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<channel><title><![CDATA[&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Steven J. Wilson&nbsp;  - Blog]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/blog.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Blog]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 09:49:02 -0800</pubDate><generator>Weebly</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Louisiana location film production passes billion-dollar mark in 2011]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-location-film-production-passes-billion-dollar-mark-in-2011.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-location-film-production-passes-billion-dollar-mark-in-2011.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:47:29 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-location-film-production-passes-billion-dollar-mark-in-2011.html</guid><description><![CDATA[_ 		 	 				 		 		 		 				 		 		                    	    		 		  	 		 		 			 			 				      		 	 	                  	           			  	 		 	 	 									   				 				 				  					 						 						 						 								 									Louisiana location film production passes billion-dollar mark in 2011 									01/10/2012 									&raquo; 								 								 							 							 					 					 				 				 [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; "><span style="display:none;">_</span><br /> 		 	 				 		 		 		 				 		 		                    	    		 		  	 		 		 			 			 				      		 	 	                  	           			  	 		 	 	 									   				 				 				  					 						 						 						 								 									<span>Louisiana location film production passes billion-dollar mark in 2011</span><br /> 									01/10/2012 									&raquo; 								 								 							 							 					 					 				 				 				 				 					 				 				10 January 2012<br /><span></span>By <a title="" href="http://www.thelocationguide.com/blog/2012/01/louisiana-location-film-production-passes-billion-dollar-mark-in-2011/" target="_blank">Nick Goundry<br /></a><br />Louisiana  has reaffirmed its position as one of the central filming production  hubs in the US &ndash; and indeed the world &ndash; by making some USD1.3 billion  during 2011. The figures from film office Louisiana Entertainment are  not quite official yet, but it&rsquo;s clear the state had a hugely successful  year.<br /><span></span><br /><span></span> Data from Louisiana Entertainment reported by Nola.com suggests that  over 150 separate filming projects applied for Louisiana incentive  support in 2011, with the bulk of these projects&rsquo; combined USD1.9  billion production budget being spent in Louisiana.<br /><span></span><br /><span></span> It&rsquo;s not clear yet how much was paid out by the state, but in 2010  the total in-state spend came to just shy of USD900 million and the  economy was making USD5.71 from every dollar spent.<br /><span></span><br /><span></span> Chris Stelly is Executive Director of Louisiana Entertainment and  spoke to the outlet: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to be busy. You&rsquo;re starting to see not  only major studios but mini-majors as well &ndash; that have had such a great  time and a great experience &ndash; come back. I think that sort of repeat  business says a lot.&rdquo;<br /><span></span><br /><span></span> Warner Brothers is one of the major studios to keep coming back,  having shot The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Jonah Hex and The Green  Lantern in recent years. Quentin Tarantino&rsquo;s Django Unchained is  currently scheduled for a February start and Tom Cruise&rsquo;s next project &ndash;  known at the moment as either Oblivion or Horizons &ndash; will arrive in the  summer.</div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Louisiana Ranked Tops for Film Production ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-ranked-tops-for-film-production.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-ranked-tops-for-film-production.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:06:35 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2012/01/louisiana-ranked-tops-for-film-production.html</guid><description><![CDATA[SOURCE: P3 and GBR Business Report http://www.p3update.com/preproduction/locations/1199-top-10-united-states-of-production Top 10: United States of Production Written by Johan Kharabi and Sally Kemper   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">SOURCE: P3 and GBR Business Report<br /><br /> <a style="" href="http://www.p3update.com/preproduction/locations/1199-top-10-united-states-of-production" target="_blank">http://www.p3update.com/preproduction/locations/1199-top-10-united-states-of-production</a><br /><br /> <strong style="">Top 10: United States of Production Written by Johan Kharabi and Sally Kemper </strong><br /><br /> <a style="" href="http://www.p3update.com/preproduction" target="_blank">Preproduction </a>- <a style="" href="http://www.p3update.com/preproduction/locations" target="_blank">Locations </a><br /><br /> As runaway production took a toll on the U.S. in the 1990s, the  country fought back by introducing its own competitive incentives. By  2010, 46 U.S. states and territories had introduced individual tax  credit and rebate programs and saw an estimated $60 billion in  television, movie and video production revenue. Once a year, <em style="">P3 Update</em>  lists 10 states in the nation that offer the most attractive  combination of tax incentives, crew base, talent pool, infrastructure,  accessibility, significant production revenue and overall popularity  among filmmakers.