Geoff George, an experienced cinematographer and fine art photographer, also crafts vivid word images -- as shown by a stirring defense of Michigan film industry incentives, which are on the endangered list in Lansing.
"If the incentives leave town, a lot of wind will leave our sails," the Detroiter writes at Model D. "Suffocating a new industry before it can barely spread its wings would just be foolish."
George has worked as director of photography on nine short films and 15 music videos, including two for Insane Clown Posse. This year, he has been a second unit cinematographer on three feature films.
Geoff George: "The $50 million-a-year program amounts to less than one-tenth of one percent of the state budget." (Facebook photo)
His commentary defends "a simple program proven to create jobs, foster an emerging industry in multimedia and film, and reverse the brain drain by retaining young people in our communities."
Forget for a moment that the $50 million-a-year program amounts to less than one-tenth of one percent of the state budget. . . . This incentive is about employing people and fostering a new industry in the state. . . .
The film incentives ensure that film employees are consistently working.
But that's just the people on the film set and in the production office. Each film production utilizes an average of 60 different independent – and local – vendors for a shoot over the course of many weeks or months. Out-of-state talent spends money on food, clothes, entertainment, and other living expenses that are not factored in by the state. The impact is akin to having a major sporting event or convention in town, except for four to ten weeks instead of days.
Gov. Rick Snyder, who originally wanted the incentives eliminated, now says they shouldn't die abruptly.
"I don't view simply turning it off as the appropriate answer," he commented two weeks ago, Kathleen Gray writes in the Free Press.
"People have been relying on it and are making decisions based on it, so you do it in a gradual fashion because the industry should be self-sufficient at some point in the future.
George, a 2008 film and video studies honors graduate from the University of Michigan, cites Detroit examples of "how the film incentive has affected everyday, local folks:"
- Take a look at Franklin Furniture over on Loraine Street. . . . Several film and television productions have rented hundreds (if not thousands) of items from this local business.
- Take a look at Harmonie Park Music, which expanded and added five more employees thanks to film projects.
- Hop over to Detroit Manufacturing, which gained six new employees.
- Beyond Blue Productions made major investments in the city and brought aboard six new employees.
- Look at the tremendous impact on restaurants and hotels, which have benefited from thousands of room nights booked.
- Ask any of the property and business owners who were generously compensated for the use of their building or event space.
The filmmaking insider wraps up with this message for state senators considering a House-passed bill to kill the incentives:
With manufacturing jobs not nearly as plentiful as they once were, our state must find new avenues to enrich its citizens. . . . I'm hoping our legislators will open their eyes to the true impact this program has on Michigan.
-- Alan Stamm
