In this issue:
Links to OFVO website:
by Steve Oster
The recently completed legislative session was a very successful one for Oregon's film and video industry. With great appreciation to all of you who contacted your legislators or participated in Industry Day in Salem, the message about our industry's impact on Oregon's economy was heard loud and clear.
Governor Kulongoski, First Lady Mary Oberst, and several key legislators such as Senator Ryan Deckert and Senator Betsy Johnson were instrumental in helping to guide our legislation through during these last six months.
With their assistance, the Film Office marketing budget, which was zeroed out in the Ways and Means Co-Chair's budget, was restored to the full funding request that was included in the Governor's budget.
Additionally, the expansion of the Oregon Production Investment Fund (OPIF) passed both the House and Senate with a wide margin. This new legislation means that Oregon now offers production companies a 16.2% rebate on labor and a 20% rebate on goods and services purchased from Oregon-based companies.
The revised OPIF program also lowers the in-state spend requirement to $750,000 and expands the tax credits that the Film Office can sell in order to fund the program from $1 million to $5 million per year (see the "Tax Credit" article below).
These new rebates help keep Oregon competitive amongst the multitude of other states that are now offering new or expanded production incentives, and we have already started to experience an increase in the number of production inquiries.
by Susan Haley
At the request of Governor Kulongoski, Oregon's legislature has passed a bill expanding the Oregon Production Investment Fund. In addition to increasing the rebates available to production companies, the new legislation also expands the amount of tax credits that can be sold to fund the program.
Money is generated for the fund by offering tax credits against Oregon tax liability to individuals and businesses that contribute to the fund. When the program first started in 2005, the legislature had approved a maximum of $1 million in tax credits per year. Because these tax credits are offered at a discount, they quickly sold out through 2009. In a recent legislative session, the maximum amount of tax credits made available to fund the program was raised to $5 million per year, and 2007 and 2008 have already sold out. Tax years 2009, 2010 and 2011 have some credits available, but they are going very quickly!
This means that productions can start to take advantage of the new rebate program immediately.
Oregon's film and video industry generates approximately $475 million in direct economic output per year, and creates nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent positions. Recent productions have included "Untraceable" and "Feast of Love" - both Lakeshore productions; Gus Van Sant's recent Cannes Film Festival award-winner "Paranoid Park;" and "Into the Wild," produced and directed by Sean Penn.
Independent Alliance addresses hot topics in L.A.
by Kayla Thames-Berge
Beverly Hills, CA - The 2007 Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) production conference, held in mid-June, drew a large crowd with some familiar and many new faces.
The one-day event, put on by IFTA's Producers Committee, brings together key industry players to discuss current, important topics in independent filmmaking. Attendees include development, production and post-production executives, as well as producers, attorneys and financial advisors. As in previous years, the conference was held in the Rodeo Ballroom at the Beverly Hills hotel, a centrally-located venue for filmmakers in L.A. Kerry McCluggage, Chairman of Allumination Filmworks, provided this year's keynote address.
The opening panel, moderated by Pierre David, President & CEO of Imagination Worldwide, LLC, discussed marketing and distributing movies in the age of new, user-centered technologies. The panelists were Steve Bickel - President, Aura Entertainment; Nicholas Chartier - President, Voltage Pictures; Susan Cleary - VP & General Counsel, IFTA; Kirk D'Amico - President & CEO, Myriad Pictures; Richard Guardian - Co-President, :Lightning Entertainment; Pedro Rodriguez - President, IDC; Marcy Rubin - Sr. VP International Distribution, Cinetel Films, Inc.; and Michael Weiser - CEO, Pinnacle Entertainment.
The closing panel discussed the role incentives play in changing filmmakers' choices of production locations, with particular attention paid to aggressive, new U.S. initiatives that may rival Canada and elsewhere. Among the states mentioned were Connecticut, South Carolina, Louisiana and New Mexico. The panel moderator was Paul Hertzberg - President, Cinetel Films, Inc., and the panelists included Dama Chasle - Production Executive, Axium International; John Flock - President, Peace Arch Films; Lloyd Kaufmann - President, Troma Entertainment, Inc.; Kirk Shaw - President & CEO, Insight Film Studios, Inc.; Trevor Short - CEO, NuImage, Inc.; Jimmy Veres - President, Hearthstone Films; and Adrian Ward - President, Israel Discount Bank of New York.
