Lauren Sweetser (Missouri State) at AFI

“It was a fantastic experience. There are things in Missouri that you can’t find anywhere else yet are indispensible: a neighbor with a tractor at 2 a.m. when your truck gets stuck; sprawling unspoiled landscapes; a surprising pool of talent and staff. However, the best part of Missouri by far has been the people. We will miss the community that welcomed us. We look forward to returning.”

– writer/director Debra Granik and writer/producer Anne Rosselini

The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) did a nationally-recognized study on the Motion Media industry in Missouri just 2 1/2 years ago. The results?

Missouri Motion Media: A Wide Reach with Rich Rewards

Missouri’s popularity with the film industry is on the increase; more than half of the movies shot in Missouri were filmed in just the past 10 years. Already in the first years of this new century, 122 movies have been filmed here. This translates into big business. Missouri’s Motion Media industry employs more than 7,600 workers at above state average wages and adds several billion dollars to our economy each year.

What about WINTER’S BONE? The film had the following impact locally:
· 35 full-time local crew
· 18 of 25 credited cast members were locals
· $800,000 direct expenditures in Southwest Missouri
· $1.5 million economic impact
· $10 million+ ad value equivalencies to date with more to come

From the MERIC report

The primary goal of Missouri Motion Media Industry: We Ought to be in Pictures was to establish the legitimacy of the industry by showcasing its overall presence and impact in Missouri; and display the importance of targeting this industry in economic development. The report broadens the current concept of the film industry, gives support to the work of the Missouri Film Commission, and explores the impact of the Missouri Film Tax credit. The study wishes to show that the film industry goes far beyond the celluloid product seen on movie screens. There are skill sets and logistical demands that are shared by a much broader range of businesses. This includes internet broadcasting, television programming production, film production, and advertising. The database resulting from this work contains detailed information on college and university programs, production and post-production companies, film equipment rental establishments, occupations, resources, and film history.

The numbers above related to WINTER’S BONE bear out the reports findings. The Crew List, which can be seen here points to a talented crew of film/video professionals in this region who benefited from the work done on the film in many ways. The majority of them bring the skills learned on this professional production to the needs of businesses here in the Ozarks. Not all of them have stayed in this area however as business levels do not match the number of graduates coming out of Missouri State, Drury (DU Uncut anybody?), Evangel and OTC annually.

Think of the largest employers in the region. Each has video production capabilities in-house, for traditional media opportunities and more importantly, the web. Look no further than the Springfield News-Leader who have announced a new design with the specific intent of adding more multimedia content Stoeffler: News-Leader to upgrade digital content.

That is what the market demands and they, along with Bass Pro’s TV productions, Assembly of God’s Cardone Media Center and AGTV with over 30 channels of content, are delivering it.

We are creating the skilled, quality workforce we need locally to compete regionally and nationally. Work that is not easily outsourced and utilizes the latest technology to help communicate the message of your business, your product, your vision – to your employees, customers and other fans.

What is the bottom line? WINTER’S BONE is a marvelous piece of story-telling, with a strong female heroine who accepts her responsibilities with typical Ozark stoicism and moves forward. It is being recognized internationally for the quality of the story, the acting and the moving picture that was created by a largely LOCAL crew. What is that international recognition worth to this region?

It would not have happened locally without the help of the Missouri Film Office and the tax credits involved. Director Debra Granik is from New York. Upstate New York is as beautiful as the Ozarks and this film would have been possible in the Finger Lakes area. Would the story have been told as well as it was here? Debra tells us no in the opening quote to this post.

If you agree, grab a couple of postcards and take 15 minutes to make your voice heard.
1. Determine your zip+4. Go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/ to find it.
2. Identify your state representative & state senator. You can find this information at http://www.mo.gov, click “My Government,” then “Elected Officials.” This is where you use your zip+4.
3. Send them a simple note. I support the Missouri Film Office and believe the Film Tax Credit is an effective economic tool or words to that effect.

Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, Winter's Bone (2010)

Like Ree Dolly in WINTER’S BONE, we are doing our part but we need a Teardrop on our side as well. Is that you?

To view the complete Missouri Motion Media Industry: We Ought to be in Pictures click here!

Once you’ve seen the film, see what the critics are saying:

““Winter’s Bone” is what we’ve been waiting for: a work of art that grabs hold and won’t let go.”
– The New Yorker (http://tinyurl.com/39hnxj5)

“Grade A! One of the most true-blooded epics of Americana you’re ever likely to see”
– Entertainment Weekly (http://tinyurl.com/38hgugz)

“Spectacular! A classic.”
– The Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/afgeo5)

“Incredibly powerful! The year’s most stirring film.”
– New York Magazine (http://tinyurl.com/2eq87pz)

For a complete list of reviews, visit www.WintersBoneMovie.com

WHAT: Financing for Filmmakers
WHEN: July 22, 2010 from 5-10 p.m.
WHERE: Whitfield Center at Avila University
11901 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64145
(800) 462-8452

Registration information

Registration (ends 1 day before event):
IIFF Member … $35
Non-member … $45
On-site registration (at the door):
IIFF Member … $45
Non-member … $55

From the IIFF website: The Lower Midwest Chapter of the Institute for International Film Financing (IIFF) is launching its presence in Kansas/Missouri with an extravaganza at the junction of film & finance, the first-ever Film Financing Townhall in Kansas! We are pleased to be collaborating with Avila University, located in the heart of the city.

This grassroots community get-together has been carefully designed to foster & inform productive relationships between attending professionals and to provide unbiased insight & education about the business of film (and film financing in particular). The event features a powerful roster of highly topical speakers from the filmmaking and financial industries. We are delighted to welcome real-world financiers among our guests for the evening!

Featured Moderator:
The event will be moderated by BEN MEADE (LinkedIn profile | full bio | brief bio), who is a Professor of Film and Digital Media in the School of Visual and Communication Arts. Dr. Meade is also a highly respected and acclaimed filmmaker and producer in the Kansas City area, having had his shorts and features played worldwide in festivals including IDFA (The International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam, The Sundance Film Festival, The Zagreb International Film Festival (Croatia), The Mostra Valencia Film Festival (Spain), Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival, International Film festival of Copenhagen (Denmark), The Tribeca Film Festival, The Boston Underground Film Festival, The Sidewalk Festival, The Denver International Film Festival, and The Santa Fe Film Festival. Dr. Meade received his Bachelor of Science in Communication from Central Missouri State University in 1977, his Masters Degree in History from Baker University in 1994, and a Ph.D. in Theatre and Film from the University of Kansas in 1999.

6:00 PM … Kick-Off & Welcome
6:00-7:00 PM … Four Featured Presentations with Q&A; (4x 15 mins)
7:00-7:15 PM … Networking Break I (15 mins)
7:15-8:00 PM … Three Featured Presentations with Q&A; (3x 15 mins)
8:00-8:15 PM … Networking Break II (15 mins)
8:15-9:00 PM … Moderated Panel Discussion with Q&A; (45 mins)
9:00-9:15 PM … Networking Break III (15 mins)
9:15-10:00 PM … Moderated Panel Discussion with Q&A; (45 mins)
10:00+ PM … Community Time at Area Restaurant

Allen Marsh

Did Incredible Pizza photo shoot backfire?

A Springfield entertainment company’s attempt to better market itself may be backfiring.

America’s Incredible Pizza Co. is seeking models to pose in marketing photos for the company “to depict business professionals hosting team building, business meeting and other corporate events at our locations,” according to its Craig’s List post where interested models can respond.

However, one Springfield actor is laughing off the company’s talent search.

Allen Marsh, a self-described professional actor living in Springfield, might have been interested in the work, but then he read this line:

“Compensation will be in the way of free buffet passes and game cards.”

Marsh sent me an e-mail to express his displeasure with the treatment of local talent.

