SPOKANE - A motion picture production company based in Spokane has brought plenty of Hollywood glamour, along with good paying jobs, to this blue collar city.

North by Northwest has produced some 40 feature films here in the past 15 years, mostly small productions that go straight to broadcast or direct-to-video.

The company has built a successful business by providing Hollywood studios with one-stop shopping for all the technical talent to make a good-looking movie at a low price.

"We don't go after big theatrical movies," said chief executive officer Rich Cowan at the company's headquarters in a stylish brick building in downtown Spokane. "That's not year-round work."

The company prefers to make several smaller pictures a year, which keeps a core group of about 35 full-time people and 80 part-timers busy most of the time, Cowan said. They are mostly union jobs that pay well, he said.

A big movie production will come to the area only occasionally, stay for a few weeks and then leave, he said. North by Northwest prefers to chase productions in the $2 million to $18 million range, which are more numerous.

"It's a better fit for the crew and the city," Cowan said. "A huge movie overwhelms a city. We can manage them in a sane way."

Indeed, it is not unusual to travel the streets of downtown Spokane and see a block or two shut down for filming. The disruption is usually minimal.

North by Northwest has had a good movie run lately, with their production of horror master John Carpenter's "The Ward" getting attention.

An upcoming movie "Knights of Badassdom,'" is generating plenty of early buzz. The film trailer was a hit at Comic-Con in San Diego. The film follows a group of live action role-players who accidentally conjure up a real demon.

North by Northwest is trying something new by pursuing a television series called "Thunderballs," a comedy about three guys in a bowling league. They recently filmed the pilot in Spokane, starring George Wendt and David Koechner. If it is picked up as a series, it would mean up to six months of shooting per year in the city, Cowan said

"That's the brass ring,'" he said. "I've always wanted to do a series."

Cowan was born in Spokane, raised in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland and moved back to work in local television. He started the company in 1990. North by Northwest makes commercials, corporate training films, documentaries and is moving heavily into social media. They opened a Boise office in 1992 because of growing business there.

The company purchased film-making equipment from the start and by 1995 was hired to make its first motion picture, "Navajo Blues," with Steven Bauer.

Movie work has been steady since.

While North by Northwest's movies may be low-budget, the company has brought many well-known actors to Spokane. They include Samuel L. Jackson, 50 Cent and Jessica Biel ("Home of the Brave'''); Ving Rhames and Thomas Jane ("Give 'Em Hell, Malone"); Cuba Gooding Jr. (several movies); Angie Harmon and James Woods ("End Game'''); Jon Favreau ("The Big Empty"); Antonio Banderas ("The Big Bang'''); James Spader ("Shadow of Fear") and Josh Hartnett ("Mozart and the Whale") among many others.

Gooding has made so many movies here there is a Facebook page called "Keep Cuba Gooding Jr. Out of Spokane." And yes, an opposing page has sprung up, "Keep Cuba Gooding Jr. IN Spokane."

Spokane has more than 200,000 residents and is Washington's second largest city. It is located in the far eastern corner of the state, near the Idaho border. Cowan said Spokane's eclectic downtown architecture allows it to stand-in for big cities and small towns alike. Local government is very cooperative with location shooting. Traffic is not a problem. The airport is easy to navigate, making it easy to bring in cast and crew members. There is also a good base of local actors to fill the casts, he said.

"We can do more work in fewer days," Cowan said.

Cowan has found time to direct five of the movies his company has made, but spends most of his time chasing more work.

The proliferation of television channels, streaming video and other services has raised demand for movies that go straight to broadcast or DVD, Cowan said. That market is bigger than the market for theatrical productions, he said.

"People watch these movies all over the world," he said. "It's a great PR thing for the city."

But, Cowan warned, the company's business is threatened by the state's recent decision to end incentives for the film industry.

An arms race among states in recent years led almost all to offer various benefits to lure production studios. Up until the start of July, Washington was offering a 30 percent rebate off the amount of money spent in the state - but lawmakers declined to extend the program. The industry warned that Washington stands to lose out on future productions to Vancouver to the north and Oregon to the south.

"We can't compete without that," Cowan said, adding his company would either make a film in another state or skip the project.

He predicted the tax credit has a good chance of being restored in the upcoming legislative session because it's a good deal for the state.