By Robert Goldrich
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. --At press time, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D-IL) was expected to sign into law a measure that will replace and significantly boost the existing financial incentive designed to encourage filming in Illinois. The incentive will no longer be confined to a tax credit on wages. Instead it will expand beyond that to cover virtually all production expenditures made in Illinois.
The new measure calls for a 20 percent tax credit on total Illinois production spending, nearly doubling the current program which provides a 25 percent wage-based tax credit on the first $25,000 earned by each Illinois resident (except the two highest paid artisans) working on a project being lensed in the state.
To qualify for the new incentive, minimum feature film and TV program production spending in Illinois would have to be greater than $100,000 per project. Minimum spending on a commercial or advertising-related project (such as branded content less than 30 minutes) has to exceed $50,000. The salary cap on wages eligible for the new credit will be raised to $100,000 per employee per production (without the exclusion of the two top Illinois-based wage earners).
Mark Androw, executive producer of Chicago-headquartered Story, a production house which also has offices in New York and Los Angeles, noted that on a $200,000 spot production job in Illinois, for example, the tax credit would amount to $40,000. If editing, post and visual effects were also done in the state, boosting the hypothetical ad project’s expenditures to $400,000 in Illinois, the resulting credit would be $80,000.
Androw, who is past national chairman of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) and a current board member of the Illinois Production Alliance (IPA), related that the tax credit is transferable and that there is a robust secondary market in which these credits are being bought by individuals and businesses with tax liability in Illinois. He estimated that the purchase price can generally amount to about 80 cents on the dollar, meaning that the aforementioned $40,000 credit could fetch $32,000 or more.
Production companies could choose to handle this tax credit in different ways. Androw noted that if the production house were getting back $32,000 on a job, it could for instance translate that into a reduced markup for the client, providing the advertiser and/or agency with an extra incentive to shoot in Illinois.
Androw sees this new measure as a boon for commercialmaking in Illinois–and for the rest of the country. Regarding the latter contention, he explained, “Other states may feel the need to keep up with what Illinois has done. We see states upping the incentives ante in order to have a competitive edge in attracting production. The Illinois measure raises the bar, which could prove to be good for shooting in other parts of the country that look to match or exceed what’s being done here.”
The new incentive initiative is slated to be retroactive to May 1, 2006 and run through December ’07.Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More