Michigan Film Indusrty News

July 26, 2010


Open Casting Call


THURSDAY JULY 29
Time: 1pm – 3pm Each Day
Location: West Michigan Film Office
741 Kenmoor Ave Suite E
Grand Rapids, MI
Talent Compensation:

Day rate= $75/ 8 hours + overtime

How to Apply:

Come to EITHER ONE of the open casting days anytime between 1pm & 3pm.
Michigan residents who wish to be considered as Featured Extras in Paying Roles on
“Touchback” & future projects, will fill out an application, have a photo taken and
register as a background actor.
JR Galactic Casting Directors will cast “on the spot” for shooting dates in August.


FOR MORE INFO VISIT: WWW.JRGALACTIC.COM

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The Story "Day with The President"

Dawn Butler http://fxmakeupbydawn.com/

I was greeted at the door after finally being allowed to pass through the gate - needing to give verification of who I was and why I was there.

After being searched personally as well as all my makeup cases a Secret Service Agent escorted me to a very small room in which I was to do the Presidents makeup. I asked about pictures or autographs and was told I could take a picture of the back portion of Airforce 1 only! After starting to set up my products, the producer of NBC universal asked me to pack up again and go with him to the NBC rolling studio for makeup on Chuck Todd first. There were at least 20 Secret Service, State Police and/or marine personnel guarding the area. After completing Mr. Todd's makeup I returned to my small room.


After returning from Holland in the helicopter, the president was escorted in to see me. I was instructed to stay in the room as he arrived and not to come into the hallway. He shook my hand and said it was nice to meet me then sat down in my directors chair. After offering him a bottle of water and asking if there were any special instructions or allergies I needed to be aware of, I started cleaning off his face.
He inquired as to whether I did this full time and I said "yes I am because of our film tax incentives I do, and it has given me an opportunity to work with a number of great celebrities such as himself." He asked " who were some of them?" I named Neil Cavouto, Joan London, 50 Cent, and Lee Majors. To that, he said "I remember Lee Majors, the Six Million Dollar Man! He was on TV back when I was about 10!"


About that time I finished up with his powder and he asked if I minded staying for a bit while they did the interview just in case he needed a touchup? I stayed in my room until he was about to board Airforce 1 again, then was able to come out and watch him leave.


I was then escorted outside again and thanked many times over for coming.

What a day!

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My name is Anthony L. Stubbs,

I'm the CEO of Star Entertainment, LLC. We are a Grand Rapids home based film and publishing company. Also I'm the Author the best selling novel "Trouble Ahead Trouble Behind" which we are presently filming and turning the book into a movie.

As it stand I have the Rapper/Actor Beanie Segil not only in the movie but he is also an share holder and has already filmed his roll in the movie. He last starred in 'State Property 2' which that movie alone brought in over 32 million dollars. The good news is Beanie Segil owns State Property and he is willing to do 'State Property 3' right here in Grand Rapids Michigan if he feels we can handle the job.

Therefore what I am trying to do is put together an outstanding film crew not only to help film "Trouble Ahead Trouble Behind' but to help others get recognition and established for 'State Property 3'. Everything will be done on CONTRACT.

Star Entertainment is also looking for any food venues who can provide food and drinks periodically as part of their schedule. Most importantly we are looking for a great camera and lightening person who has their own equipment.

Thank you please respond to: ainmentllc@gmail.com

The sooner the better!

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TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL ADDS MORE FILMS TO LINE-UP

Record Breaking First Day Ticket Sales

TRAVERSE CITY, MI (July 21, 2010) ¬ Now in its sixth year, the Traverse City Film Festival has announced a record-breaking 30,000 tickets on the first day of ticket sales, selling out 17 screenings within minutes of the tickets going on sale online to the Friends of the Film Festival. Due to popular demand, the festival has added six screenings of sold-out shows to its sixth annual schedule of events. Here are the additions:

"Nowhere Boy"
Opening Night Screening
Tuesday, July 27 at 10 p.m., State Theatre

"Castaway on the Moon"
Wednesday, July 28 at noon, City Opera House

"Heartbreaker"
Wednesday, July 28 at noon, Lars Hockstad

"Cane Toads: The Conquest"
Thursday, July 29 at 6 p.m., Lars Hockstad

"The Infidel"
Thursday, July 29 at 9 p.m., Lars Hockstad

"His & Hers"
Thursday, July 29 at 3 pm, Milliken Auditorium

Admission prices to regular movies are $9.50 and opening and closing night tickets are $25. Tickets are available for purchase at the box office at 300 E. Front Street in Radio Center, online at www.traversecityfilmfest.org, or call the box office at 231-922-8903.

The Traverse City Film Festival will take place July 27 to August 1. For a full schedule of events please visit www.traversecityfilmfest.org.

