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Johnlodge
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Username: Johnlodge

Post Number: 9476
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 2:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/ oilNews/idUKTRE51J15K20090220

You knew it would happen.

quote:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - California finally is offering production incentives to filmmakers and television producers.

That surprising reality had industry and economic executives pinching themselves Thursday.

"I'm sort of floored that it did happen," said Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., a private research organization.

On Tuesday, an LAEDC forecast said runaway film and TV production -- in which producers base projects outside California to take advantage of lower costs or financial incentives -- would undermine industry employment during the next several years, largely because of the proliferation of film and TV tax incentives among most other states. Then came the unexpected good news out of Sacramento.

Set to take effect in 2011, a five-year program to fight runaway production was included in a new state budget passed in the early morning hours after an all-night emergency session of the Legislature. The program will provide up to $100 million per year in tax incentives for qualifying film and TV productions.

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Dhugger
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Username: Dhugger

Post Number: 339
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 3:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well it is not surprising California wants it back. We have seen this played out before in other industries. States throwing money at companies to lure them into job creation. A bidding war starts using public funds to produce private profits.

I have several dozen, highly qualified, friends in the film industry. They tell me that the skilled positions are not being filled with people from Michigan. The film companies are only hiring really low level folks.

None of my pals who have over 15 years experience in pre-production, lighting, editing, post production and sound have benefited from the Michigan film incentive program. One has gotten a few gigs as a scout location person & I know one who did the catering on Grand Torino.
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Chitaku
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Username: Chitaku

Post Number: 2119
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 5:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dhugger you are 100%right. I have my degree in production as do many of my friends. The only thing these companies are really hiring are extras, some with no pay.
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Patrick
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Username: Patrick

Post Number: 2441
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Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 7:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The people of Michigan are being taken for a ride with this film "incentive" program. Sure, there are some of the creative types on here who think it's all fine and dandy but it's just a flash in the pan.
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Gsgeorge
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Username: Gsgeorge

Post Number: 729
Registered: 08-2006
Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 - 7:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chitaku, Dhugger, and Patrick -- this is not necessarily true about Michigan's film incentive program and its effects on workers here. As someone who has benefited from the incentives, I can prove this firsthand. IATSE union workers have benefited greatly, peaking in the fall last year with over 500 union workers working actively, not to mention the hundreds of other non-union assistants, extras--and then add all the local businesses reaping the benefits of greater activity and large crews staying in the area. I have worked on three features that were shot here because of the incentives. Several of my friends who are not in the union have worked as set dressers, location managers, wardrobe assistants, production assistants, and art department assistants.

However, it is very true that higher-up department-head type jobs are going to the LA folk. And it remains to be seen whether qualified professionals will start working in this capacity in the future.

This is and interesting turn of events, but note that it will not happen until 2011. And they have a cap of $100 million. Michigan has no cap and still offers a highly lucrative, 42% incentive. And what effect this will have on the planned film studios in Michigan remains to be seen...
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 6174
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 3:01 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I saw another depressing commentary on TV the other night... Bollywood... the India based version of Hollywood, is luring many of the high tech special effects computer work to India... they said that they charge only 10 cents on the dollar as opposed to the USA.

So if so much of America's Information Technology has moved to India, what's to stop the same thing from happening with the entertainment industry special effects?
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Goat
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Username: Goat

Post Number: 2797
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 10:48 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Then lets have our auto industry back. Cali has a lot of manufacturing down there and we coulduse it more up here. Let's trade.
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Thejesus
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Username: Thejesus

Post Number: 3711
Registered: 06-2008
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 10:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dhugger, Chitaku and Patrick:

I think you would agree that if any of these proposed film studios get built/completed and employ thousands of workers, the film incentive will have done its job.

Are you guys all predicting that none of the studios projects will get off the ground?
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1953
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Username: 1953

Post Number: 1025
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 11:36 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Let's steal the adult film industry.
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English
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Username: English

Post Number: 456
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 12:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

^ Too cold. The Valley's got a corner on it simply for weather's sake.
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Rustic
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Username: Rustic

Post Number: 1169
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 12:54 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Let's steal the adult film industry."

I prefer Japanese imports ...
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Ferntruth
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Username: Ferntruth

Post Number: 756
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 4:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

""Let's steal the adult film industry."

I prefer Japanese imports ..."

Out of a job yet? Keep watching foreign porn!
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Otter
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Username: Otter

Post Number: 625
Registered: 12-2007
Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 5:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Fern,

Apparently you are one who believes that "what you **** ****s America" :-)

O.
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Danny
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Username: Danny

Post Number: 4522
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 2:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The movie media industry goes where the money and the enviroment flows. So far their next interest for cheap money and more profits is Michigan.
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Detourdetroit
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Username: Detourdetroit

Post Number: 354
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 3:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hey english... michigan's got weather too!
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Ray
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Username: Ray

Post Number: 581
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2009 - 1:13 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would like to make porn movies. I mean think about it. You get paid to have sex with pretty women. This would be amazing. My wife would be pissed, however.
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 6184
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2009 - 2:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

We've lost much of our manufacturing to China...

We've lost much of our Information Technology to India...

And we've lost much of our Porn Industry to the Czech Republic...

The only thing that American businesses seems to be doing is screwing ourselves... :-(
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Smogboy
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Username: Smogboy

Post Number: 6732
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Saturday, February 28, 2009 - 3:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I guess it's time we innovate again.

I've always thought that was the best thing that we Americans do best. One just has to look at all of the great devices that Americans have come up with only to see them go overseas and get perfected. So, let's be front runners in something again.
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Fnemecek
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Username: Fnemecek

Post Number: 1944
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Sunday, March 01, 2009 - 9:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

Well it is not surprising California wants it back. We have seen this played out before in other industries. States throwing money at companies to lure them into job creation. A bidding war starts using public funds to produce private profits.


It's not much of a "bidding war". California is offering less of an incentive than Michigan and many other states are. They also leave out films with either a very large or very small budget, both of which are welcome in Michigan.
quote:

I have several dozen, highly qualified, friends in the film industry. They tell me that the skilled positions are not being filled with people from Michigan. The film companies are only hiring really low level folks.


What motion pictures have your friends worked on?

Most Michigan crew members have only worked on commercials and industrial projects. Hollywood is of the collective opinion, rightly or wrongly, that this essentially the equivalent of having no experience at all.

What we're seeing now is that Michigan residents are starting at low-level gigs on one film and then moving up from there.

Remember: Michigan offers an incentive of up to 42% of qualified expenditures. In order to get that much, a production company has to a) shoot in one of the designated core communities and b) hire Michigan residents.

Every person that they hire who isn't from Michigan, reduces the amount that they're able to get. It's in their best interest to hire folks from Michigan.
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Sticks
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Username: Sticks

Post Number: 295
Registered: 08-2005
Posted on Sunday, March 08, 2009 - 3:28 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Let's steal the adult film industry.

The only place in the Midwest you stand a chance of pulling this off would be Chicago. It has a pretty high metro population when compared to the other porn hot-spots like Dade County in Florida and Los Angeles-Orange-Riverside Counties in California. Also, you probably haven't heard, "Man, have you been to Milwaukee? Wowee. Hottest chicks in the States!", yet you have when you drop Miami or a few other Sunbelt/Smile cities.

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