October 8, 2021

Savannah Economic Development Authority approves rebate incentive for production companies

(wtoc.com)

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – The Savannah Economic Development Authority decided to keep a program going that they hope will make Savannah the home to even more TV and film productions.

Georgia already has a film tax credit in place that gives the Peach State a leg up on attracting TV and film productions over other states that don’t.

The rebate incentive approved unanimously Friday morning is in addition to that state tax credit. That’s hundreds of thousands of dollars SEDA allocated to help sweeten the deal for production companies that will be extended through to next year, which helps offset additional costs to film companies having to bring in their own crews and equipment.

For 2021, the potential rebate to date is just over $770,000

The return on that investment for the community is massive, with that return soaring to almost 11,000 percent.

Beth Nelson, executive director for the Savannah Regional Film Commission, explained how important these incentives are, at least for now.

“Well, productions are driven by incentives, and that gives us that extra leverage. And we have seen the results over the last six years. We have had our incentive in place for six years now, and every year we have had more and more productions and more and more economic impact in our community,” Nelson said.

Nelson says the vote Friday will allow SEDA to keep doing that. She adds hopefully, with the future additions of new production studios, companies will want to come without having to be incentivized.

By: Sean Evans

Continue Reading at wtoc.com

The Film Industry Wants to Keep the Status Quo? Then Shut It Down.

(nytimes.com)

In 2015, Cutter Ray Palacios, an actor from Texas, moved to Los Angeles. While auditioning for roles, he found himself working primarily as a production assistant (P.A.), a job that can entail transporting actors to and from set, moving equipment, sorting mail and running errands for producers or other members of the crew.

Most P.A.s are not unionized. They are some of the most poorly paid people in the television and film industry: Mr. Palacios was making minimum wage, and for a while he was homeless and living in his car.

“You aren’t allowed to sit down as a P.A.,” he told me. Mr. Palacios considers himself lucky because his show treated him “like family.” But he also says that he used to “call 10-1” — the code to use the bathroom — so he “could sit on the toilet for a few minutes.”

After about a year, Mr. Palacios was approached by another crew member about joining the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The union represents “below the line” crew members — the cinematographers, grips, hair stylists, costumers and editors whose work is critical to production even if they don’t get top billing on movie posters. “The guy who approached me said, ‘You have a really strong work ethic. How would you feel about making more money with benefits?’” Mr. Palacios told me.

By: Alex Press

Continue Reading at nytimes.com

Georgia braces for TV, film workers strike

(johnsoncitypress.com)

(The Center Square) – Georgia’s multibillion-dollar film and television industry may be in jeopardy as TV and film production workers threaten to go on strike.

Contract negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) were ongoing Thursday after the union authorized a strike days earlier because of working conditions.

Georgia’s film and TV industry spent $4 billion on productions in fiscal year 2021. That doesn’t account for the individual spending by the thousands of workers in the industry.

The Georgia film tax credit has transformed the state into the “Hollywood of the South,” according to industry leaders. The incentive program cost the state nearly $900 million in tax revenue in 2019, which was about 3.1% of the state’s budget.

Steve Weizenecker, an entertainment lawyer with Barnes & Thornburg, said it was the best year the state has seen since launching the state’s film tax credit program. Weizenecker, who also is vice chair of Gov. Brian Kemp’s Advisory Commission on Film, Music and Digital Entertainment, said he hopes the producers and employees find a compromise soon, but he believes the state would be able to bounce back if a strike occurs.

“It’s never good for the state for any industry to shut down,” Weizenecker said.

The Georgia Film Office said 366 productions were filmed in Georgia during fiscal year 2021, which ran from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. After temporary COVID-19 shutdowns, film and TV companies vowed to rehire and employ 40,000 production workers and invest $2 billion into the Georgia economy over 18 months. That promise may be on hold for now.

Nearly all of the union’s 60,000 members voted to authorize the strike Monday after the AMPTP refused to address workers’ demands for better pay, working hours and conditions and meal breaks.

“This vote is about the quality of life as well as the health and safety of those who work in the film and television industry,” IATSE International President Matthew Loeb said Monday in a statement. “Our people have basic human needs like time for meal breaks, adequate sleep, and a weekend. For those at the bottom of the pay scale, they deserve nothing less than a living wage.”

By: Johnson City Press

Continue Reading at johnsoncitypress.com