<br /><br /> <strong style="">1. LOUISIANA</strong><br /><br /> Louisiana was the first state on the scene to adopt tax incentives,  which sparked a trend across America. More and more filmmakers are now  heading to Louisiana where business has been booming. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thinking of  moving down there myself,&rdquo; declares Filmmaker Ron Carr. &ldquo;The state has a  good film base and a lot of stages.&rdquo;<br /><br /> The state currently offers motion-picture productions a 30-percent  transferable credit on total in-state expenditures, with no cap and a  minimum-spending requirement of $300,000. For productions using in-state  labor, Louisiana offers an additional 5-percent labor-tax credit on the  payroll of employed residents. Louisiana is currently nine to ten crews  deep, a nearly 400 percent increase since 2002. &ldquo;We have seen a  22-percent growth in the industry&rsquo;s workforce each year,&rdquo; says<strong style=""> Louisiana Entertainment Film</strong>  Director Chris Stelly. &ldquo;In addition, our infrastructure continues to  mature at an exponential rate and a film of any size can spend 80 to 90  percent of their budget in Louisiana. We offer basically everything a  production could want or need &#9472; from processing to trucks, as well as  stages, to high-end visual effects.&rdquo;<br /><br /> According to Stelly, after a big 2008&ndash;09 fiscal year, when the state  saw $494 million in production, fiscal year 2009&ndash;10 drew $674.1 million  in direct spend thanks to over 100 productions. Big-budget features like  <em style="">The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn</em>, <em style="">Battleship</em>, <em style="">Green Lantern</em> and <em style="">Battle: Los Angeles</em>  have kept Louisiana busy. And, as of May 2011, the state had received  41 applications, which is comparable to 44 applications received at this  time last year.<br /><br /> Stelly says that the state&rsquo;s productions are usually comprised of feature films, such as <em style="">Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter </em>and <em style="">21 Jump Street</em>, but also include top TV series, most notably HBO&rsquo;s &ldquo;Treme&rdquo; and season two of &ldquo;Memphis Beat.&rdquo;<br /><br /> In addition to the southern hospitality, Louisiana&rsquo;s success is  largely due to the state&rsquo;s ability to attract repeat business with its  attractive incentive programs, deep crew base and abundance of studio  facilities. &ldquo;We have established both stability and credibility,&rdquo; says  Stelly, &ldquo;and our incentive program is easy to maneuver. All of this  keeps production coming back.&rdquo;<br /><br /> <strong style="">2. ILLINOIS</strong><br /><br /> Illinois&rsquo; five-deep crew base is only one of the reasons the state  was added to the P3&rsquo;s top-10 roster. It&rsquo;s a good thing because  productions have flooded the Prairie State in recent years &mdash; and they  keep coming back.<br /><br /> The <strong style="">Illinois Film Office</strong> reports that the state saw  $161 million in spending in 2010 &mdash; a 54-percent increase from 2009 &mdash; and  over 8,000 production jobs. This activity comes in light of an already  successful year, during which Illinois hosted big-name productions like <em style="">Contagion</em> (starring Matt Damon and Kate Winslet), <em style="">Transformers: Dark of the Moon</em> and <em style="">The Dilemma</em>.  In 2010, Chicago alone saw six TV pilots, including Fox&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Chicago  Code&rdquo; and Showtime&rsquo;s &ldquo;Shameless.&rdquo; In 2011, several TV pilots shot  throughout the state, including NBC&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Playboy Club&rdquo; and CW&rsquo;s  &ldquo;Cooper and Stone.&rdquo; Currently, the state is hosting more TV pilots,  including &ldquo;Boss&rdquo; (starring Kelsey Grammer), and Zack Snyder&rsquo;s big-budget  feature <em style="">Superman: Man of Steel</em> is slated to begin filming in Illinois this summer.<br /><br /> The state&rsquo;s incentive program includes a 30-percent tax credit on all  qualified local expenditure, including postproduction. An additional 15  percent is available on salaries for individuals living in an  economically disadvantaged area. Unfortunately, the state&rsquo;s tax credit  applies only to wages of up to $100,000 and excludes nonresidents. In  late March, there was a possibility that the state would introduce a  five year sunset clause to its incentive program, but last-minute  political maneuvering succeeded in extending this to ten years &mdash;  effectively saving the program until 2021.<br /><br /> Finally, Illinois&rsquo; infrastructure is rapidly developing. In May, the city celebrated the opening of <strong style="">Cinespace Chicago Film Studios</strong>, which, when fully built, will hold 1.2 million square feet of space.