8-29-08
Want a Career in Film? Move to Michigan!
My parents, who live way down in Alabama, occasionally send me articles about that state’s film industry, or lack thereof. Recently I read an article from the Montgomery Advertiser entitled “Lights, Camera… No Action.” Images from major pictures like Fried Green Tomatoes, Forrest Gump, Sweet Home Alabama, and Tuskegee Airman were touted as Alabama themed movies shot somewhere else. The article continued to talk about how in 2001 Alabama lawmakers passed a tax incentive to attract film, and it worked! Close to $90 million dollars in revenue was made and film’s like Tim Burton’s Big Fish came to shoot in Alabama. But the incentive expired on Sept. 30th 2006 and since then Alabama has seen it’s revenue dwindle down to nearly zero.
Why is this important to us? Because what happened in Alabama is eerily similar to what is happening right now in our own state. I think we can all name a couple of films that were based here and shot else where, The Time Traveler’s Wife being the most recent and Chicago, ironically, being the most notable.
Whoa, what am I talking about? Illinois’s film and production industry, in trouble? In the spring, Johnny Depp was shooting Public Enemy at the Biograph, and Chicago had a record year in production (around $155 million) in 2007, right? Dark Knight has been the #1 film all summer and that was shot here. How could such a booming industry be in trouble?
Let me spell it out: what we have (locations, crew, talent, and that amazing skyline) is not what matters anymore. Here’s what does: TAX INCENTIVES.
Which brings me to Michigan, the land of the most competitive tax incentive in the nation (40 percent). Guess what? It’s really working for them. According to an ABC article online, 44 films have signed agreements with Michigan, which is expected to bring in more than $268 million dollars in revenue. That’s $113 million dollars more than we did during our “big” year in 2007.
Today, when studios are deciding where to shoot, it’s about the bottom line. Illinois’s tax incentive of 20 percent just doesn’t cut it anymore, especially since it expires, and must be renewed, each year. This past year, our state legislature was in such a contentious session that our incentive didn’t get passed until close to six months after it had expired. So when decisions were being made about where to shoot in the summer and fall, Illinois wasn’t even considered, because even our relatively meager incentive was not guaranteed.
So how does this apply to us; the actors, the directors, the indie filmmakers who would love to get a piece of the action? Is it possible to have a career in Illinois? Should we move to Michigan? Hang up our hats and start from scratch in L.A.? We could move… or, if we do want to have a career in film here, we can educate ourselves and get active. Yes, WE can do something. And what’s even better; there’s already an organization working to bring production back: the Illinois Production Alliance.
Five years ago, when “runaway production” began and Canada got its big boom in filmmaking, the IPA saw the need for a tax incentive. They drafted Illinois’ first incentive and fought to get it into legislation. But now, we need a much stronger incentive, and the IPA needs our help. Even New York, the city that has it all, recently increased its tax incentive to 30 percent, and California has proposed legislation, itself!
The Illinois and Chicago Films Offices do great work when it comes to attracting production, but being governmental offices with limited budgets, they need our help to encourage our elected officials to make the tax incentive competitive.
According to the U.S. census for 2007, New Mexico and Louisiana were both ranked among the top 10 poorest states. Ironically, these two states were among the top 10 in production revenue for 2007—New Mexico at $479 million, and Louisiana, at an estimated $400 million. Illinois is by no means a poor state, but though one would think we would be #3 behind California and New York for production revenues, this is just not the truth anymore. We’re close to #10, and if something isn’t done soon to secure the future, we will all see Illinois fall off the top 10 places for production. We can turn Illinois back into the movie powerhouse it deserves to be, but we will need to work together to make it happen.
Go to www.IllinoisProduction.org to find more information and join the cause to create a stronger working environment for everyone in the production industry. As a supporter of the Midwest Indie Film Festival, the IPA has a table there at the cocktail hour pre-show, where new members can join. Invest in your career, and join now. Think of how much you spend on headshots and resumes… now realize that if you contribute a fraction of that to this worthy cause, those headshots and resumes will pay themselves back many times over.
Grace McPhillips is a full-time actress, producer, and activist for the film industry in Chicago. She runs the Chicago Acting in Film Meetup Group and serves on the IPA’s Board of Directors. www.GraceMcPhillips.com