Shoot In California Blog RSSThis is Part One of a series of articles about state film incentive programs in the United States….. A few days ago, I posted the new report from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) to study the economic impact of the state’s film incentive program. The big story was the 82% decline in production...
If it sounds too good to be true…… The State of Georgia is making money from its film incentive program, according to a February 2011 report published by Vancouver-based (of all places) Meyers Norris Penny (MNP) and Santa Monica-based W2 Entertainment. They claim that although the tax credits issued from 2005-2010 cost the state...
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...
Three recently released articles published by the Film Works L.A. campaign in California are well worth reading…. The first article, Part One: “The Clear and Present Danger” of Runaway Production to California, is the first of a two-part story about the threat of runaway production to California (and therefore the nation in the long run)...
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. ...
Four reports/publications have just been added to the Report Library: 1. 2010 MPAA Theatrical Market Statistics 2. 2010 Massachusetts Dept. of Revenue Report on Mass film incentive 3. 2011 Ernst & Young Economic Impact of Michigan Film Incentive 4. 2010 Dept. of Canadian Heritage Report on Canadian Film Industry There is no time for...
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...
So it turns out Michael Moore is putting the “corporate welfare” money he received from the Michigan film incentive program to good use. I posted about this story some time ago HERE, where Moore’s stance on the credits is discussed. According to an AP article, Moore is doing the following: TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. —...
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...
Thank you to Phil Drake for telling me about Zach Patton’s recent article in this month’s edition of Governing Magazine. The article is an excellent introductory primer on the “state” of state film incentive programs in the US. One thing that is debated about in the academic literature on international film production and runaway...
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, based in Michigan, produced a highly critical peice on filmmaker Micheal Moore, whose 2009 film “Capitalism: A Love Story” has qualified for tax credits from the Michigan Film Incentive. This is a hard hitting, MUST SEE story that pulls a “Micheal Moore” hit on the man himself. And...
Earlier this week, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, a native of Flint, Michigan, expressed his support for the state film incentive and bringing high-wage jobs to the state and fostering local talent while preventing it from moving to New York and LA. Moore has been critical of state film incentives in the past, pointing to...
I obtained a copy of the independent auditor’s report to the Iowa Department of Economic Development concerning the complete lack of management and oversight at the Iowa Film Office. It’s a doozy. For a time, Iowa had the largest tax incentive in the nation, besting even Michigan. When combined, Iowa’s incentives could put 50%...
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, a joint meeting of the House Tax Policy Committee and the Committee on New Economy and Quality of Life will hear testimony on the success of Michigan’s film incentive program. Created in 2008, the program offers some of the most competitive tax credits in the country to filmmakers in an...
The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd Longwell published the best mainstream news coverage of the state film incentives I have seen. From the topics hit to the states discussed, Longwell’s article nails it. So much of the article is worth commenting on that I elected to sprinkle my thoughts through out… It’s an inspiring scene, one...
Variety.com – H'w'd and D.C.