<br /><br /> <strong style="">3. FLORIDA</strong><br /><br /> For a long time, Florida boasted having one of the largest  production-crew bases in the country, but, according to Communications  Coordinator Colleen McClure of the <strong style="">Florida Governor&rsquo;s Office of Film and Entertainment</strong>,  the state has fallen in rank in recent years. This was partly due to a  growing number of competitive domestic incentive packages and  crewmembers moving to Louisiana when its production increased.<br /><br /> But the Sunshine State is fighting fire with fire to become an  incredibly strong contender. With the recent passage of its Film &amp;  Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program &mdash; which offers $242  million in transferable tax credits over five years &mdash; Florida is seeing  its crew base restored as production grows. This is bolstered by a  robust incentive package that includes a 20-percent base  transferable-tax credit for total expenditures associated with Florida  businesses and resident wages. Combining additional bonus opportunities,  including &ldquo;Family-Friendly&rdquo; and &ldquo;Off-Season&rdquo; perks, can increase the  credits up to 30 percent of the total Florida spend. The savings  continue for qualified productions that receive sales-and-use tax  exemptions on the purchase or lease of certain items used in filming.<br /><br /> Recent Florida productions include <em style="">Transformers: Dark of the Moon</em>,  A&amp;E&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Glades&rdquo; and season four of USA Network&rsquo;s &ldquo;Burn Notice.&rdquo;  McClure reports that production revenue for fiscal year 2010 sat at  $760,722, 482, and, as of May 2011, the amount was $981,059,895 for  fiscal year 2011. These numbers don&rsquo;t lie: The heat is definitely on in  Florida.<br /><br /> <strong style="">4. GEORGIA</strong><br /><br /> Since 2008, Georgia has offered a transferable flat-tax credit of 20  percent on qualified in-state &ldquo;base investment&rdquo; for qualifying  productions spending a minimum of $500,000. In addition, there&rsquo;s the  possibility to receive another 10 percent if production activities  include a &ldquo;qualified Georgia promotion,&rdquo; which is a promotional logo in  the production. If this 30-percent total transferable-tax credit hasn&rsquo;t  substantially cut costs, a qualified production can enjoy the state&rsquo;s  Sales &amp; Use Tax Exemption, which is a point-of-purchase exemption on  sales tax that can help save as much as 8 percent on equipment  purchases and rentals.<br /><br /> <strong style="">Georgia Film, Music &amp; Digital Entertainment Office</strong>  Director Lee Thomas praises the program for helping to boost production  in the state. More than 274 productions shot in the Peach State from  July 2010 through April 2011 to bring in more than $589.2 million in  Georgia investments. These projects have generated an economic impact of  $2.1 billion. In 2010, the state saw the filming of motion pictures  like <em style="">Footloose</em>, <em style="">Wanderlust</em>, <em style="">The Change-Up</em> and <em style="">Fast Five</em>. Currently, <em style="">American Pie 4 Presents: Family Reunion</em>, the Farrelly brothers&rsquo; <em style="">The Three Stooges</em> and the hit AMC series &ldquo;The Walking Dead&rdquo; are shooting in Georgia.<br /><br /> Georgia&rsquo;s film-industry infrastructure is undergoing serious growth as well. The state recently saw the opening of a <strong style="">Panavision</strong> in Atlanta, while the well-known <strong style="">Turner Studios</strong> holds six purpose-built studios with five HD control rooms. <strong style="">Raleigh Studios Atlanta</strong> is spread over 120 acres and holds four stages, while <strong style="">EUE/Screen Gems</strong> has taken over the old Lakewood Fairgrounds in Atlanta and just completed a 37,500-square-foot soundstage.<br /><br /> What else makes Georgia one of the country&rsquo;s best places to shoot?  Thomas reports that Georgia&rsquo;s crew base, once around two to  two-and-ahalf deep, has grown to around six to seven deep. &ldquo;[We have]  crew depth combined with the infrastructure, temperate climate, the  world&rsquo;s busiest airport, great incentives, diverse locations and a great  quality of life,&rdquo; explains Thomas.<br /><br /> <strong style="">5. CALIFORNIA</strong><br /><br />According to <strong style="">California Film Commission</strong>  Director Amy Lemisch, the Golden State hosts nearly 200 feature films  every year along with countless TV series, commercials and  documentaries. &ldquo;California has moderate weather with 315 sunny days per  year coupled with the deepest and most talented labor pool in the  world,&rdquo; boasts Lemisch. &ldquo;In addition, the state offers over 500 stages  and the most advanced and diverse range of postproduction facilities  found anywhere.&rdquo;<br /><br /> Lemisch celebrates the California Film &amp; TV Tax Credit Program,  which provides a nonrefundable tax credit of 20 to 25 percent for  eligible feature films with budgets between $1 million and $75 million;  and TV series, TV movies and miniseries with an appropriation of $100  million per year for five years through 2014. Independent features under  $10 million are eligible to receive 25 percent and may transfer their  credits. Credit is applied to below-theline spend, including  postproduction and visual effects.