Broad-based, cooperative industry efforts have been brought to bear on two key fronts.
A couple of decision days are fast approaching for New York, both of which have entailed a coming together of the Big Apple commercialmaking community in order to lay the groundwork for what it hopes will be favorable outcomes.
For one, the industry is keeping a watchful eye on the New York State budget negotiations for fiscal year 2005-’06. High on the wish list is that the fiscal year budget–covering July 1, 2005-June 30, ’06–will include a measure calling for a tax credit designed to help New York keep and attract more spot filming. If passed, the measure would be the first in the country exclusively dedicated to commercial production.
Meanwhile, on July 6, a decision is expected to be made on the host city for the 2012 Summer Olympics. New York City is on the shortlist, and is America’s candidate for the gig, which would generate significant revenue for Gotham’s economy. However, at press time, a pivotal vote on a stadium proposed for the West Side of Manhattan had been delayed; that postponement could hurt New York’s chances to win the ’12 Olympics.
On both the filming incentive and the Olympic fronts, the spot biz has made a major push, much of it behind the scenes, underscoring how grassroots industry movements in New York can help to bring about a greater good for the community at large. Whatever the bottom-line decisions turn out to be, the process of getting these initiatives to their current status speaks volumes about the New York community’s ability to unite and adopt an effective proactive stance.
TAX CREDIT
A standalone anti-runaway production bill was being considered at press time that would create a tax credit targeting commercials. A key supporter is Assemblyman Joseph Morelle (D-Rochester) who prior to the measure’s formal introduction enlisted more than 20 other State Assembly co-sponsors. Morelle chairs the Assembly’s Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee.
High-profile backing has also materialized in the State Senate. House majority leader and president pro tem Sen. Joseph L. Bruno (R-Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties) is a major supporter as are others, including Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn).
As SHOOT went to press, legislative budget jockeying and talks over the measure’s language were ongoing. Suffice it to say that if passed, the tax credit would apply to certain below-the-line expenditures. Matt Miller, president/CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), noted that the credit could cause many producers to view a significantly greater number of jobs as being economically viable to shoot in New York–projects that previously wouldn’t have been regarded as such.
Even if the tax credit incentive doesn’t gain immediate passage, the considerable legislator support garnered for the proposal bodes well for its prospects down the road.
The AICP and its members played instrumental roles in getting the tax credit initiative on the table. The impetus emerged from a setback last summer. In August ’04, the spotmaking industry suffered a major disappointment with the passage of an ambitious state anti-runaway production program that excluded commercials (SHOOT, 9/17/04, p. 1). That state program has New York contributing $100 million over the next four years ($25 million annually) in order to provide a 10 percent tax credit on below-the-line production costs for certain qualifying projects (feature films, TV movies, TV pilots and series episodes) shot in New York State. New York City then followed with its own credit to work in tandem with the state initiative. The city production tax incentive, which is tied to the state legislation, offers a five-percent refundable tax credit to those filming in New York City. That city program also excludes spots.
In response to commercials being given short shrift, the AICP immediately set out to help bring about a tax incentive bill specifically designed for spot production. During its December meeting in Los Angeles, the AICP national board offered full support for the effort, which entailed the hiring of a major national lobbying firm, Wilson, Elser, Moscowitz, Edelman & Dicker. The firm helped open some doors in Albany, enabling the AICP to present its case regarding the importance of commercialmaking to the New York economy.
Miller and AICP executive VP Steve Caplan went to Albany to meet with legislators, receiving positive feedback and support from members of both houses–and both political parties. A letter-writing campaign to key legislators followed, with AICP members urging them to back the spot filming incentive measure. Also coming on board in support of the initiative are the International Alliance of Theatrical State Employees, the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America.
SUMMER GAMES
The Summer Games campaign represents a refreshing juxtaposition of the relationship between government and the private sector. While the norm would be for the industry to ask government for help (i.e.–filming incentives), this time around the spotmaking community was responsive to the needs of city government when it came to New York’s bid to host the ’12 Summer Olympics.
First, New York City needed to woo the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The competition had come down to New York and San Francisco to become the candidate city in the U.S. for the ’12 Summer Games honor.
Representatives of New York and San Francisco were each given an hour to make their case before the USOC in November 2002. Part of what turned out to be the winning presentation for New York were five short films, each highlighting a different aspect of New York’s strength as an Olympic host candidate.
