Michigan’s pool of skilled and unskilled labor along with the state’s attractive tax incentives for moviemakers have helped lure a $146 million film and television production complex to the Detroit area.
That’s very good news for the region, which has one of the country’s highest unemployment rates.
The complex will be built on 105 acres (42 hectares) in Allen Park, just outside Detroit, officials said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
Its eight sound stages will be housed in a 750,000-square-foot (69,677-square-meter) production and post-production facility. Equipment rentals, sound and music recording facilities and animation design also will be housed in the facility.
Allen Park beat out a location in Louisiana for the complex, said Unity Studios Inc. President Jimmy Lifton, a former Detroit area native.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place within 60 days with the studio going operational in October, Lifton told reporters, union members and Allen Park residents in city council chambers.
Michigan has been drawing more moviemakers since the tax incentives went into effect last year. The refundable movie tax credit of up to 42 percent on production expenses in the state is the most lucrative in the country.
Officials in February announced planned production studios in Detroit and Pontiac that are expected to bring thousands of jobs
Future Craft Launches Under The Aegis of EP Johnny Parker; Shop Forges Alliance With U.K.’s OB42
Executive producer Johnny Parker has launched Future Craft, a content production studio which opens with a directorial roster that includes Brennan Stasiewicz, Henry Mason, We the Grimshaws, Kai Kurve, Sune Sorensen, Tim Hamilton, Jennifer Roberts, Little Village, Marcus Lundin, and Shaunoh Wilson.
Parker had been at the helm of production company Hey Baby which after eight years in business has been reimagined as Future Craft, with an expansion into branded content including long-from, experiential and photography alongside and integrated with advertising campaigns. Central to this evolution is Future Craft’s partnership with OB42, a U.K. production shop headed by the sr. management team of Otis Bell and Clancie Brennan. Via their strategic alliance, Future Craft and OB42 will share talent resources and develop projects for both the U.S. and Europe.
Parker said, “Future Craft was built on creating a home for some of the most talented creatives in the industry. Forthcoming global partnerships will redefine the lines between commercial and entertainment storytelling. I can’t wait to usher Future Craft into the here and now.”
OB42’s managing director Brennan said, “Johnny’s reputation in the industry came highly recommended to Otis and I, and we are thrilled to share the same vision. Future Craft’s roster complements our strategy for pursuing more narrative led advertising while leaning into more emotional and human campaigns that resonate with a wider audience. We have already collaborated on numerous productions and look forward to many more.”
Future Craft’s strategic alliance with OB42 and its parent company 42 fosters cross-pollination between advertising and branded entertainment, with a widened talent pool for... Read More