During winter in New Hampshire, a hint of Hollywood

From the start, Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin , former "Seinfeld" writers, wanted New Hampshire to be the setting for their first feature film. They named a lead character Lagrand, a Francophone name that they say seemed New Hampshire-stamped; they placed him in a remote mill town, and they borrowed the state's motto, "Live Free or Die," for the movie title, which they say suited the characters.

"It's like a guy who is trying so hard to prove himself and to show how tough he is," Kavet said of the motto. " 'Live free or die.' It's like a threat."

Yet as production planning got underway, Kavet and Robin grappled with where to film the movie.

"There were places closer to New York, but at a certain point, we were like, we're on a very low budget, we don't have time to make anything, and why are we faking stuff? At least if we're in New Hampshire it will keep it more honest," said Kavet, who was raised in Wayland, Mass., and makes his home in Los Angeles.

In the end, the movie, which opens this weekend in select cities across New England, including Cambridge, Portsmouth, Manchester, Providence, and Claremont, N.H., was filmed entirely in New Hampshire, save one scene in a Vermont convenience store.

The decision to film in New Hampshire was exceptional. While New Hampshire was the memorable setting for "On Golden Pond" and, more recently, for some scenes in "Affliction" and "Jumanji," filmmakers seeking a New England setting have traditionally bypassed the state in favor of places like Rhode Island, which offers incentives, such as tax credits, to filmmakers. New Hampshire offers no such incentives, and filmmakers have avoided the state as a filming location even for movies with New Hampshire-based premises, such as "What About Bob," "Hotel New Hampshire," and "To Die For," which were filmed elsewhere.

New Hampshire officials note that other state attributes have begun to attract a stream of newly ascendent independent filmmakers and television producers looking for an accessible location with picturesque settings where the living is affordable.

"Our big plus is no taxes," said Matthew Newton , a film specialist with the New Hampshire Film and Television Office, which acts as a liaison between filmmakers and government agencies, businesses, and property owners. Also, in contrast to some states, Newton noted, New Hampshire requires no general filming permit.

In recent years, Newton said, the state has been the setting for television shows such as "The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire" and "Shalom in the Home." A handful of independent films have been filmed in the state, including " The Sensation of Sight," which was shot in Peterborough and stars David Strathairn.

"When a Hollywood film comes along, it's a big deal. I don't know if New Hampshire is ready to be inundated with Hollywood films," Newton said. "But we're getting independent stuff, and we kind of like that."

"Live Free or Die" fits neatly into that niche. Made on a modest budget, it is independently produced and has earned accolades on the film festival circuit, taking awards last year at the South by Southwest Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival.

Kavet and Robin, both 38, who have been writing partners since their days at Harvard and who wrote for "Saturday Night Live" before penning "Seinfeld" episodes, said they conceived the idea for "Live Free or Die" in 2002 but hoped it would be a television show.

"When we came off 'Seinfeld,' we were feeling really cocky about how to make good TV. We had a deal with CBS. And the first script we did was called 'Live Free or Die,' " said Kavet. "We turned it in and were very excited. But the folks at CBS were like, there is zero chance this is ever getting on CBS. It had very unlikeable guys and swearing, and it just had nothing that could possibly be shown at 9."

Kavet continued, "It was a big shock that 'Seinfeld' had been a fluke to get on television. A lot of the things that made that show so great in our minds, the networks said were things that do not make a show great."

Kavet and Robin worked on other television projects, including the canceled "Michael Richards Show."

"It felt like compromise to us," Kavet said. "And at a certain point we were like, let's do something that we love; we don't care if it doesn't get on TV. We'll make it into a movie and we can control it a little more and see how far it goes."

The result was "Live Free or Die" the movie. The story focuses on John "Rugged" Rudgate, a sort-of hoodlum who sells speakers from the back of his van and tries to force his way into the family business of an acquaintance, Jeff Lagrand. The film stars Aaron Stanford as "Rugged," Paul Schneider as Lagrand, and Zooey Deschanel as Cheryl, Lagrand's sister.

Kavet and Robin struggled to line up financing, securing the last 30 percent of funding two weeks before filming began in November 2004 in Claremont.

The former mill town (population 13,400) was a perfect match, they said, with its mix of former-glory mansions and megastores good for prop purchases, and in early winter, a grim feel that reflected their ne'er-do-well characters.

"Northern New England as winter is coming on is very stark; it's a desperate, almost scary place . . . like a squirrel trying to get the last nuts before winter sets in," said Robin, a native of Stamford, Conn., who lives in Providence.

When the crews arrived in Claremont, where no movie had ever been filmed, the duo said, they initially turned heads. Recently, at a screening of the movie there, they said they had been somewhat worried that residents would be put off. But, they said, residents were in on the joke and appreciative.

"We had multiple people come up to us and say: 'I was really worried that you were going to be insulting of the town. But having watched it, it's not about the town.' And it's not. It's about the characters. And yes, they are very dumb. And you can sort of make fun of that.

"But in the end, it's the setting; it's not what it's about."

Robin added, "Upstanding citizens aren't funny."