From production companies to post studios to music houses, actors and crews–nearly 700 individuals and companies from the spotmaking sector donated their services to make the promotional films. The directors behind this pro bono series of shorts were: Bob Giraldi of bicoastal Case Giraldi Media; Bryan Buckley of bicoastal/international Hungry Man; Lenard Dorfman and Robert Leacock of bicoastal/international @radical.media, who acted as co-directors on one of the films; Jeff Lovinger of Lovinger Mahoney Adelson, New York; and Samuel Bayer, then of bicoastal Mars Media–he has since joined bicoastal RSA USA.
As chronicled in SHOOT, AICP’s Miller, John Held, national executive director of the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE), and assorted spot industry players contributed to a marshalling of industry resources to help NYC2012, the civic organization charged with planning and executing the city’s Olympic pitch. Labor organizations donated their efforts, including the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, IATSE Locals 52, 161, 798, 829, 700 and 600, and the Teamsters. Rick Boyko, who at the time was chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather North America helped to assemble the aforementioned directorial talent and fleshed out concepts for the original films. Boyko is now managing director of the VCU AdCenter in Richmond, Va.
Among the New York houses donating their time and services to the shorts were 89 Editorial, Company 3, R!OT Manhattan, Bang Music, Sacred Noise, Quiet Man, Crew Cuts, Nice Shoes, HSR Studios, Sound Lounge, Ohio Edit and Snyder Music.
Shortly after the successful bid before the USOC, Miller estimated that if NYC2012 had to pay for the entire production, it would have cost the organization somewhere between $10 million and $15 million.
However, the industry’s work had only begun. After securing New York as the U.S. entry for ’12 Olympics host city, next was coming up with a campaign to help the Big Apple against a new set of foreign competitors–Paris, London, Lisbon and Moscow.
Ads spanning TV, radio, outdoor and guerilla marketing emerged to not only woo the International Olympic Committee but to drum up public support in New York. Helping to create the pro bono fare was a team that included: Boyko; Miller; John Hegarty, worldwide creative director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which has a New York office; @radical.media proprietor Jon Kamen; Michael Patti, chairman/CEO of Young & Rubicam; three DDB execs– chairman Keith Reinhard, Lee Garfinkel, chief creative officer of DDB New York , executive creative director John Russo, of DDB New York; Brian Collins, creative director at Ogilvy & Mather Brand Integration Group; Logan Wilmont, then managing partner/co-creative director of Kirshenbaum Bond+Partners, New York (KP+B), and Domenico Vitale, planning director of KP+B; and Robert Greenberg, founder of R/GA, New York.
R/GA was approached by the NYC2012 committee to serve as interactive ad shop for the project. The shop created a Web site for NYC2012, which included site sections devoted to the plans for the Games, the experience of the city in hosting large-scale events, and ways in which visitors to the site could support the bid. The site also included the so-called X-Plan, a 3-D map that details the International Olympic Committee’s specific bid plans. The X-Plan is available in nine different languages, and allowed visitors to explore all the proposed sites for events, what those sites are currently used for, as well as history about the areas. Earlier this month, the R/GA team added to the content with an interactive marketing component called “City of Dreams,” which allows users to share their dreams of the Olympics in New York, creating a virtual city of supporters. “During R/GA’s initial brainstorming process around the development of the NYC2012.com site,” explained Greenberg, “one of the key points that surfaced was creating ways to keep people engaged and encouraging them to return to the site. We thought that by using some of the attributes of the Web, we could create an interactive piece that led people to participate and share their ideas in support of the bid.
“Using the ‘Let the Dreams Begin’ campaign as a jumping off point,” he continued, “we came up with the idea of focusing on how the dreams of New Yorkers are similar to the aspirations of Olympians. R/GA translated that idea into a virtual interactive skyline that creates an experiential forum of shared ideas. As more people populate and share their dreams for why the 2012 games should be located in NYC, the skyline grows. We suggested the idea to our 2012 client and they thought it fit perfectly with their campaign messaging and provided a global, interactive forum for support.”
Greenberg noted that the NYC2012 committee did a great job of bringing companies and agencies together. “NYC2012 brought together a mix of all the right people, so it’s no surprise how well everything has come together, especially because all the agencies involved are New York-based and genuinely excited about the bid,” said Greenberg. “Everyone has also worked well together because TV and film are some of the most collaborative environments among the creative community.”
Among the directors involved in the TV campaign for the Olympic bid were Joe Pytka of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA, Frank Todaro, then of bicoastal/international @radical.media, who has since shifted his representation to bicoastal Moxie Pictures, and Rick LeMoine of @radical.media. New York shops as Mad River Post, Nice Shoes and Crew Cuts, also contributed to the project.