“This exemplifies perfectly my exasperation with corporate Springfield’s clueless attitude toward talent,” writes Marsh, who has been in films “Ragman,” “Apollo” and “Nine Grounds,” according to The Internet Movie Database.

Check out the rest of the article here. For members of the media motion industry, consider joining the MFAS Google Groups list where Allen posted his original letter.

If the film does well at Sundance, it could boost tourism in Missouri, help pique interest in filming in the Show-Me State and provide opportunities for local actors and musicians, say experts.

“Winter’s Bone” has a slew of area connections. First, it’s based on the novel by West Plains writer Daniel Woodrell. About a dozen local actors were cast in the film . Musicians from southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas are featured on the soundtrack.

What isn’t covered are the behind the scenes roles played by dozens from this region. MFAS will provide an update on that story very soon, in the meantime, consider the results obtained by the other film shot in Missouri this year – Up in the Air

A new film by Paramount Pictures is Missouri’s latest investment in the state’s growing film industry. This film from Jason Reitman, the Oscar® nominated director of “Juno,” is a dramatic comedy starring Oscar® winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams. 

The state’s aggressive increase in the annual film tax credit cap to just over $4 million grabbed Hollywood’s attention and allowed this highly visible, critically acclaimed motion picture to be shot in and around the St. Louis area.

Missouri can boast exceptional benefits from this venture. Film production crews infused nearly $12 million into a diverse range of Missouri businesses. The resulting increase to Gross State Product (GSP) is 2.68 times the state investment of $4 million. In addition, the project employed an annual full time equivalent of 226 people;
providing a welcome boost to personal incomes in the region by more than $5.3 million in an area hard hit by the recession.

Industries benefitting from the nearly $12 million dollar infusion from Up in the Air included film production services, retail, rental/leasing, accommodation, transportation, food service, and professional technical services such as accounting/payroll, legal, and banking services.

The information above was compiled by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, which concluded that for every dollar in tax credits provided to the film, there was a resultant 2.68x return in monies spent in the region. That is just based upon the film production and does not include future benefits from tourism and related spending.

Read the entire 4 page report from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center website!

Mr. Schwartz, the owner of 20th Century Props, plans to go out of business next month and auction the inventory. Battered by the surge in out-of-state movie production and the demise of scripted programming on network television, the once-thriving business — one of a handful of its type remaining — is failing.

“I ran out of money three months ago, and I don’t know what else to do,” he said softly. “It’s terrifying. I’ve devoted my entire life to something that is over.”

Votes in favor of the contract exceeded 70% in all three of the union’s major divisions, including in Hollywood, where much of the most high-profile opposition was centered.

With the new, two-year contract, the union gets an immediate 3% wage increase and a 3.5% increase after one year. Also provided were benefits for actors working on content created for digital distribution, including residual payments for ad-supported internet streaming of feature films and television programs.

The Producers Alliance offered essentially the same terms to the Screen Actors Guild when its previous contract expired a year ago. During that period, the producers had reached accord with the DGA, WGA and AFTRA.

Full details can be found on Ruth’s website ReelChicago.com

Line producer Katie and Jerry Jones, Missouri Film Office

Missouri issues transferable tax credits to filmmakers for 35 percent of qualified expenditures during the shooting of a film, TV show or commercial. While the percentage is viewed as relatively competitive, the 10-year-old program’s $4.5 million annual cap isn’t.

In 2008, Missouri raised the program’s annual cap to $4.5 million from $1.5 million and lowered the minimum in-state expenditure on films at least 30 minutes long to $100,000 from $300,000, said Mark Biggs, a Missouri State University professor who chairs the Missouri Film Commission.

The commission, a division of the state Department of Economic Development created in 1983 to promote the growth of the film and video-production industry in Missouri, oversees the tax credit process and reviews expenditures submitted by filmmakers.

The story was also featured in their weekly news report on KSPR33. The photo was provided by Harry Styron, from his blog post Film production injects dollars into Ozarks.

