Michigan Senator Fights to Reinvigorate Film Industry
More than 200 people attended the Michigan Film First Industry Update Tuesday in Bloomfield Hills to hear state Sen. Randy Richardville speak.
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More than 200 actors, casting agents and film crew workers attended a two-hour session Tuesday evening to discuss reviving Michigan's once burgeoning film industry.
State Sen. Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) told the crowd that he hopes a bill he introduced in Lansing will reinvigorate state's film industry. The bill, which is scheduled to go into committee next week, would address the need for Michigan to provide filmmakers with enough incentives to bring their film productions to the state.
Senate Bill 569 is comparable to what other successful states offer, Richardville said at the Michigan Film First Film Industry Update in Bloomfield Hills.
That was music to the ears of many in attendance.
“I haven’t had an audition in months,” said actor Vincent Angelini, of Auburn Hills. “I want to hear what’s new.”
Angelini’s story is not unlike many of those who began to find plenty of work either on camera or off since 2008, when former Gov. Jennifer Granholm instituted a financial incentive package that drew film crews from Hollywood in droves to film their projects in Michigan.
Many of the high-end jobs were shipped in from California, and many of the jobs were awarded to local people and businesses for specialties such as catering, costuming, casting, accounting, camera work, construction and welding — plus acting.
Richardville hopes to provide current Gov. Rick Snyder with an opportunity to sign into law a newly devised method of awarding film incentives that will once again place Michigan on par with some of the more financially attractive states, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“We talked with people in Hollywood and we think we’re in pretty good shape with what we have put together,” Richardville told the crowd. “I am confident we’ll have something on the governor’s desk by Christmas.”
The new bill explores an allocation method based on the demand or expected demand from filmmakers. Currently, when a filmmaker submits a request to film in Michigan they must specify their anticipated incentive. Because Michigan’s film incentive program has been in flux and relatively undefined, there has been a halt to new applications.
Richardville pointed to the Pure Michigan campaign, launched to attract businesses and people to Michigan, as a nice campaign but whose objectives could be achieved through a successful film industry.
“There is a kind of advertisement you get when you are filming,” he said. “There is an excitement that is just as impactful as sending an ad around the country.”
It has been eight months since Michigan’s film incentive structure was reduced, which sent immediate ripples throughout the film industry that Michigan may not be as film-friendly as before. Those who make their living working with the industry have seen a drastic drop in jobs.
Rose Gilpin, of Grosse Pointe Farms, owns Real Style, an extras casting company based in Clawson. She and her partner, Kathy Remski, helped to find work for 30,000 extras when the film industry was riding its wave.
“Last year at this time we were working on eight movies and Detroit 1-8-7,” Gilpin said. “We have no movies now.
“But it’s not just the casting and the actors. It’s the lumber needed to build the sets, the dry cleaning that is needed for all those costumes, every day. It’s about all of the businesses that are needed to support the industry here. Michigan needed these jobs, and especially Detroit. There have been big movies that moved out right away after Gov. Snyder changed things. He could have brought things down a little but kept us competitive. Instead, he cut the legs off the industry here.”
The mega superhero movie The Avengers was one of those projects. With an all-star cast, months of shooting and hundreds of tangential job opportunities, The Avengers relocated to Cleveland to take advantage of the incentives offered by Ohio.
Also speaking at the update meeting was screenwriter and University of Michigan Screenwriting Coordinator Jim Burnstein, who discussed the importance of building a creative class — a generation or culture of talented individuals who populate an area. He saw this happening in Metro Detroit before the bulk of the incentives were revoked.
Lobbyist Jim Ryan urged those who want to see a return of film incentives to contact their local legislatures to share why they want it.
Vans Stevenson, the senior vice president, state legislative affairs for the Motion Picture Association of America, also underscored the importance of providing the film industry with clear and definitive incentives so it doesn't balk at Michigan.
All of this, Richardville said, is addressed in the new bill. He also agreed with Burnstein that unless Michigan offers at least $100 million in incentives, filmmakers will continue to go elsewhere.
"I think he’s going to be a great governor," Richardville said of Snyder. "But in many ways he’s a governor-in-training. I think he’s more excited about this industry than he was at first.
“This bill itself does not spend a dime. I expect it will be signed before the end of the calendar year."
John Hetzler
9:08 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Do you think Michigan should offer filmmakers incentives to produce movies in the state?
michael J
9:23 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It was a bright spot on a very cold March day, when George Clooney came to Clawson. I felt,saw the ripple effect from the film industry, in Mich. not sure he see's all that when he lowered the Tax abatement. Not sure how building a bridge, that a private enterprise is willing to build, does not counteract his film indust. action.
cw
10:08 am on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
I have a family member that works at a very upscale restaurant. He sees many local celebrities on a regular basis but has waited on many celebrities & others involved in the film industry since the tax incentive went into play. There is an economic ripple that I don't think was being taken into consideration. When people are here filming they need places to stay, places to eat & places to shop. That doesn't even count the amount of people that I know of that have had awesome opportunities to work as extras, do hair & makeup on set, etc. etc. while films were shooting here in Michigan. I really hope that the governor does something to attract the film industry to Michigan! Its very clear that the tax incentives are necessary when you see the very big time films that pulled out when they found out the incentives would be ending!!