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Hello Rick,


Our lead actor has a three year old and a six month old baby. We are looking to put him in a house. A condo would be find if there is outdoor yard space for the children to run around. We would like it to be in close driving distance to a grocery store. Let me know anything you can find. We greatly appreciate it.

Best,

Alexandria

Need Ideas to rick@wmta.org


Man-about-town Aziz Ansari spotted around Grand Rapids
during breaks from filming '30 Minutes or Less'
MLive.com, 07/21/10

Grand Rapids prepares for largest film shot in West MichiganWZZM
GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)-- A few streets in Grand Rapids will be closed Thursday as filming gets underway for the most expensive movie ever made in West Michigan ...

check out our new site
www.wmfilm.org

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Cost Effective Film Production in Michigan

Michigan Film and Television Professionals


Writers, editors, camera, producers,directors--anyone who has an interest in the film or television industries who work or would like to work in Michigan. It is a place to share information and job leads.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2139570

Film Industry Gains Financial Benefits in Michigan

April 2008 legislation helped to bring the motion picture industry to Michigan. It has had a positive impact on the local economy, creating jobs and bringing the best and brightest back to Michigan.

Fast Facts
*

Must spend at least $50,000 in Michigan to be eligible.
*

40% refundable tax credit, across the board on Michigan expenditures.
*

Claim an extra 2% if filming in one of the 103 Core Communities in Michigan (click the link to download and print a map of the core communities).
*

Labor and Crew: 40%-42% Resident Below the Line. 40%-42% Above the Line regardless of domicile. 30% Non-resident Below the Line.
*

$2 million salary cap per employee per production. There is no other cap and no sunset.

For more information go to http://www.michiganfilmoffice.org/Production-Directory/FAQs/Default.aspx

Michigan in fight for film jobs

Michigan in fight for film jobs
Infrastructure improvements touted to give state competitive edge
Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News

Manhattan Beach, Calif. -- If there ever were an exemplary home of Tinseltown magic, it's here at Raleigh Studios' hangar-like sound stages.

In one of these 25,000-square-foot behemoths, special effects masters are working on the futuristic set of "Iron Man 2." Nearby, the phony morgue drawers for the CBS drama "CSI: Miami" await cadavers du jour.

But movie-goers and television watchers wouldn't ever know that the worlds created for big and small screen alike are in the studio just off a traffic-jammed freeway southwest of downtown Los Angeles. For all they know, the filming could've been done on location.


Or in Louisiana. Or Missouri. Or New Mexico. And soon, maybe even in Michigan.

While the Great Lakes State has the nation's most aggressive tax break for entertainment producers, it's far from the only suitor vying for attention from a sector that's estimated to generate some $60 billion annually. And it's not the first.

"When producers are looking at where to take their projects, they've got a lot of options," said Michael Moore, chief executive of Raleigh Studios, which has locations in Shreveport, La., Budapest and L.A.

Moore's company is also set to run Motown Motion Picture Studios, the massive moviemaking project slated to take the place of a defunct General Motors Corp. facility in Pontiac.

While every state rolls out the red carpet for production crews, a handful -- especially those looking to diversify their economies or kick-start new growth -- are giving the industry a generous helping hand to bring business within their borders. New Mexico was one of the earliest contenders to steal Hollywood's thunder; there, Gov. Bill Richardson spearheaded the creation of a 25 percent rebate program in 2002.

Since then, thousands of film and television jobs moved from the hazy sprawl of Los Angeles to the deserts around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, where studios and production facilities have sprouted up, helping to draw business away from the Golden State.

In Louisiana, where filmmakers can get tax credits worth up to 35 percent of qualifying expenses, sound stages have sprung up quickly, too. Production is up, and many of the mechanisms of a surrounding support industry -- post-production facilities, special-effects outfits and consulting agencies -- are opening and growing, centered around Shreveport.

But tax credits and rebates aren't enough to move a critical mass of Hollywood to Michigan.

"States have to start thinking long-term," said Jimmy Lifton, founder of Unity Studios, the multimillion dollar studio and production facility slated to open this year on the site of a shut-down Visteon plant in Allen Park. "There needs to be an infrastructure to support year-round production."

Lifton is just one proponent -- and investor -- in the strategy of building out the industry here in Michigan, by creating facilities, a talent pool and support industries that will, should everything go as planned, keep as much work as possible here, instead of farming some back to California or other states with a larger infrastructure already in place.

The state's tax credit program gives a 25 percent credit for building out infrastructure, which will help add to limited facilities already in the state.

Both Lifton's project and the one in Pontiac include noncore components such as training programs to build an in-state work force and post-production facilities that will allow functions such as film editing and processing to be performed here.

"The key is getting the state to the point where it's not a drop-in center," said Lifton. "It's about getting as many moving parts of the business to Michigan as possible.

"It's not building a business. It's building an industry."