tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post669706688737509912..comments2023-07-04T07:13:01.924-04:00Comments on Maine Film: Economic InspirationCameron Bonseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12274613297550986628noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-15993823141902407752008-08-08T16:19:00.000-04:002008-08-08T16:19:00.000-04:00Cameron, excellent interview on WLOB! As a neophyt...Cameron, excellent interview on WLOB! As a neophyte I could not quantify the payback (or even get a sense of it) when a film is produced in Maine. Now I understand what you have been "preaching", that this state needs to "Make The List" of preferred locations, and try to be attractive to the industry so more movies will be made in this great state. Please keep carrying the flag, you are tireless....I hope the legislature listens and invests with gusto. Thanks, ShawnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-66265721611143730382007-09-29T03:20:00.000-04:002007-09-29T03:20:00.000-04:00Dear Cameron:Just read your article on Maine Film ...Dear Cameron:<BR/><BR/>Just read your article on Maine Film Needs an Extreme Makeover and it is excellent!! I happened to be on the set of the Milbridge shoot as the DP for E! Entertainment "True Hollywood Stories" on the star of "Extreme Makeover" Ty Pennington. What an amazing production and person! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORIES will air November 17th at 5PM. Hope you can watch it.<BR/><BR/>I'm also involved in the Maine Film & Video Association and we're doing just the kinds of things you're interested in and could use your energy and ideas. We just had a meeting Thursday night hosted by The Workshops in Rockport. Had three fantastic speakers, faculty at The Workshops, talking about their work in the industry from a lighting director of major Hollywood films, to a director of indy features, and a producer of socially responsible documentaries who teaches African communities about media literacy helping them make films about community issues. Fascinating discussion. The reception and dinner afterwards were great too.<BR/><BR/>The next meeting is January 10th at Space Gallery in Portland (to be confirmed) and the topic is TV Distribution. <BR/><BR/>Our June meeting would have been terrific for you as it was about the importance of storytelling in features and documentaries. We had four great producer writers showing segments of their films and talking about their experience with developing stories that were compelling, the elements that led to success.<BR/><BR/>And you must know that we are involved in lobbying the legislature to create much better incentives for film companies to come to shoot in Maine. Not particularly successful so far, but we're moving in the right direction. Hannah Pingree, legislator from North Haven who penned the Maine Film Incentives legislation is a friend of the organization and very supportive of moving the legislation forward to help Maine compete against Mass, Rhode Island and Connecticut which all have far better incentives than we have. We hope to have her speak to our next meeting about what the next steps should be. It's efforts like yours that will help make this a reality. And Greg Gadberry, who has been the Vice President of our board for years, is the asst. director of the Maine Film Office whose job it is to move these incentives ahead. So we welcome your involvement and leadership as demonstrated by your excellent article.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps you'd like to join us and lead a renewed effort to lobby the legislature. Check out our website www.mainefilm.com and let me know your thoughts.<BR/><BR/>All my best,<BR/><BR/>Richard Kane<BR/>Maine Film & Video Association Board member<BR/>kanelewis@aol.com<BR/>207-359-2320Richard Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17005800464326605092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-14370394147567369812007-09-28T17:30:00.000-04:002007-09-28T17:30:00.000-04:00Thank you so much for the information about "Extre...Thank you so much for the information about "Extreme Makeover". How refreshing that it's not always about Tax Incentives. Maine has so much to offer the film industry and it seems like "Extreme Makeover" knows it! Over $700,000 for the State of Maine???? Who else can we get to come here?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-79190596049389578452007-09-23T10:02:00.000-04:002007-09-23T10:02:00.000-04:00Hello! Do you know how/why "Extreme Makeover" cam...Hello! Do you know how/why "Extreme Makeover" came to Milbridge? What a great opportunity to showcase Maine's attributes! Perhaps this will encourage more TV & Film companies to choose Maine!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-5758614438790373772007-09-13T01:54:00.000-04:002007-09-13T01:54:00.000-04:00Cameron, thank YOU for starting this blog. We need...Cameron, thank YOU for starting this blog. We need to get the word out on this industry to everybody – especially the lawmakers in Augusta. This blog can be a great source of data to help people understand the opportunity staring us right in the face – the film industry. You and I share the same passion to not only see Maine as a critical film/tv destination, but also have this industry be a significant player in our creative economy.<BR/> It does not seem possible to be talking such numbers when talking in the millions, but the numbers are accurate and very real. It's all about advancing the Mainer mindset mindset of thinking that not only smokestacks, power grids, and potatoes can make money, but also film/tv productions. Exporting film/tv products not only generate revenues, but innately they provide marketing in perpetuity. The product that "keeps on giving"; marketing Maine every time they're played on the big screens, network/cable TV, to your own DVD player. And it's a "clean" industry ta boot.<BR/> So how is it possible to consider this apparent oxymoron, “the film/tv business, as "business"? Well, it's all about the numbers isn't it? Ask Eastport and Lubec what they thought about Fox TV’s “Murder in Small Town X” that shot from March – June in 2001.<BR/>http://archive.seacoastonline.com/2001news/4_1maine2.htm<BR/>http://www.imaginenews.com/Archive/2001/SEP_2001/Text/FEAT08.htm<BR/><BR/>In 2003, Empire Falls directly spent comfortably $10 million into Maine's economy within the 2 months they filmed here. Some of that money spent was in hiring personnel, hotel rooms, restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores, gifts/souvenirs, caterers, crafts people...Not to mention some companies hired by the production needed to in turn hire more staff to meet the production’s demands... After that $10 million gets turned over a few times, people pay their taxes, etc. that $10 million easily becomes $20 million plus to Maine’s economy...<BR/> MA just changed their incentives 2 years ago and enhanced them again this past Spring of 2007. They now have (3) major productions shooting in Boston right now with combined budgets topping $150m. You think I’m crazy quoting these numbers – I know – many people do thinking "the film industry? Nah…", but it's real everyone and it's happening in a lot of places, but not in Maine. We can have this here, but it will require all citizens, legislators, cities, and towns to join together and ask what you can do to bring this industry here. To close, here's an article for you to read on MA's new film industry surge from August 25th - (2) weeks ago. Enjoy... http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2007/08/25/action_1188014064/?page=1 .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8798183674533471188.post-57395910874324460442007-09-12T20:21:00.000-04:002007-09-12T20:21:00.000-04:00I agree. This is wonderful information. Please kee...I agree. This is wonderful information. Please keep blogging!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com