The 2000-’01 state budget signed by Gov. Gray Davis (D-Calif.) last month (6/30) includes his Film California First initiative designed to combat runaway production. As earlier reported (SHOOT, 5/26), the program will allocate $15 million annually for each of the next three years "to reimburse state and local [government] agencies for the costs they incur for television and film production in their jurisdictions."
This will translate into feature, TV, commercial and music video producers realizing certain key savings, including reimbursement of state and federal employee costs related to filming, and local public costs for fire services and non-police safety. For example, the program may apply to costs incurred for California Highway Patrol services that are required in order to film on state highways.
Under the program-which is slated for enactment this fall-the government entity where filming occurred can request reimbursement from the Film California First fund and/or the reimbursement can be requested by the production company. Film California First has the flexibility to apply funds toward filming in any part of California. That means producers can choose the best California locations for their projects. Local communities in turn benefit from these incentives through the job creation and positive economic impact generated by location shooting.
The Film California First fund will be administered by the California Trade & Commerce Agency’s Office of Economic Development, in concert with the California Film Commission (CFC). The CFC continues to issue free permits and does not charge a location fee for filming on state-owned and -controlled properties.
"Film California First sends an important message to filmmakers and producers that their industry plays a key role in California’s expanding economy," said CFC director Karen Constine. "Film California First will assist in making California a more attractive filming option overall, helping to retain and attract film business."
The program has received endorsements from several industry groups, including the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and Film U.S., an organization consisting of 196 local and state film commissioners. And several, including representatives of Film US and the DGA, have expressed hope that Film California First will prompt other states and even the federal government to follow suit in some form to help address the runaway issue (SHOOT, 5/26).
Film California First was the centerpiece of Davis’ package of anti-runaway production proposals. While the reimbursement program successfully made the final state budget, the Governor’s other two measures-the State Theatrical Arts Resources (STAR) Partnership, and the Film Incubator-did not. The latter would have apportioned state funds ($5 million over three years) for the building and maintenance of a high-tech facility in Los Angeles, offering producers opportunities for training and experimentation in the latest state-of-the-art filmmaking technologies. The STAR program-budgeted at nearly $160,000-would have expanded the inventory of state-owned facilities (i.e.-warehouses, prisons, state fair grounds) for filming, making producers aware of sites that before hadn’t been readily available.
News of the Film California First program being approved comes as a welcomed change of pace given other recent developments, including an increase in runaway spot production due to the actors’ strike. And as reported last week, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg proposed an initiative to ban filming of most spots on public and city-owned property for the duration of the strike. The outcome of the Los Angeles City Council meeting on that measure is covered in this issue of SHOOT (see "Ban On L.A. Spot Shoots Is Unlikely" by Robert Goldrich).
