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Way back in 2004, the city announced its super duper special NYC Tax Credit Program for film and TV producers (as well as commercial, music video, etc.) in order to motivate productions to happen here, versus Los Angeles or (gasp) Toronto. And it worked really well: Lindsay Lohan made a movie, Martin Scorsese shot a set-in-Boston movie mostly here, CBS brought us Love Monkey (then cancelled it), there's another Dick Wolf TV, plus countless others. But now it turns out that the film credits were maybe too much of a good thing: The NY Times reports that the film credit program will be revised because the $50 million allocated for the program over four years has been sapped away in just 13 months! Who knew, a city program that was too good to be true?
The city is thinking about capping the credit for productions, plus limiting the amount of time the productions can get credits to three years. Notably, Queens and Brooklyn politicians, where Silvercup and Steiner Studios reign respectively, are hoping to stop any sort of caps or changes to the program, but some shows - cough cough various Law & Orders and The Sopranos - have received one quarter of the credits, which is crazy to think about, that the L&O juggernaut plus The Sopranos - which only filmed one season (or just about) during the credit - could account for 25% of the film and TV community in the city. Which means a great quote in the Times:
"First of all, the 'Law and Order' franchise single-handedly supported production in New York City when there was virtually no one else here," Jeff Zucker, chief executive of the NBC Universal Television Group, said in an interview on Friday. "To penalize them because they were holding up their end of the bargain long before anyone else seems patently unfair. In addition, there is another state next door that is begging for the 'Law and Order' productions."Ooh, that's quite a threat. But we'd imagine they'd still film the exteriors in the city, unless their cases start to become ones where suspects are extradited from the Garden State.
Looking at the Times' filming-in-NYC chart, we cannot imagine the city will do anything drastic with the program, but the Independent Budget Office has suggested ending the program. But we're more curious about whether or not Woody Allen will keep filming in London - if shooting there means better movies, we might be able to live with it.
Photograph of the Law & Order set at Chelsea Piers
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There was an article in the Brooklyn Papers this week about Brooklyn Heights residents' complaints about on-location filming in their neighborhood. The complaints led to a three-month ban on new film project permits in the Heights. You can read the PDF version of the article here.
Y'know... that photo really looks like it's from the Barney Miller set... minus the cage of course.
The credit does not apply to commercials or music videos. Only shows and movies
It makes no sense that a tax cut meant to bring in extra filming has a cap. So what if it's met it's allocation? If the logic is that they won't film here without the tax cut, then if you stop the program, they won't film anymore. but you're not saving anyone money. you're just not bringing in any.
So?
I see these crews everywhere. They close up an entire block, how is that helping local business?
They film from 12 am on with screeching cars and gun fire. Remember the buster poindexter HOT Hot hot video, how would you like to hear that over and over again?
I doubt they really did bring any money in.
From the caterer to the trucks, all have out of state plates or plates from southern states.
If I'm wrong, tell me, cause I really want to know this mystic entertainment finance, they did invent the double books system.
filminf on location helps local film crew workers get jobs. the trucks might have out of state plates on them, but the people loading and unloading them are locals, and they are probably getting paid union wage. how does that help local businesses? well. those well-paid union workers then decide to take their family out to a nice dinner, buy them a big tv, etc etc.
making any more sense?
Sorry, Still none.
They don't spend the money in the local area but as usual, in the suburbs or Jersey or Rockland and suffolk.
It's still smoke and mirrors.
Funny, they don't look local to me. You must mean local to Madison Wisconsin.
If you look at the big picture, filming in nyc is a huge asset to the entertainment industry here. It means that the city's stage actors get more opportunities to be on film and tv. This ends up meaning that tv has more interesting and diverse actors on it, as opposed to that LA-beautiful look. Not to mention the countless production people hired for each show. Regarding the economy debate, these actors, producers, editors, writers, crews, etc, are largely new yorkers, in my experience - not "bridge and tunnel" types. C'mon - not many people in entertainment want to live in New Jersey.
Then why are there so many out of work actors?
The entertainment industry here in terms of production is small, compared to California.
I think it's number 4.
Diverse? I see the same NY based actors over and over again working the same shows. (there's also not much diversity in the studios from interns on up) Besides, you have some Soaps here and they don't seem to bother anyone.
I say let them go to Jersey. If they want it, they can have it.