<br /><br /> International Location Manager Bill Bowling will be the first to tell  you that California, once again, has become a top-10 contender. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re  seeing a stronger interest in keeping production in California [now  more] than ever, which has led to a big upswing in the state&rsquo;s  popularity,&rdquo; explains Bowling. He attributes this increase to the  savings made by working at home versus extensive traveling in addition  to the states successful incentive package.<br /><br />California offers  assistance from numerous film offices throughout the entire state.  &ldquo;Filmmakers work closely with our network of 50-plus regional film  offices taking advantage of the diverse landscape of California,&rdquo; says  Lemisch. <strong style="">Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office</strong> Director Beverly  Lewis takes pride in what the northern part of the state has to offer.  &ldquo;I am very aware that the California incentives made the difference when  it came time for [productions] to select locations, and the local spend  is welcomed back,&rdquo; she says. Since then, qualified productions like HBO  Films&rsquo; <em style="">Cinema Verite</em>, <em style="">Jackass 3D</em> and Disney&rsquo;s upcoming fall release <em style="">The Muppets</em> have filmed in her area. Other recent productions shot throughout California include David Fincher&rsquo;s <em style="">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</em>, HBO&rsquo;s &ldquo;Entourage&rdquo; and the new ABC series &ldquo;Scandal.&rdquo;<br /><br /> <strong style="">6. CONNECTICUT</strong><br /><br /> Connecticut&rsquo;s current tax credit of up to 30 percent is still going  strong. To qualify, 50 percent of principal photography or 50 percent of  post must be done in the state, or at least $1 million in  postproduction expenditures must be in-state. The tax credits for film  and digital animation are tiered based on local spend from 10 to 30  percent. The credit is 10 percent for expenditures between $100,000 and  $500,000, and there&rsquo;s a 15-percent credit for expenditures between  $500,000 and $1 million. The credit is 30 percent for anything above $1  million.<br /><br /> The big news out of the Constitution State is the recent release of <strong style="">Blue Sky Studios</strong>&rsquo;  first animated feature made entirely in Connecticut. On the smaller  screen, Showtime&rsquo;s &ldquo;The Big C&rdquo; has returned to shoot its second season,  as has &ldquo;Are We There Yet?&rdquo; for TBS. Other noteworthy productions include  feature films like <em style="">We the Peeples</em> and <em style="">We Need to Talk About Kevin</em>,  starring John C. Reilly and Tilda Swinton. &ldquo;Our incentive program has  been successful in bringing significant production and infrastructure  expenditures to the state, with over $200 million in spending in 2010,&rdquo;  says George Norfleet, director of the <strong style="">Connecticut Office of Film</strong>, <strong style="">Television &amp; Digital Media</strong>. &ldquo;And we expect to exceed that number in 2011.&rdquo;<br /><br /> The small state of Connecticut packs a big punch in the category of  infrastructure, largely thanks to the fact that it shares a crew base  with New York. The N.Y. IATSE Local 52 has over 3,400 members and  includes Connecticut within its five-state jurisdiction. Moreover, the  state has at least seven great studios, including <strong style="">Sonalysts</strong>,<strong style=""> Connecticut Film Center</strong>, <strong style="">Sono Studios</strong> and <strong style="">Palace Digital Studios</strong>. And Norfleet reports that CT Studios plans to begin construction on a multistage facility in 2011.<br /><br /> <strong style="">7. NEW YORK</strong><br /><br />The Empire State and especially the city of New York know a thing or two about television and film production. According to the <strong style="">New York City Mayor&rsquo;s Office of Media &amp; Entertainment</strong>  Commissioner Katherine Oliver, more than 100,000 New York City citizens  work in the industry while the city houses over 4,000 local ancillary  businesses &mdash; everything from digital effects companies to prop houses &mdash;  playing a supporting role for filming in the city.<br /><br /> In all, New York has more than 100 production facilities, stages and  video studios throughout its boroughs, amounting to around 900,000  square feet of stage space. All this capacity helps to bring about $5  billion worth of production to the city&rsquo;s economy annually. Despite its  global recognition, the state, like any other, still has to offer  productions a good deal.<br />It currently offers eligible productions an  up-to-35-percent fully refundable tax credit. And there&rsquo;s plenty of  money to go around, as the program holds about $420 million a year up  until 2014.<br /><br /> Just last June, Oliver and Mayor Bloomberg hosted the sixth annual  &ldquo;Made in NY&rdquo; Awards to honor those who have helped contribute to the  city&rsquo;s burgeoning entertainment industry. And these awards are well  deserved: In 2010, over 230 feature films and primetime TV series were  shot in New York City.<br /><br /> <strong style="">8. UTAH</strong><br /><br />The Beehive State has been busy and  it looks like it might get busier &mdash; Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert signed  groundbreaking tax-credit legislation in May for the state&rsquo;s film  industry, effectively increasing the tax rebate from 20 to 25 percent.  