The Oregon Film and Video Office was one of only four corporate sponsors, and was the only film commission to sponsor the event. Oregon's L.A. Marketing Rep distributed information about the state's incentive program directly to the 300+ filmmakers in attendance.
Independent Film and Television Alliance production conference
Panelists at IFTA
Oregon: Suprise Star of PGA Seminar
by Kayla Thames-Berge
Los Angeles, CA - Producer Gary Kout touted the many benefits of filming in Oregon to his fellow panelists and filmmakers at a recent Producers Guild of America (PGA) Seminar, held in UCLA's James Bridges Theater in mid-June.
The seminar was put on by the Guild's FilmUSA Committee to bring PGA members the latest news on domestic tax incentives. The committee has a website for its members to receive information on filming incentives and legislative updates. Their goal is to "stem the tide" and slow the number of productions leaving the USA for strictly financial reasons.
"Many films leave the country for creative purposes, which all of us support," says Kathleen Courtney of the PGA's FilmUSA Committee. "Unfortunately, many productions are forced from this country solely due to cost. We encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with domestic production incentive information which can assist financiers in making the US a financially viable alternative. This is a cause which benefits each and every one of us, our communities and the United States of America."
Having recently filmed in Southern Oregon on the independent feature "My Name is Bruce," Kout contrasted his experience - a positive one - with those of producers who had less than positive experiences in several other states with incentive programs, and who faced issues such as content concerns, slow turnarounds on tax credits, difficulty finding buyers or brokers, trained crew availability, and other problems.
Kout experienced none of those problems and praised Oregon for its savvy film commission, ease of permitting, knowledgeable crew and vaired topographical options for location filming. He also stressed Oregon's direct, state-paid rebate program, and its quick turnaround, as contributing to the overall ease of filming in the state. Oregon Film's L.A. Rep was also on hand to answer questions about the incentive programs and gather leads for projects that could be right for the state.
Producers Guild of America Seminar in L.A.
by Joanne Lichtenstein, joanne@platformfestival.com
This is an important time for animation, with the rapid growth of technology changing the craft every day. The PLATFORM International Animation Festival, a major new U.S. event that debuted June 25-30 at the Portland Center for Performing Arts, provides a contemporary, non-commercial forum in which international animators can explore the new challenges and possibilities of the art form. A literal PLATFORM for artists, the Festival brought students, emerging and established animators together and featured a myriad of screenings and animation-related events. Renowned international judges gave awards in categories covering commercial and independent films, student animation and films for new platforms, including cell phones and the internet. The Festival also broke the boundaries into other art forms, including animated installations, comics, illustration, character and toy design, motion graphics, gallery art and music. A hotbed of animation and alternative arts, Portland was a natural fit to host PLATFORM.
Installation at PNCA for PLATFORM Animation Festival
It was a hot and sultry night...
by Jennifer Hundis
It was a strange night, overcast but comfortably warm. The forecasters threatened rain, and, although my bare shoulders felt a few drops, the rain never came.
On a Thursday in late June, hundreds gathered at PNCA in the Pearl District for a night of performance, art installations, short films, and a street party complete with elephant ears and marching band. The Platform International Animation Festival put together a one-night installation walk, taking viewers to various businesses in the Pearl that were hosting works by visiting artists.
Those opting to stay close roamed the large PNCA Commons space, taking in short films, installations or a performance such as Cloud Eye Control's "SUBTERRANEAN HEART." The Festival catalogue described the piece as "an original hyper-opera that integrates experimental animation, live music and performance." Other attendees ventured ouside of PNCA's space to watch animation pieces projected onto the adjacent building or participate in a live performance piece by PIKA PIKA.
The vibe was electric. The crowd was highly engaged in the art and with each other. The old and young alike seemed to be truly enjoying this unique event.
