But lurking underneath all the glamour of those high profile projects are the low-budget independents and theme films, and the story of 10 West Studios in Manistee is one that should not be overlooked while the debate rages about our state film incentives. The smaller, straight to DVD and/or cable films are producing quite a few jobs for us, as well as bringing money into local communities and students into local classrooms. (Original report from the Freep)
10 West Studios is geared for small-budget films that cost $15 million or less to make. The brains behind it, Harold Cronk and Matthew Tailford, had left Michigan several years ago to pursue careers in the movie industry in Los Angeles. But the two friends always wanted to return to the state they love and seized the opportunity to take their filmmaking skills to Michigan when the tax credits went into effect.
So far this year, 10 West has attracted three movies, all faith-based productions that might otherwise have gone to New Mexico or other states. Cronk and Tailford also are planning to start producing their own films in the area.
"We know what the independent filmmaker needs and wants," Tailford said. "We're quickly building a reputation as people who can get stuff done."
Besides jobs for local residents, the moviemaking has helped boost business for hotels, a caterer and other businesses in tourist-dependent Manistee. West Shore Community College in nearby Scottville even offered a training course in film production.
Cronk and Tailford have put $3 million into the studio, using their own savings and money from private investors. They have five full-time employees of their own, and now that there are Michigan citizens with film training and experience in the area, locals are being hired on new productions.
10 West faced its first big test in July, when filming started on the Christian family drama "What If ..." starring Kevin Sorbo, Kristy Swanson, Debby Ryan and others. In addition to bringing in equipment from Detroit, Tailford and Cronk spent months lining up vendors in Manistee to meet the film crew's needs. Particularly important: finding a good caterer who could handle a variety of food requests, often with little advance notice.
The duo also partnered with West Shore Community College in Scottville to set up a movie production training course for 30 students. For 10 West to thrive, it needs skilled local film crews, which keeps costs low for filmmakers.
These and other kinds of efforts are paying off. Just ask Michael Scott, a managing partner at Pure Flix Entertainment, which is making its third faith-based film in Manistee, thanks to 10 West.
To make the first movie, Scott flew in 30 people from Los Angeles, mistakenly thinking that Manistee lacked any film crews. For the second movie, most of these people stayed home.
Keep this in mind when legislators like Mickey "Lieberman" Switalski go on the radio to justify Lansing's attempts to cut the film industry. Switalksi and certain Republicans want to push the meme that "we end up subsidizing is people from out of state", meaning the big name stars (that are worth the weight of their salaries in publicity) and others, while they totally ignore these stories of all the local employment from smaller studios and independent production.
Actor Mike Manasseri is holding the "Rally to Save Michigan Film Incentives" at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac tonight, and he told WJR this morning that chatter coming from lawmakers in Lansing about changes to the industry incentives is causing producers to shy away from Michigan. Sven Gustafson backs up his story, and points out the bottom line here: If we don't do it, someone else will, and Michigan will lose out.
Just last week a business recruiter for a government economic development agency told me that Hollywood types tell him all the time that the state's waffling over whether to amend the credits drives the industry crazy and that many players won't touch Michigan until lawmakers settle the issue once and for all. Frankly, I've heard that complaint echoed countless times.
We can argue all we want over reforming overall corporate taxes and improving the business climate in Michigan. There are good arguments to be made there. And yes, I get it that the state is enacting a crazy patchwork of tax incentives that are leaving some sectors feeling snubbed, and that job-creation numbers don't always jibe with what was initially advertised to get the credits. It's a highly flawed system, no doubt.
But the reality is, every state is doing the same thing as they compete against one another for jobs and investment. We're stuck in a Catch-22: If we don't offer aggressive but flawed incentives to lure film or television production dollars here, some other state will. Period.
Whatever Lansing is going to do about this, they should do it fast. Leaving producers and studios up in the air is costing us jobs right now. Certainty needs to be brought to the industry, and once again the dithering from lawmakers is hurting the state. The Senate Republicans passed a "my way or the highway" cut to the industry when they made our deficit worse by tying this to the slashing the MBT surcharge, and that should be rejected outright. As long as we stay ahead of Louisiana we should do fine - but certain lawmakers need to be willing to compromise to keep these incentives largely intact.
We have a choice: Keep the credits pretty much where they are, or be prepared to lose this business entirely. But please, settle on something soon, so we can either keep creating jobs in Michigan, or start to help the creative class find employment in other states. Once again, the clock is ticking, and employers don't have time to wait for Lansing's silly partisan games to play out.