The program has no sunset provision and requires a minimum of $1 million  in-state spend. The legislature also approved an ongoing tax-credit  fund of $6.8 million. &ldquo;[The incentive] will enable us to position Utah  and its talented motion-picture and digital-media work force to compete  on a global basis for the film and digital-media industries,&rdquo; announced  Herbert. Since the fund was created in 2004, 65 film projects have  already received funding.<br /><br /> According to <strong style="">Utah Film Commission</strong> Director Marshall  Moore, a total of 19 productions took advantage of the incentive in  fiscal year 2010, producing 1,188 production jobs and accounting for 502  production days. For fiscal year 2011 (as of May 2011), the state has  about 14 productions taking advantage of incentives, accounting for 431  production days. Utah is currently three &ldquo;A&rdquo; crews deep and offers an  excellent, constantly growing infrastructure that includes studios like <strong style="">Stone 5 Studios</strong> in Provo and Metcom and <strong style="">Salt Lake Studios</strong>  in Salt Lake City. With so much happening, along with a political  establishment that&rsquo;s very supportive of the industry, Utah is now the  state to watch in 2012.<br /><br /> Director Danny Boyle&rsquo;s Academy Award nominated <em style="">127 Hours</em>  took advantage of the fund in 2010 as the production filmed on location  in Moab and on stages in Salt Lake City. And Walt Disney Pictures&rsquo; <em style="">John Carter</em> filmed for 45 days across Utah, specifically in Delta, Hanksville, Kanab, Moab and Big Water.<br /><br /> <strong style="">9. NEW MEXICO</strong><br /><br /> New Mexico is well known for titanic production houses like <strong style="">Albuquerque Studios</strong>, <strong style="">I-25 Studios</strong>, <strong style="">Garson Studios</strong> and <strong style="">Santa Fe Studios</strong>  (the latter set to open in August 2011). &ldquo;These are great stages [and]  definitely one of the most popular reasons for shooting in the state,&rdquo;  says Location Manager Bill Bowling. The Land of Enchantment is home to  approximately 20 stages ranging in size from 2,000 to 48,000 square  feet. The state offers an enticing incentive package as well. Qualified  productions can receive a 25-percent tax rebate on all direct  expenditure. In addition, New Mexico has a Film Investment Loan Program  as well as a Film Crew Advancement Program that offers a 50-percent wage  reimbursement for on-the-job training.<br /><br />Things weren&rsquo;t looking  great for the state in March when New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez  targeted the incentive program with cuts, ideally wanting the rebate to  be decreased to 15 percent. In the end, however, the state senate voted  to keep the 25-percent rebate intact. And, according to New Mexico Film  Office Deputy Director Jennifer Schwalenberg, an annual cap was placed.  &ldquo;[They] placed a &lsquo;rolling cap&rsquo; of $50 million per fiscal year,&rdquo; she  says. Governor Martinez would do well to understand how important  television and film production has become for New Mexico in recent  years, as the state has hosted numerous big-budget features, such as <em style="">Cowboys &amp; Aliens</em>, <em style="">Fright Night</em> and <em style="">Thor</em>, as well as AMC&rsquo;s Emmy-winning series &ldquo;Breaking Bad.&rdquo;<br /><br /> <strong style="">10. MICHIGAN</strong><br /><br /> Just based on numbers alone, Michigan is in a league of its own.  Productions can receive a tax credit of up to 42 percent of qualifying  direct production expenditures in &ldquo;core communities,&rdquo; which include 136  locations throughout the state. (The figure is 40 percent in other  locations.) The massive incentive program requires a minimum in-state  spend of $50,000, and there&rsquo;s a $2 million salary cap per employee on  each production.<br /><br /> According to <strong style="">Michigan Film Office</strong> Communications  Advisor Michelle Begnoche, the state&rsquo;s budget has passed and is on  Governor Rick Snyder&rsquo;s desk. He is expected to sign the bill, which  would set next year&rsquo;s funding for new projects at $25 million. &ldquo;Prior to  the fiscal year 2012 budget, we had no annual allocation from the  legislature,&rdquo; explains Begnoche. &ldquo;The incentive is also no longer a tax  credit; rather it is an allocation that will not be tied to the state&rsquo;s  business-tax structure. While we now have clarity on what our funding  level will be, work is still being done to determine how best to  administer the incentives within this new framework.&rdquo;<br /><br /> According to Chris Baum,<strong style=""> Film Detroit</strong> Senior VP and Government Relations Chair of <strong style="">Michigan Film First</strong>,  a group of the state&rsquo;s largest film and TV industry stakeholders is  working with key legislators to revise the incentive program further.  &ldquo;Michigan Film First has hired the top lobbyists in Lansing to help key  supporters in the legislature draft a new bill that will adjust the  incentive and raise the cap, allowing us to sustain our terrific moment  from the last three years,&rdquo; Baum explains. Last year, the Detroit area  welcomed the HBO series &ldquo;Hung&rdquo; and ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;Detroit 1-8-7&rdquo; as well as many  feature films, including <em style="">Real Steel</em>, <em style="">The Double</em>, <em style="">A Very Harold &amp; Kumar Christmas</em>, <em style="">Salvation Boulevard</em>, <em style="">Machine Gun Preacher</em> and <em style="">Scream 4</em>.<br /><br /> The Wolverine State has been working hard to build up the  infrastructure needed to increase production. Perhaps the best example  of the changes taking place is <strong style="">Raleigh Michigan Studios</strong>.  Located on the grounds of the former GM Centerpoint truck plant and  office complex in Pontiac, the new $80 million film studio is comprised  of seven crisp soundstages and over 360,000 square feet of office space.  The studio is already hosting the preproduction of Disney&rsquo;s <em style="">The Wizard of Oz</em> prequel <em style="">Oz: The Great and Powerful</em>,  which will receive approximately $40 million in incentives and is set  to be one of the largest features to ever shoot in the state.<br /><br /> When you look at the big picture, you can see how big of a role the  industry plays in each state&rsquo;s economy. And film office representatives  are pressured to show a positive ROI on incentives, so these programs  fluctuate from time-to time. High incentives and a deep crew base are  only two portions of the total package needed for states to make P3&rsquo;s  annual list of top-10 U.S. locations, an informative guide that  filmmakers worldwide can rely on.<br /><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Representation]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/new-representation.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/new-representation.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:49:03 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/new-representation.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I am pleased to&nbsp; announce that I am now being represented by Proclaim Talent Agency in New Orleans LA. I am excited about this new phase in my journey. Stay tuned, I'm on my way!Travel Light!   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">I am pleased to&nbsp; announce that I am now being represented by <a href="http://www.stevenjwilson.com/representation.html">Proclaim Talent Agency</a> in New Orleans LA. I am excited about this new phase in my journey. Stay tuned, I'm on my way!<br /><br /><br /><span>Travel Light!</span><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Louisiana Sees Surge In TV & Film Projects]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/louisiana-sees-surge-in-tv-film-projects.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/louisiana-sees-surge-in-tv-film-projects.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:17:48 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/louisiana-sees-surge-in-tv-film-projects.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Louisiana sees surge in TV &amp; film projects    AP NEWS Latest local, national &amp; international news from the Associated Press     Louisiana sees surge in TV &amp; film projects Dec. 2, 2011, 12:09 p.m. CST AP   As cast and crew of the HBO television series "Treme" filmed in the  French Quarter, a warehouse elsewhere bustled with stage hands prepping  for production on the Will Ferrell comedy "Dog Fight" while a h [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">Louisiana sees surge in TV &amp; film projects<br /><br />    AP NEWS Latest local, national &amp; international news from the Associated Press     Louisiana sees surge in TV &amp; film projects Dec. 2, 2011, 12:09 p.m. CST AP   As cast and crew of the HBO television series "Treme" filmed in the  French Quarter, a warehouse elsewhere bustled with stage hands prepping  for production on the Will Ferrell comedy "Dog Fight" while a helicopter  prepared to take flight for the shooting of the new 3-D IMAX film,  "Hidden World."<br /><br /> The stream of film activity this late in the year is positioning  Louisiana to hit, if not exceed, last year's record of more than 100  film and TV projects, said Chris Stelly, executive director of the  Office of Entertainment Industry Development, the state agency that  promotes Louisiana's film, theater, music and digital media industries.<br /><br /> Stelly said this is also likely more film activity than in any other  U.S. state outside of the entertainment hubs of California and New York.<br /><br /> "It's incredible," he said. "The holidays and the summer months,  those are usually slower times for the film industry here, but last year  and this year that hasn't been the case. What we're seeing is the  filming industry stabilizing in Louisiana with a steady stream of  business all year long."<br /><br /> Other projects filming between now and Christmas include the Mark  Wahlberg action flick "Broken City" and the TV police drama "Common  Law." In the new year, production is set to begin on Quentin Tarantino's  "Django Unchained", Summit Entertainment's caper film "Now You See Me"  and the Columbia Pictures drama "Maersk Alabama" starring Tom Hanks.