Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Patricia Reed Scott, commissioner of the Mayors Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, announced last week (1/20) that 1998 production expenditures in New York City hit new highs across the board for commercials, films and television. Direct expenditures for film and television production over the past five years have increased 78% over 93 expenditures.
Direct expenditures for New York commercial production were an estimated $277 million in 1998, an 11% increase from the $250 million spent in 97. Commercial shoot days came to 3,698, also up 11%, from 3,333 days in 97. Expenditures and shoot days for years prior to 97 were not available because the Mayors Office did not tally expenditures for commercial production before 97. The numbers for 97 and 98 do not account for spots done with computer graphics or animation; the Mayors Office estimates are based on location permits issued throughout the year and do not include in-house or studio work done throughout the city.
On the feature film front, direct expenditures were $993 million in 1998, up from $847 million in 97. Shoot days on features totaled 4,965 in 98, a rise from 4,236 in 97. In all, 221 feature films were lensed in New York last year as compared to 213 in 97. Those features included Nora Ephrons Youve Got Mail, an as yet untitled Michael Mann project starring Al Pacino, and Martin Scorseses Bringing Out the Dead, which stars Nicolas Cage.
Television expenditures in 1998 hit $1.25 billion, surpassing 97s haul of $1.23 billion. Television programs shot in New York include Law & Order and HBOs Oz. Shoot days for television jumped 222 days from 7,458 in 97 to 7,680 in 98.
The indirect economic impact of film and television production, calculated using a 2.3 multiplier, came to $5.9 billion, and the city reaped an estimated $257 million in taxes as a result of film and television expenditures. The combined direct expenditures represented by commercials, features and television in 1998 amounted to $2.5 billion.
With the increase in shooting days across the city, some residents have expressed their ire about productions that set up shop in certain city locations. To prevent neighborhoods from overloading, Scott explained, her office keeps a hot list of neighborhoods where shooting has occurred and works with community boards to ensure that filming is equitable. Mayor Giuliani urged New Yorkers to keep in mind the economic impact of production. When they suffer these interruptions, they should realize that it means a lot of jobs and growth for New York City, the mayor said.
Asked whether the Mayors Office would enter into a relationship with the recently formed New York Production Alliance, a nonprofit consortium formed by New York-based film industry firms and unions that will attempt to promote New York as a production location (SHOOT, 11/20/98, p. 1), Reed responded that her office would cooperate with NYPA in much the same way that we work with any other group or trade organization.
