BOSTON—The Massachusetts Film Office (MFO) has ceased operations. Kristine Graney Foye, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Economic Development, confirmed that the state film commission "officially closed on July 26 because of budgetary reasons."
As previously reported (SHOOT, 6/28, p. 1), the Massachusetts Senate’s Ways and Means Committee had unveiled a proposed $23.2 billion state spending plan for fiscal year 2003 (July 1, ’02-June 30, ’03) that did not include funding for the MFO. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) took action, transferring $25,000 in funds to the MFO so that the office could remain open through July while members of the state’s Senate and House of Representatives-two independent bodies-met in conference to hammer out a final budget (SHOOT, 7/12, p. 1). Given the fact that the proposed budget formulated by the House of Representatives actually did have funding-$496,000-for the MFO in fiscal year ’03, it appeared at least possible that the film office would survive. But, ultimately, the finalized budget-agreed upon last week-still did not include money for the MFO.
Members of the production community in Boston were stunned by the decision not to fund the MFO. "It’s insane. Economically, it’s a big mistake. This is going to drive a lot of production away," said R.J. Casey, executive producer of Redtree Productions, Boston, noting, "When we go on location, sometimes the determining factor is how helpful the state film office is."
Bob Hirsch, manager of film and video lighting for Boston’s High Output, agreed. "It sends a message to the production industry at large that if you come to Massachusetts, you’re on your own. There’s no doubt this is going to cost the state of Massachusetts millions of dollars."
Hirsch was active in urging his colleagues in the industry to take action to save this film office, orchestrating an email campaign to alert members of the production community to the situation and rallying them to take action.
Casey was one of those who heeded the call. "Collectively, we contacted our representatives directly. Everyone has been as vocal as we could be," Casey said. "Massachusetts politics never quite make sense to any of us. It’s just such a bizarre state when it comes to why things get done and why decisions get made."
According to Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office and chair of Film US, an organization of about 200 state and local film commissioners dedicated to promoting production in the U.S., "Massachusetts is the only state in the country right now without a film office operating within its borders. What happens if you don’t have a film office? My personal belief is you might get a little residual work based on marketing you’ve been doing the last couple of years or if they really need Boston [for a particular location]. But if they come in to shoot, and they don’t get the service they need, and they’re not getting things done easily and quickly, why would they come back?"
While Keezer could not speak to the specific impact production has on the Massachusetts economy, she said of the Pittsburgh Film Office, "We return $45 for every $1 invested in this office, and our budget is $400,000." Keezer conjectured that the rate of return in Massachusetts was even higher.
Previously, Dawson, who could not be reached for comment for this article, told SHOOT that for fiscal year ’02, the MFO had obtained $604,890 from the state, and that in fiscal year ’00, $73.7 million in revenue was generated from film and television productions in the state.
"When you’re working with the production industry—whether it be commercials, feature films, television, whatever—they’re coming in, spending money and leaving. You’re not building new roads, new schools, new infrastructure for them. It’s really a win for the area when they come in. So to shut down the organization that is charged with going out and marketing and attracting that production is a travesty," Keezer maintained.
Producers looking to shoot in Boston can now go to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism for assistance, Foye said. "The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is picking up some of the film office’s functions—one of which is they’ll field questions and refer them out. They’ll do what they can to assist, and for the questions they can’t assist with, they’ll refer those questions out to local convention and visitors bureaus."
