film industry

RECENT POSTS

March 14, 2012 | 6:44 AM | By Dustin Dwyer

Midwest Memo: Ohio’s $900 Million Gas Plant, Ill. Primary And A Mining Bill That Won’t Quit

Gassed up Ohio will get a new $900 million natural gas processing plant, as the state’s boom in shale-gas drilling continues.

You’re next, Illinois Mitt Romney’s poor showing in Alabama and Missisippi seems to have heightened the importance of next week’s primary in Illinois. The Chicago Tribune reports the Romney campaign just bought another $1.35 million in ads in the Chicago market.

Politics behind consent Yesterday was a big day in the city of Detroit, as Michigan governor Rick Snyder released a proposed consent agreement to handle the city’s budget crisis. Partner station Michigan Radio takes a look at the politics behind the proposal.

Mining a new strategy Even though a controversial piece of legislation to allow mining in northern Wisconsin failed to get enough votes, and the company that wanted the mine has pulled out, some state Republicans are still fighting for the cause.

Ohio gets the bronze The Labor Department reports that Ohio had the third-largest increase in jobs in January. Only New York and Texas saw more jobs created in the first month of the year.

Camera-ready Partner station WBEZ looks into Chicago’s volatile, but growing film industry.

FILED UNDER: Midwest Memo, consent agreement, Detroit, drilling, emergency manager, film incentives, film industry, fracking, GOP primary, hydrofracking, mine, mining, Mitt Romney, natural gas, Primary, Republican primary, shale-gas, Wisconsin
July 13, 2011 | 12:41 PM | By Pete Bigelow

Midwest Memo: Cleveland hosts wind summit; Michigan tweaks film-credit incentives

Three stories making news across the Midwest today:

1. Cleveland hosts wind manufacturing summit. The Midwest is well-positioned to become a leader in manufacturing components for the burgeoning wind energy industry, but the region has had trouble gaining market share. In hopes of changing that dynamic, Cleveland will host a summit of more than 200 wind-industry leaders this week, according to our partner station Ideastream. Because the Midwest is already a hub for automotive and aviation manufacturers, many officials view the region as an ideal local for wind-component production.

2. Governor tweaks Michigan film incentives. The Michigan Film Office can now negotiate the size of credits offered to movie and television producers after Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill that allows for more flexibility. Currently, projects approved for credits automatically receive a 42 percent subsidy, according to partner station Michigan Radio. The new law does nothing to change a controversial $25 million cap that Snyder placed on the film-credit program for the upcoming fiscal year.

3. Illinois labor rule again under scrutiny. Illinois governor Pat Quinn would like lawmakers to reexamine the state’s labor rules for workers at McCormick Place in Chicago rather than wait for a ruling from a federal appeals court. “I don’t really want to wait on another court to make decisions,” Quinn told partner station WBEZ. “I think that often times just delays things.” The General Assembly passed legislation that allowed exhibitors to do more of their own set-ups for conventions instead of hiring union employees. Labor groups sued.

FILED UNDER: Government, Industry, Innovation, Cleveland, film industry, Illinois, Labor, manufacturing, Michigan, unions
July 5, 2011 | 12:40 PM | By Pete Bigelow

Midwest Memo: Factory orders jump in May; film industry flounders in Michigan

Three stories making news across the Midwest today:

1. Factory orders brighten economic hopes. Orders for manufactured goods rose 0.8 percent in May, an indicator that the U.S. manufacturing sector is growing. Driven by orders for aircraft and automobiles, the Commerce Department said Tuesday the gains came across a variety of industries. Economists viewed the data favorably, following a 0.9 percent drop in April orders.

2. Silver screen shrinks in Michigan. Four months after Gov. Rick Snyder curtailed incentives for filmmakers in Michigan, the state’s fledgling film industry is contracting. The Detroit Free Press reports the number of productions approved for tax credits decreased 43 percent from 2010. Businesses that depended on the credits are no longer hiring, and workers are looking elsewhere.

3. Pennsylvania waste becomes Ohio treasure. Records from the Department of Environmental Protection show that Pennsylvania drillers sent 14.8 million gallons of hydrofracking waste to the Buckeye State in the latter half of 2010. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Ohio could realize nearly $1 million in revenues from the drillers.

FILED UNDER: Government, Industry, film industry, manufacturing, Michigan, Ohio
April 7, 2011 | 3:37 PM | By Ida Lieszkovszky

Movies Crews Roll Back Into The Midwest

George Clooney (in the tan hat) filming "The Ides of March" in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Photo courtesy of Tana Weingartner.

Springtime in the Midwest means slightly less snow, hopefully more flowers, and movie crews rolling into town. We kicked off Changing Gears with several stories about the region’s efforts to attract movies to film here. Well, the movie buzz is back, although there are some questions about how long our film incentives may continue, given the poor economy.

Nonetheless, it’s finally warm enough to film in the Midwest again, and in several cities the cameras are already rolling. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Communities, News, film industry
September 20, 2010 | 7:30 AM | By Micki Maynard

How The Film Factory Looks From Outside The Theater

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It costs a lot to go to the movies these days, and to bring them to your state.

Many are questioning whether the Midwest is right to pursue film production, arguing that California still has the bulk of the $57 billion industry. It’s hard to replicate the infrastructure, from technical personnel to the labs needed for processing.

However, California’s grip may be loosening.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Government, Jobs, News, film industry, Michigan, The Film Factory