Before my visit to PLATFORM, my perception of animation was formed by a few favorite cartoons on Adult Swim and the mainstream shows that I'm forced to watch, mainly some combination of programming provided by the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. This festival radically challenges how one might define the term "animation." As is true of most art forms, there are really no limitations - expression will go as far as allowed by your imagination and the current (yet rapidly expanding) technology.
I am hopeful that this unique Festival will find its way back to Portland next year.
Crowd watching "SUBTERRANEAN HEART" at PNCA
Members of Cloud Eye Control
PIKA PIKA sets up for their evening performance
by Lana Veenker
Owner, Lana Veenker
Casting
Casting Director, "Paranoid Park"
"It's like being thrown in a blender for a week."
I was headed to France for the premiere of "Paranoid Park" at the Festival de Cannes, when a producer friend of mine offered that analogy.
And she was right. With screenings sometimes letting out past 1:00 am, parties going on until 5:00 am, and business meetings, networking and press conferences starting bright and early the next day, there was little time for sleep. Throw in a dash of jetlag and you're off and running.
Despite the chaotic schedule and outrageous Festival-influenced prices, Cannes was not only fun, but it accomplished what it set out to do: put films in front of those in a position to buy and distribute. Gus Van Sant's "Paranoid Park" fared well, picking up distribution in several countries and taking home the special Festival de Cannes "60th Anniversary Prize."
But what was most exciting about this year's Festival, for me, was the large number of attendees from Oregon. In addition to the 30+ crew and cast of our film, I counted several independent filmmakers such as Sean McGrath, Todd Robinson and Lara Cuddy, representing our fair state on the Cote d'Azur.
If this presence is any indication of the caliber of filmmaking coming out of Oregon -- and if it spreads the buzz about our state film incentives -- our star will be shining brighter on the other side of the Atlantic and beyond. I am grateful for the efforts of everyone who attended and who made Oregon look outstanding on the red carpet.
by Bruce Fleskes
"From One Rose," the new feature film from Fleskes & Flowers Film Services and The Portland Rose Festival, is an exercise in historical art that took twenty months to bring to the screen. "A lot of my friends didn't understand why I wanted to make this film - there seemed to be a cynical attitude amongst people who thought I was making a parade movie," says director Ira Flowers, "but that was not what Brian and I were doing."
With producer Brian Fleskes and the support of Marilyn Clint and Rachel Trice at the Portland Rose Festival, the team went on an exhaustive journey that would require 15-hour days, seven days per week, for 15 months. Marilyn Clint, in a blog entry in May of 2007, wrote, "To say this experience has far exceeded my initial expectations sounds woefully inadequate, even though I do say it several times a week. The sweat equity infused has been exponentially higher than the six-figure investment we've made."
The initial release of "From One Rose" on June 7th at the historic Hollywood Theatre was met with a rousing standing ovation. Over 470 people attended that first sold-out screening. One of the audience members was Shawn Levy, the film critic from The Oregonian, who wrote in his review, "'From One Rose' is more serious, thoughtful, moving and complex than anyone had any right to expect. It's a meditation on the intricate ways in which history affects both communities and individuals. And it explores that notion in such a handsome and intelligent fashion that it absorbed even a parade-averse cynic such as me."
"I'm really proud of this film," says producer Brian Fleskes. "It was an uphill battle, but we were successful in accomplishing our vision."
"From One Rose" will be playing at the Hotel DeLuxe on July 22nd and will begin a one-week run at The Living Room Theater starting July 27th.
For more information on "From One Rose," please visit:
www.rosefestival.org/events/motionpicture/
Premiere of "From One Rose"
by Ellen S. Thomas, Education Director at the Northwest Film Center
The latest of the Local Film Industry Community Nights was hosted by the Northwest Film Center and took place at the offices of Wieden and Kennedy who also helped underwrite the event.
The Northwest Film Center's Young Filmmakers Program was featured by way of a special presentation about its Pathways Video Project. This project, taking place this summer, is a special partnership in which at-risk youth produce a documentary about available entry-level employment opportunities in high-growth industries.