Cynthia Lambert Nehr
12:08 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
CW, I would recommend you send your comment to your State Representative/Senator, which is what the lobbyist said is helpful to bring about a useful incentive. Good luck!
Mark Blackwell
12:28 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The answer is to stop voting for republicans. Then everything just kind of gradually gets better.
Susie
5:37 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Gee, Am I mistaken or is this article about the Republican that is the primary sponsor of this bill? And the co-sponsors are republicans and democrats. I find it interesting that people support a tax break of 100 million for Hollywood but don't find it a good idea for other industries.
Jeff
2:27 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Yeah, it's been such a smooth ride in Michigan for the last several years. (By the way, isn't there a Ferndale Patch you should be driveling on?)
michael J
2:45 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
What Price for FILMED in MICHIGAN, the tourist industry,? The lobbist system is the problem,I understand the advice above, it is how the system is set up, but it should be the will of the ppl, not hired Guns for those that have the bucks to buy them, They say Washington is out of touch with the ppl, this is why, the Cook bros. Gun Lob. big oil, get infront of us. Should those running for office only do so on what we give them, ALL other money is illegal?
Cw, I did send notes to Marty, and others, cause standing out there that whole day, my mind kept wondering to the ripple effect. I could feel, the fact all the people they hired localy, or in state, they all said, like what you see? let lansing know, I got to talk to the grips etc. I know Goerge was back in state to do some fishing, on the Q T. things like that is what is missing from the equation, it starts small talk with his friends or next movie.
michael J
8:15 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
I was replying to the lead question, It is a fun industry and creative, gets in gets done, next. I would think the market and aftermarket touches more(?) then one item made for a big box store, I don' disagree with you susie, apple pie in front of a person or spinnach? it is just funner....... I guess.
Susie
7:57 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Michael,
The response I wrote was not directed toward you, but thanks for your honest response. I respect that.
Terry Krieg
1:00 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
This industry is only in Michigan because of the incentives that Michigan offers. They will admit it... Being an extra in a movie is not a job or a plan. The film industry spends very little in the state compared to what it costs tax payers because they get in and out. It’s a great thing if you own a restaurant, food truck, hotel, casting company, warehouse or rent equipment. I would use the $100 million in incentive funds for other things that Michigan tax payers can benefit from? Any ideas on what the state could do with $100 million?
Mark Blackwell
1:04 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Sure! How about fund classes for people who read a story and completely miss the point to be able to retain what they've read a little better!
That would be a great investment, I think.
Susie
8:06 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Terry, you bring up a great question. I never looked at it that way. How could Michigan tax payers benefit from 100 million dollars? Maybe roads and bridges would be a great start. It would make driving a lot less painful and employ workers at the same time. What are you thinking?
stayaloft
2:33 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Does WJR know you spend your days smearing their good name by posting mean-spirited responses all the while touting you work for them?
Mark Blackwell
2:55 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Great. Another stalker who doesn't have anything worthwhile to say relative to the discussion.
This is always such a great strategy to getting me to just shut. You can tell how effective it is just by how I've stopped typing since the first moron tried it.
stayaloft
4:43 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hmm. Apparently the vitriolic Mr. Blackwell thought twice. He's deleted his posts.
Alan Domzalski
6:10 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hey stayaloft, that was priceless! Posts on farmington patch, novi patch and others all disappeared too.
michael J
1:12 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
100 million? only if they are here, all the incentives offered, for other industries are the same, are they not. The state takes the hit first, but collects when ppl are emploted paying income tax back to the State, when car co's were shutting down, wasn't it like every person laid off directly effects 7 local co's or stores reast. etc.
Unless I am way off the 100 mil. is paper money, projected, a bet on doing good, for a return.
Say one had a 400K loss in their 401, it was a loss only of you had to pull it out, thus locking in the loss. transversly, a gain or proffit is such only if you sold when it was high. eg, if u bought Ford shares, when the others were getting their bills eliminated, it was approx. 1.78 or 3.00 (?) bought 10,000 shares > went to say 19.00 > paid 17,000, went to 190,000 in 2010/11, then back down 120,000 > one has not lost unless you had to sell or paniced and bailed. in time Ford will be back above the High, But have you losr no u still have a proffit, even now, all that happen on paper, a city like Clawson does not have a lot of rainy day money, but it is not unheard of, when a city will entice a company to transfer into city, with landscaping done, etc. espec'y if the city zoning requires landscaping on an upper scale.
michael J
8:30 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
BRIDGE TO CANADA. No tax abatement for the film indust. but we can build a bridge to canada, (250 mil) that won't be needed for 20/25 yr's, (how ppl can be selective) I am just comparing the two the bridge money would of had to be here and now, the other paper money, would be used as the industry ramps. Other state (reps.) as a unit voted it down, it just didn't make sense one white lk. rep said on T V. Politics & business ego's
Denise Nash
1:27 pm on Friday, October 21, 2011
Michael J, I agree with you. After seeing the filming they did for Scream 4 here in Northville, I couldn't believe how well run everything was, and how many resources were put to use. There were limos used, trailers rented, caterers, moving trucks, on and on and on. When our governor decided to eliminate that 100 million from the budget, I felt that part of it was misunderstanding, and part of it was political. After all, the film industry is traditionally democrat. And since this governor doesn't even believe in public education, why should be believe that there is any type of benefit from having film companies here? He certainly lives in a different world.