Since the information presented will also be interest to the artists, such as magicians and sculptors, and arts groups, such as theater organizations and dance troupes, who occupy ArtSpace, MCA attendees will get a chance to meet and to network with the artists, dancers, magicians, actors, actresses, etc. whose organizations are in this unique location.

The panel will feature:

* Anne Borman, MA, is the Editor of The Directory of Missouri Foundations, which is a reference guide tracking key leaders and $10 billion of assets held in charitable foundations in the state. She has a unique approach to raising funds for non-profits.
* Lisa Roth, who is the Annual Campaign Director at YMCA of Greater St. Louis, has 15 years of non-profit experience and 10 years of grant writing, special event and fundraising experience. She previously worked as a Grant Writer at Grants, Ink and was the Associate Executive Director at YMCA of Greater St. Louis – South City & Mid-County branches.
* Robert Wilcox is a member of the board of The Commission for Access and Local Original Programming (CALOP), which awards grants to independent filmmakers to create programs spotlighting our region’s art, culture, and history to air on cable television channels in University City and the surrounding area.
* And more . . .

With input from corporate media specialists, independent producers, and the Artists of ArtSpace, the evening’s discussion will present you with the latest trends in fundraising for the arts, including film. We’ll also tour ArtSpace’s studios and rehearsal spaces before the “After Glow,” which will follow at Fletcher’s Kitchen & Tap, also in Crestwood Court.

DATE: Wednesday, June 10
TIME: Networking at 6:30pm, meeting starts at 7:00pm
COST:
MCA members = free
non-members = $10
students = $5
LOCATION:
ArtSpace at Crestwood Court! Look for the signs!
Crestwood Court is located at 109 Crestwood Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63126.

DIRECTIONS:
Just east of I-270 and I-44 on Watson Road.
##Take I-270 to I-44 East, then to Watson Road exit. Follow Watson 2 miles to the center.
##Take I-44 to Lindbergh exit, then to Watson exit, turn left. Follow Watson 2 miles to the center.
##Take I-70, I-55 or I-64/40 to I-270, to I-44, then to Watson Road exit. Follow Watson Road 2 miles to the center.

*Joshua Routh is a nationally recognized circus performer and the star of “Jadoo – A One Man Comedic Circus. Abra-Kid-Abra teaches and performs magic and related entertainment, such as juggling, balloon art, and clowning, and was one of the first arts groups to move into Artspace.

**In partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, the ownership and management of Crestwood Court have developed the ArtSpace program to foster growth and development in the St. Louis arts scene. ArtSpace at Crestwood Courts offers the mall’s resources, namely space, to local artists and arts groups and is transforming this once powerful retail destination into the epicenter of arts and culture in St. Louis. Not only does ArtSpace offer unique and affordable location options for artists, but with so many varied and talented people under one roof, the creative sparks are sure to fly. ArtSpace offers the arts community a chance to collaborate with each other, share resources, and engage the community in a breadth of cultural activities.

* 2.5 million American jobs;
* an average salary of $74,700 for production employees;
* $41.1 billion in wages to workers in America;
* $38.2 billion in payments to U.S. vendors and suppliers, small businesses and entrepreneurs;
* $13 billion in income and sales taxes; and
* $13.6 billion in trade surplus.

The report acknowledges that “California and New York, the historical centers of film and television production activity, are still the bellwether states. However, production activities are increasing in many key states.” Several states, Michigan, Arizona, Connecticut, New Mexico and Utah are highlighted as the states to watch in the near future for increased production activity.

Visit the MPAA web site to view the full report.

Student? Identify the employer you are interested in and show them some initiative by taking a job description and this program to them.

Employer? Put together some ideas and reach out to your nearby schools.

Interested in adding video to your business efforts? At the Missouri Film Alliance of Springfield, we are focused on building the motion media business in the region. Contact us and I can put you in touch with qualified student and graduate filmmakers looking for work in their preferred career.

Check out our growing Directory of professionals in the area as well who are there to meet your needs!