By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan film office believes movies such as “Field of Dreams” could and should be made right here in Michigan.
To that end, last April the state put into place incentives to lure filmmakers to the state – and it’s working. In 2007 only three films were shot in the state, compared to well over 20 last year. That’s according to Michael Grabemeyer, who is head of locations at the Michigan film office.
In order to improve what the film office is doing, Grabemeyer says it needs to list more locations that are farms or at least rural in nature.
“We don’t have many farms that are signed up with us,” he said. “We’ve had so many farms and farm-related locations. It’s really tough to get a location on farms without driving around the countryside and knocking on doors.”
He said some mint fields in St. Johns are listed with the office as a possible location for a film, but not much else that’s farm or rural. Yet, Grabemeyer says many films call for a rural landscape, rural road, farmhouse or even a working farm.
One film shot at a farm in Michigan recently is called “Horse Crazy 2,” an independent children’s film. That was shot at a horse farm in Howell.
“We just want to get the word out to some in the farm community,” Grabemeyer said. “The industry here is so diverse I think it lends itself well to this kind of thing. It can be really nice compensation. I’ve heard of all kinds of deals being struck up.”
He said sometimes a filmmaker will pay a homeowner for repairs or renovations that might or might not be needed for the film. But the film office doesn’t provide advice to homeowners or landowners on how much to charge for the use of their property.
Grabemeyer said that’s because there are too many variables to consider, such as how long the property will be needed, whether there will be shooting at night and many other variables.
The film office has recently streamlined how it stores and displays its locations list. Basically, the whole thing has become computerized and digitized. He said when a filmmaker investigates a possible location, the picture is everything. Without a photo it might as well not exist.
With that in mind, the film office, which recently went from having two employees to eight, now has digital photos of the locations, which it can easily send via e-mail to an interested party.
Recent films that were made in Michigan include Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” which was shot in Highland Park; “High School,” shot in Howell; “Youth Revolt,” starring Michael Cera, was shot in Ann Arbor and Traverse City; and “American Virgin” was shot in Detroit. “Whip It,” which was directed by Drew Barrymore, was also shot in Ann Arbor.
Financial incentives Last year Michigan started a new incentive program to encourage filmmaking in the state. A filmmaker who shoots a film in Michigan can get 40 percent of their cost reimbursed by the state; 30 percent, in some instances.
The cost of producers, directors, actors and writers are referred to as “above the line” labor in the film trade. Electricians, grips and other supportive functions are referred to as “below the line” labor. Above the line labor can be reimbursed by the state for 40 percent of its costs while working in the state, and state income taxes must be paid on that income.
Below the line labor is also compensated by the state at the 40 percent level as long as the laborers reside in Michigan. If that labor is brought in from out of state for any reason, it is reimbursed by the state at a 30 percent level. State income taxes have to be paid on that income, too.
There is a cap on how much above the line labor the state will reimburse for, however. “If Tom Cruise comes to Michigan to make a movie and is paid $20 million, the state is only going to reimburse the filmmaker 40 percent of the first $2 million,” said Grabemeyer.
For anyone interested in providing a location for a possible movie in Michigan, an application to be listed at the state film office is available online at www.michigan.gov/filmoffice |
