria of a qualified production.

b. The term does not include any ongoing television program created primarily as news, weather, or financial market reports, a production featuring current events, sporting events, an awards show or other gala event, a production whose sole purpose is fund-raising, a long-form production that primarily markets a product or service, a production used for corporate training or in-house corporate advertising or other similar productions; nor does the term include any production for which records are required to be maintained under 18 U.S.C. §2257 with respect to sexually explicit content; nor does the term mean or include any form of gambling, gaming, wagering, or pari-mutuel wagering activity or enterprise.

(9) QUALIFIED PRODUCTION COMPANY.

a. The term means a company engaged in the business of producing a qualified production, as that term is defined.

b. The term does not mean or include any company owned, affiliated, or controlled, in whole or in part, by any company or person which is in default on a loan.

(10) RESIDENT OF ALABAMA. A natural person and, for the purpose of determining eligibility for the incentives provided by this article, any person domiciled in the State of Alabama and any other person who maintains a permanent place of abode within the state and spends in the aggregate more than six months of each year within the State of Alabama.

(11) STATE-CERTIFIED PRODUCTION. A qualified production approved by the office, produced by a qualified production company.