By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Most farmers will never make it to the big screen, but their farms could: The Michigan Film Office is looking for a large ranch or plantation-style farm for a full-length feature film.

The house’s exterior must look something like the 12 Oaks Plantation from “Gone With the Wind.” It should be a large home with white pillars, surrounded by land, and an attractive driveway up to the front porch. The setting is a rural estate belonging to affluent landowners in the 1860s. Scenic land with rolling hills, cattle and horses are a bonus, but not required.

According to Michael Grabmeyer, Michigan Film Office location manager and webmaster, this is just one of many projects seeking a site in Michigan for filming this year. The Michigan Film Office works to connect producers of television or feature films with locations in the state.

In 2008, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed into law an aggressive film incentive package that was part of an overall economic stimulus package designed to grow the economy and create jobs in Michigan. This program provides incentives for film, television and digital media production; infrastructure development; and workforce development.

There is an added incentive for hiring Michigan workers and filming in the state’s 103 core communities, urban communities and traditional centers of commerce.

Since then, the number of feature films shot in the state “exploded” from three films one year to 42 the next. In 2008, Michigan productions spent more than $65 million in the state. Last year, more than 50 projects were filmed on locations throughout Michigan.

“Farms are difficult to find,” Grabmeyer said. “A lot of times, we’ll get an initial call that they are looking for a particular type of farm. Whenever we get those, we put out leads.”

He said requests cover a broad range – from beautiful, modern farms to old Western-style spreads. Some production companies seek falling-down buildings, while others want horses, cattle or modern production facilities.

“One time I got a call from a horror movie looking for an abandoned slaughterhouse,” he said. “We have doubled for Texas and different areas of the country – it’s what suits the story. If it’s in our database, it becomes an option.”

Anyone interested in submitting photos of their farm should visit the Michigan Film Office website at www.michiganfilmoffice.org and select the “submit location” button. This allows users to upload up to 10 photos of their location. There is no cost to be included in the listing.

Grabmeyer said if a production company expresses interest in a particular site, the Michigan Film Office puts them in touch with the property owners; however, the office doesn’t “get in the middle of negotiations. “We are simply a resource for production companies to connect with property owners,” Grabmeyer said.
Contact Grabmeyer at the Michigan Film Office at 800-477-3456 for more information.