At 50,000 feet, the Future of the film and video industry in the Pacific Northwest is looking, wellup. But its not exactly even-steven between the three major metropolitan areas that make up the bulk of film and production work in the region. The British Columbia Film Commissions Web site posts seven feature fi lms, five movie-of-the-week TV series, two short films, and a myriad of commercials as it continues to reign as the heavyweight champion of the production industry here. Its clear that the rest of the region will need to do some fancy footwork in the Future to lure out-of-state production dollars to their local communities but the dancing has begun.
Bob Schmaling, project manager of the Oregon Film & Video Office, talks about the growing impact of three newly established production incentive programs in his state the Oregon Production Investment Fund, which offers qualifying productions a 10 percent rebate on production expenditures in Oregon; the Greenl ight Oregon Labor Rebate, which rebates approximately six percent of qualified wages to productions and Greenlight Oregon Vendor Rebate, a vendor-paid incentive program designed to offer another 10 percent rebate on goods and services purchased from participating vendors. Projections for next year are an estimated $12 million in revenue and $4 million in rebates.
Washington State has been without a feature film or network TV series for the last three years and has seen its industry revenue decline from $50 million in 2000 to $13 million in 2004, according to Suzy Kellet, director of the Washington Film Office. But now its on the road to repair. Washington Governor Christine Gregoire just signed a new competitiveness program, which creates a $3.5 million film fund to rebate motion picture productions up to $1 million per project. Qualified productions must meet specific spending thresholds to guarantee that money is left behind in state, namely $500,000 for fe ature films, $300,000 for television productions and $250,000 for commercials.
Beyond the dollars, there are some emerging Trends and areas to watch. All three fi lm offi ces talk about the switch from location-driven production work to cost-driven production work. What used to be location, location, location is now just location. And, if the budget calls for it, producers nowadays will do a find and replace in the script.
Newer Technologies, like game development, are merging with film and video production with live action and animation marrying up to create digital motion pictures. And because this new combination of technology does not require facilities-based production resources, it levels the production playing field between the local markets.
The Pacific Northwest is also experiencing a vibrant indie film movement. While the monetary impact of this remains low, it has potential to burgeon. Pacific Northwest film offices report that adventure prod uction is on an upward trajectory, as are reality-based TV programs as well as specials such as the Subaru Primal Quest and others. Foreign production is also on the rise. And fi nally, just as you might expect, politeness, friendliness, and a strong work ethic will remain a high priority for those involved in the film and video production business in the Pacific Northwest in the Future just as it is today.
On the ground and in the trenches, the Future of the film and production industry in the Pacific Northwest takes the form of the dream and vision of its leaders. Ask any one of them the same question and youll get a different, but interesting answer.
Matt Chan, president of Screaming Flea Productions, a Seattle-based fi lm and video production company that develops and produces entertainment programming for cable channels, such as Knievels Wild Ride for A&E and Gardening by the Yard now in its 12th season for HGTV offers his thoughts.
With new Technologies and the ability to deliver programming through iPods, handhelds, and cable companies, theres a whole new world of opportunity for production companies who are able to develop and deliver signature programs. Its like the Wild West right now. If youve got a good idea, and you know how to read the marketplace, youre in business. Per Chan, good ideas are the currency of tomorrows production business, and derivative works wont cut it.
So many people come to me and say, I have a show idea, and its just like (insert name of an existing show), says Chan. So why would I want to produce it? Its already out there, and believe me, the second version is never as good, or well received as the first. Its the new ideas that will make the waves.
In Portland, Juliana Lukasik, the owner and executive producer for @Large Films, a full-service production company in the commercial arena with work for clients like Nike, Miller Paint and Taco Time, talks about growth po tential for her company in the Advertising and marketing world.
For me, Advertising is an indicator, and its definitely on the rise here in Portland. We just had our best year ever. Advertisers are looking for new and different ways to reach people, and the door is open for us to partner with them in a new way. To be creative problem solvers for them. Its not just about the technology and the mass of choices in delivery mechanisms. Its knowing which director would best suit the project and how and where to deliver a particular message.
While Lukasik says new technology allows more people to enter the prod uction business, and provides them with the chance to follow their passion, she says that knowing how to tell a story matters most.
People think its easy to make films, because the cameras are affordable, and portable, and you can edit at home on your computer. But you have to know how to tell a story. True artists will always make it through, but I can tell you from experience that its difficult to make a living at it and I dont see that changing any time soon. When asked what she would like to see happen in the Future, Lukasik says that she wants more director reels from women. There just arent a lot of women directors out there now. Maybe the Future will bring more.
