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The incompetence at the Detroit Free Press is breathtaking. Who is running this newspaper? I am just waiting to see them start quoting Wikipedia. Over the weekend were two gems in their film incentive “news reporting”. The first was from an article about using alternative methods to keep the Michigan film industry competitive: One...
The final days of the excessive Michigan film incentive are playing out in dramatic fashion. I have to admit, I thought the following PSA produced for the Michigan Production Alliance was quite good, in terms of the emotional impact it makes. It had one on me, in any event. That said, I also had...
The numbers say it all……. Click on the individual pages from the 2010 Michigan Senate Analysis, which is available in the “Report Library”, for a full-size image:
The producers of the upcoming film “Oz: The Great & Powerful” should be thanking Michigan’s taxpayers, but they are probably laughing all the way to the bank. According to the new annual report from the Michigan Film Office, which is available in the Report Library under “Michigan”, the state is giving the $104.8 million...
For one small Michigan town, the damage from the state’s overly generous film subsidy program is already inflicted. The end of the outrageous giveaway, which seems almost certain at this point, came too late. And this story from the Detroit Free Press breaks my heart. No diffuse cause and effect argument here. No speculation. ...
I don’t know how I missed this story 9 months ago. In any event, I think this is worth watching for the CAN’T MISS kicker near the end: the Michigan Film Office told these Michigan residents to move “their operation out of Michigan” and then reapply for the Michigan Film Incentive. Come again???? It...
It’s always nice to see an editorial board get it right. This week, that honor belongs to The Grand Rapids Free Press. Apparently, Michigan’s troubled film incentive is about to get more transparent and the paper, not to mention myself, could not be more pleased: Shining a light on the details of the tax...
A brand new report from the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency (authored by economist David Zin) offers a sobering and critical assessment regarding the efficacy of the state’s massive film incentives. I just added it to the “Report Library” and you can read it HERE. First, there is no doubt that the Michigan incentives have...
This will be the last Michigan post today, I promise. But these two stories were too entertaining to pass up. While I just lauded Michigan for taking quick action to increase transparency and accountability in the state’s film office, which is great, the film office itself has made a few fumbles of late. On...
I have to give to credit to Michigan for taking swift action in response to the lack of oversight and transparency in their film office, which was not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests from news outlets and other organizations. The bills Michigan is considering would remedy these issues. Recent allegations of shady...
Variety.com – H'w'd and D.C.