![]() ![]() “ GRTV and WKTV are the best resources for training and free equipment to those unsure of where to start or perhaps feel too old to return to college and start over,” says Potrykus. Locally, there are various resources available to both college students and professionals in the industry, in terms of equipment, workshops, networking and guidance. “Mostly, directors have stuck around, determined to continue making movies in their hometown without the interference of the regulations that come with a large-scale production,” he says. Calls to the Michigan Film and Digital Office became routed to the Michigan Tax Tribunal Office, she says.Īlthough Potrykus says many film crew members fled town for a more active filmmaking community somewhere across the country when filmmaking incentives left Michigan, he still sees a kind of determination and drive in those who have remained local. Snyder ended the Michigan film incentives program in 2015, Havens and her fellow filmmakers were left in the dark. The WMFVA made it their mission to connect film program students with professionals as well as workshops and worked to keep graduates local - rather than leaving for work in other states. Revenue to eligible projects - film, commercial and industrial - comes from selling the tax credit for up to 90 cents on the dollar and only to businesses in Michigan with a tax liability the company would like to reduce. The 2008 legislation was more generous, providing a 40-42% tax rebate, but excluded commercials and industrial projects. The currently proposed legislation is based on a tax credit that is not paid out from the state Treasury. Havens says the new proposed legislation would incentivize film, commercials and industrials. “Ironically, once Snyder made the film incentives a campaign issue, Republicans largely withdrew their support.” In 2008, that number jumped to 71 film projects, generating $125 million and creating over 2,700 jobs,” she says. “In 2007, two movies were shot in Michigan. Havens talks about the film incentives, designed to keep businesses and residents financially afloat. “The West Michigan media market was suddenly flooded with highly-skilled creatives, many who left the state to pursue work, but many who decided to stay and start their own companies,” Havens says. Deb Havens was a founding chair of the board of directors of the West Michigan Film Video Alliance (WMFVA), created in 2005, in response to layoffs from major production houses. They've preserved their 16 mm film production equipment, so they're able to educate younger generations on the exact process that filmmakers went through 100 years ago, which the overwhelming majority of film programs can't claim.”Īlthough many students still choose to study film and media, the local and regional scene these days looks a little different from when the Michigan film incentives existed. ![]() ![]() “It's the reason I originally attended as an undergrad. “GVSU has the best filmmaking program in the state,” he says. Potrykus works closely with the next generation of local and regional filmmakers as an assistant professor at the film & video department at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). He also writes for various filmmaking publications and develops screenplay notes and festival strategies for production companies. Joel Potrykus is a writer and director, making feature films and shorts for the past 25 years. Many up-and-coming as well as nationally-acclaimed filmmakers call Grand Rapids home, with the West Michigan region serving as the backdrop to their creative and commercial work. Within that identity, digital media and filmmaking live. Grand Rapids has a creative identity, with an underlying focus on the arts. ![]()
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