The Web site for Food Chain Films opens with a picture of a raw T-bone steak. The image provides a constant reminder, says David Cress, executive producer and owner of the company, that the production business is competitive. In this business, you never know where you are in the food chain. P eople cycle in and out of popularity, and you have to stay on your toes. To be successful, you have to be able to custom tailor yourself to the new models and modes of communication. My hope is that the most creative wins. Cress sees the Future as interesting especially with regard to Content because the rules have changed.
Time formats are different now, and so are the rules about what you can say or do in a public forum. You dont have to be locked into 30-second TV commercial thinking. Cress tries to keep his mind open and his thinking flexible when he talks with clients about production and ways to leverage the work he does for them.
We recently worked on a scratch ticket campaign with Border, Perrin & Norrander for the Oregon State Lottery. It was a spoofy piece involving a fruitcake toss and some original songs that were quite funny. As the work unfolded, new opportunities just popped up along the way so we took advantage of them. For example, I included a photo shoot in the production so that my client could get some still pictures of the fruitcake. Then after the commercial aired, the agency put together a CD of the songs, slapped the picture from the shoot on the cover, and sent it out to all the local radio stations. People actually called in with requests for the fruitcake songs. Cress says that advertisers of the Future want integrated messaging and less intrusive Advertising. What would you want to watch? And that kind of pressure, he says, invites new creativity for those in the business.
Deborah Narine, executive producer and owner of SpyGirl Productions, a Seattlebased film and video production company that produces commercials, corporate videos, documentaries and TV programming, says that the industrys new-found ab ility to be comfortable with newer Technologies both in developing and in delivering their work is driving a change in the type of Content created. Technology is allowing us to grow in ways we never thought possible, says Narine. Just think how far weve come from Roger Rabbit to The Matrix.
And the ways people receive messages is changing exponentially too. A good producer is tactical. The world is full of sophisticated consumers. Take a look at what they watch in the theater, on their iPods, or computer. We have to speak to them on a level theyll listen to, and we have to be relevant to their world, she says. Connecting with the audience is something Narine is passionate about.
We were all affected by 9/11, she explained. It made us come closer together. People understand now that moments matter. While theres always room for the great rug pull (humor), the Future I see is one where human stories are told. Through reality TV, and in producing film and video that allows people to make an emotional connection with what theyre watching. For Narine, its the messaging that focuses on human truths that will make the most impact in the Future.
Because in a world immersed in commercials and constant change, all of us seek to find that place where we can relate, where its safe, and we can be happy. Narine believes that Advertising of the Future will have to work harder, and also, that theres a new requirement for producers to create real-life human impact, or it wont be watched.
At 5:45 p.m. one January afternoon in Vancouver, B.C., Stewart Bethune, production manager of X-3 (working title for the third X-Men by FOX Pictures) is just leaving his office for the day. X-3 headed to post production in L.A. after a year of shooting and editing i n Vancouver. The production crew is catching its breath, but only for a moment.
The Future in Vancouver is good. Great in fact. For the last four to five years, FOX has been producing all its films here, says Bethune who also began gearing up for the Fantastic Four sequel in March. According to Bethune, the trend for blockbuster action hero films isnt subsiding anytime soon.
Theres a large audience for this sort of materialanyone from age 11 to 29. Im not just talking about the Marvel stuff. Theres Narnia, and Harry Potter. Its just a huge, and highly engaged audience. Bethune says that hes seeing a lot more CGI work than in the past. Upwards of 25 percent of a movie might be comprised of CGI today. But mega movies such as X Men have a downside too.
Theres always a risk that the movie wont turn out as a blockbuster, and with $100 million-plus spent, thats a big loss. And the production of a blockbuster takes up a good portion of the local talent, so that prohibits smaller productions from accessing local production resources. When I asked him if he thought that the movie business of the Future would become even more CGI focused, he offered his personal feelings.
For me, I think people kids and adults will eventually hunger for real stuff. What were doing is cool, and trendy and interesting to watch, but people are savvy. Theyll want real images again. And real faces. But then again, maybe Im just a romantic.
31summer 2006 create magazine
Victoria Likes is a freelance writer and owner of FeatherWrite - a creative, writing and marketing services business. http://www.featherwrite.com
Author:: Victoria Likes
Keywords:: Trends, Film Production, Video Production, Future, Technologies, Audiences, Content, Advertising< /a>
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