Presenters included Film Center Education Director Ellen Thomas, who is managing the project; Amy Parkhurst of Worksystems, Inc., who administers the worksforce development programs featured in the documentary through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor; Peggy Kendellan of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, who is helping to fund the documentary through RACC's Percent For Art program; filmmaker Brian Lindstrom, who is leading the youth through production; and Jaron McNeely, one of the youth filmmakers, who spoke eloquently about the need for young people with significant challenges in life to have positive outlets such as the Young Filmmakers Program.
The audience got a chance to preview a short excerpt from the film in which the young filmmakers introduce themselves and the project. A premiere of the completed documentary is planned for Fall 2007.
The remainder of the evening featured an informal discussion about Wieden+Kennedy's work across multiple mediums.
Kirk Iverson opened the discussion with an overview of what has been taking place behind those giant double doors. Over the past twenty-five years, W+K has grown from a local, single-office agency to an internationally-recognized leader in its field, with six offices on three continents, including London, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Amsterdam and their original office headquarters in Portland.
Iverson was joined by other W+K staffers representing W+K Digital/Interactive TV Broadcast, Joint (W+K's independent post house) and W+K Entertainment. A screening of current and recently completed work was followed by a question and answer session that covered topics such as repurposing content for the internet, multi-platform media integration and copyright issues that arise in this media-diverse world.
Join us for the next industry meeting at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday August 7, 2007. The August meeting is being hosted by Film Action Oregon and the Art Institute of Portland. The meeting is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30.
For complete details please visit our website.
Crowd at Wieden+Kennedy for Local Film Industry Night
Presentation by Wieden+Kennedy staff
by Jane Ridley
In keeping with Oregon's environmental stewardship, and with a future eye on sustainable practices, the Oregon Film and Video Office aims to provide incoming and local productions with an extensive Green Resource Guide to aid and abet the three "R's": reduce, reuse and recycle.
The OFVO is developing an easy-to-use guide, which will be organized by region and specific to the area in which any given show will shoot. We believe that this guide may encourage the greening of productions which will have an impact on both a local and global level.
Because most productions are short-lived, the long-term issues of their impact on the environment are not often of significant concern to filmmakers. Compared to many industries, film, video and television production is relatively green. However, there is no doubt that the pollutant and carbon footprints from this kind of work can be considerable: generators, set construction, extensive lighting needs, and the transportation and feeding of large crews. OFVO hopes to encourage greener alternatives by offering some additional choices on goods and services for those productions who wish to participate.
The creative content of some films, such as Warner Brother's "Syriana" and Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," drove these productions to be more environmentally conscioius.
"An Inconvenient Truth" hired a carbon-offsetting company in order to leave a carbon-neutral footprint during production and promotion of the film. In the same vein, Leonardo DiCaprio's new documentary "The 11th Hour" chose to use paperless press releases as part of a strategy to lower the production's environmental impact. The Wachowski brothers recycled 97% of the set materials for their "Matrix" films, even though the films did not have an explicit environmental message. Oregonian Matt Groening has won six Environmental Media Association awards for keeping environmental issues present in the content of "The Simpsons."
Whatever the motivation of producers to go green (or greener), our environment benefits all the same. Shelly Billik, VP of Environmental Initiatives at Warner Bros., says it well when describing "The 11th Hour":
"The 11th Hour" is the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how we've arrived at this moment - how we view our relationship with nature, how we live, how we impact the earth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. In Leonardo's words, we are in an environmental era - it is in our hands to make the difference towards a more habitable, healthy and sustainable world. [The film features] ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, and former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey, in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders discussing the most important issues that face our planet and people."
To keep the dialogue going, our Green Resource Guide will be offered to those interested and will supplement the materials we provide to both local and out-of-state productions. It will be available later this year.
OMPA - Oregon Media Production Association
2nd Thursday of the month at 6pm
MOPAN - Mid-Oregon Production Arts Network
2nd Wednesday of the month
COFVN - Central Oregon Film & Video Network
No regular meeting schedule
SOFAT - Southern Oregon Film and Television
Yahoo group - no regular meeting schedule