<br /><br /> Louisiana accepted more than 130 applications for its tax incentive  program in 2011 and hosted more than 100 film and TV projects for the  second year in a row. That's about triple previous years, Stelly said.  According to state figures, Louisiana had fewer than 40 projects in both  2004 and 2005, and the state saw fewer than 90 projects each year  thereafter until 2009.<br /><br /> In 2009, the state decided to make its tax credit permanent and  increase the benefits to 30 percent. Originally, the statute reduced the  incentive to 20 percent with plans to eventually reduce it again to 15  percent. Stelly said the state's move has helped to steady and grow the  industry.<br /><br /> "It sent a message that we are here to stay, that Louisiana is a  reliable place to do business," Stelly said. "That was such an important  thing for us. As other states began dropping off, we gave more  stability to what we were doing here in Louisiana."<br /><br /> Since the film tax credits were introduced in 2002, movie production  hubs have popped up in cities across the state, including Shreveport,  Lafayette and Baton Rouge. But New Orleans continues to see most of the  activity. This year 45 projects &mdash; almost half of all those filmed in the  state &mdash; were shot in the New Orleans area.<br /><br /> Most of the projects being filmed in New Orleans have a minimum $40  million budget, said Katie Williams, director of Film New Orleans, the  department under the mayor's office of cultural economy that handles  film and video projects.<br /><br /> "Every year we're getting bigger projects with bigger budgets and  higher level actors," Williams said. "It really shows the maturation of  our industry."<br /><br /> Among the projects heading to New Orleans in coming months is "Maersk  Alabama", the real-life pirate drama being directed by Oscar-nominated  director Paul Greengrass. Hanks will play Capt. Richard Phillips, who  was kidnapped along with his crew when his ship was hijacked by Somali  pirates on its way to a Kenyan port in 2009. The film is being based on a  book Phillips wrote about the rescue, "A Captain's Duty: Somali  Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea."<br /><br /> Filming is expected to begin in February, Williams said.<br /><br /> Production will begin on "Now You See Me" in mid-January. That film  is about a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their  performances and stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman,  Isla Fisher, Michael Caine and Mark Ruffalo.<br /><br /> "Broken City" is about an ex-cop who trails the wife of New York  City's mayor only to become immersed in a scandal. It stars Wahlberg,  Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The film is currently in  production in the New Orleans area and is due out in theaters in 2013.<br /><br /> Despite its successes, the film industry has not been without  problems. Former state film commissioner Mark Smith pleaded guilty in  2007 to taking about $65,000 in bribes to help inflate tax credits. He  served two years in federal prison. Malcolm Petal, producer of "Bug,"  ''Factory Girl" and "Mr. Brooks," pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe  Smith. He was sentenced to five years in prison.<br /><br /> In 2007, a state law tightened oversight of the program, which  provides tax credits to production companies that use goods and services  while shooting in Louisiana.<br /><br /> Just last month, a crew member working on the set of the Paramount  Pictures film "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" was killed in what the studio is  calling an unusual accident. Paramount spokeswoman Virginia Lam said  the Louisiana crew member, Michael "Mike" Huber, was killed Nov. 22 on  set in New Orleans. She would not comment to The Associated Press on the  circumstances surrounding his death but said the studio is fully  cooperating with the investigation.<br /><br /> The sequel, which stars Bruce Willis, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Channing Tatum, is scheduled for release in the summer.<br /><br /> SOURCE:<br /><br /> <a style="" href="http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/louisiana-sees-surge-in-tv-film/789550e9fca5418fb15aea8104c5f99a" target="_blank">http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/louisiana-sees-surge-in-tv-film/789550e9fca5418fb15aea8104c5f99a</a><br /><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Food for Thought]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/food-for-thought2.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/food-for-thought2.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:48:51 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/12/food-for-thought2.html</guid><description><![CDATA["When the time to perform has come, the time to prepare has passed."Travel Light!   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">"When the time to perform has come, the time to prepare has passed."<br /><br /><span>Travel Light!</span><br /><br /><span></span><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[StevenJWilson.com]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/stevenjwilsoncom.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/stevenjwilsoncom.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:53:41 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/stevenjwilsoncom.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I made some changes to my website. I hope you like it. You will see a few more changes in the coming weeks. Be sure to stop by and check it out!Travel Light!   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; "><span>I made some changes to my website. I hope you like it.</span><span></span> You will see a few more changes in the coming weeks. Be sure to stop by and check it out!<br /><br /><span>Travel Light!</span><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Day Light Savings Time]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/day-light-savings-time.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/day-light-savings-time.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:31:38 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/11/day-light-savings-time.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I cant stand when the times changes. I am glad my phone automatically changes the time because I totally forgot! It is only a little after 8 and it feels much later. I prefer having more day light so I can workout etc. Being able to enjoy any day no matter how much or little sun light I have is alright with me though.Take Care!   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">I cant stand when the times changes. I am glad my phone automatically changes the time because I totally forgot! It is only a little after 8 and it feels much later. I prefer having more day light so I can workout etc. Being able to enjoy any day no matter how much or little sun light I have is alright with me though.<br /><br /><span>Take Care!</span><br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Show The Walking Dead Comes On Today]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/my-show-the-walking-dead-comes-on-today.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/my-show-the-walking-dead-comes-on-today.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 30 Oct 2011 17:52:27 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/my-show-the-walking-dead-comes-on-today.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I am so hooked on this show. It is very entertaining and exciting! Is it sad that if the world gets over run with the walking dead that I know exactly what I would do, where I go and how to survive hahahaha! Lets hope we never have to know what it would be like for that to happen. Well I have several minutes until the show starts so until next time, take care!   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">I am so hooked on this show. It is very entertaining and exciting! Is it sad that if the world gets over run with the walking dead that I know exactly what I would do, where I go and how to survive hahahaha! Lets hope we never have to know what it would be like for that to happen. Well I have several minutes until the show starts so until next time, take care!<br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[AMC's The Walking Dead]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/amcs-the-walking-dead.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/amcs-the-walking-dead.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:07:32 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/amcs-the-walking-dead.html</guid><description><![CDATA[This has become one of my all time favorite TV shows! I caught the marathon last week and was glued to the TV all day until the season premiere. I cant stand waiting all week to see what is going to happen next! If you haven't seen it yet you should definitely check it out at http://www.amctv.com .   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">This has become one of my all time favorite TV shows! I caught the marathon last week and was glued to the TV all day until the season premiere. I cant stand waiting all week to see what is going to happen next! If you haven't seen it yet you should definitely check it out at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amctv.com">http://www.amctv.com</a> .<br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Back in New Orleans!!!]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/back-in-new-orleans.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/back-in-new-orleans.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:15:07 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenjwilson.com/1/post/2011/10/back-in-new-orleans.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I've been back in New Orleans for 3 months now! I have meet some great people in the industry and feel great about my future while I'm in N.O. There is a lot going on here and it will continue to grow! For more info on what is going on in N.O. presently or to come check out http://www.filmneworleans.org/site.php .   [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div  class="paragraph editable-text" style=" text-align: left; ">I've been back in New Orleans for 3 months now! I have meet some great people in the industry and feel great about my future while I'm in N.O. There is a lot going on here and it will continue to grow! For more info on what is going on in N.O. presently or to come check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.filmneworleans.org/site.php">http://www.filmneworleans.org/site.php</a> .<br /></div>  ]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>

