Movies 'set' in Florida are being filmed elsewhere

Yeh, I wonder if they import alligators to use on the fake swamp sets? And .... wonder if they have to bring folks from NY and NJ to play our wonderful yankee retirees and snowbirds.

 

That would depend on the way incentives are implemented, wouldn't it?

 

Incentives generally and often can be corrupt. I have some experience representing an incentive broker previously. The contract can be pretty carefully drafted, and if they're enforced as written, you can make a good case that you are benefiting the public.

The best type of incentives are ones that don't try to outbid another jurisdiction, but at least try to give enough to tip in your favor when you have some natural advantages over other jurisdictions that only offer money. That's the case with film incentives.

Due to the presence of the Mouse, the state has a surplus of local performers and tech expertise far beyond most states that don't have a native industry. There is also the weather and certain "sets" that are easier in Florida. Obviously doesn't apply to all sets/backgrounds but it can apply to plenty of them. Those are the projects you hate to lose because you offer nothing. You don't have to match what other jurisdictions offer because you have built in advantages. But if you offer something, you can get projects that pay off.

Also, at the state level, we have a seriously underfunded office. That can make you lose projects even if incentives are not necessary. Producers have a hard time contacting people who can handle just the administrative tasks. Again, the Hillsborough County office has done a great job of being accessible, being able to give location scouts suggestions, take them on tours, coordinate with authorities if streets need to be blocked, etc., just to help be a liaison to the area. Just funding those positions can make it far more likely you will get projects.

And it's not just the big projects. Tyler Martinolich has done a great job bringing very low budget horror films and commercial filming to the County with almost no actual incentives, just being a liaison and helping filmmakers that want to come here. Here is how they pitch. Not cash transfers, but just helping

The Tampa Hillsborough Film & Digital Media Commission markets the Tampa Bay region as a premier filming destination with one of the most culturally-rich and diverse landscapes in the state of Florida. Film Tampa Bay exists within Visit Tampa Bay, the region’s tourism bureau, to help boost the overall marketing and economic development impact for Tampa Bay, which is rapidly becoming one of the most attractive destinations in the United States.

Tampa/Hillsborough County offers among the most diverse filming locations in the state of Florida. Urban skylines give way to beautiful waterfronts, including Florida’s largest port, culturally distinct locations and neighborhoods, as well as farm and rural areas. Hosting one of the leading commercial film markets in the U.S., Tampa Bay is home to not only diverse locations, but also a deeply skilled crew base, exceptional accommodations, and knowledgeable vendors. The Tampa/Hillsborough Film Commission stands ready to assist your feature, television, or commercial production. Dream big! We do.


Film Tampa Bay | Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission

This is an old piece, but I can tell you that the cult low budget horror productions have only increased locally, along with commercials. Again, you have an existing talent base of professionals. NYC draws filming because of the surplus of Broadway actors that need to make dollars between gigs being a corpse in Law & Order, as the joke goes. It's just travelling on existing advantages. But some incentives would help a lot

Tampa Bay: 'the hottest cult horror movie scene in the country'

And I will add that DeSantis is definitely a deterrent. Movie executives are far more conservative than most conservatives understand, because they are fed stupid stuff on Fox, etc. Executives respond to financial incentives just like other humans. But they don't like uncertainty if they have started down the path on a project, and DeSantis is a wild card. The perception, which I think is correct, is that he will do anything for a headline, even if it makes no sense for business. He may jump in at any time, even after investments are made, if he sees an opportunity for a culture war headline.

He irrationally attacked the biggest entertainment hegemon out there, acted stupid, just to make a culture war point about hating gay people. That is not good for business, and not just ideologically. And regardless of where the executive is ideologically, gay people are a big part of film professionals. DeSantis wants to make those professionals feel unsafe in Florida, not irrationally, and that is just another unforced error complication. Plus we have attracted a lot of hateful people

 

Here is another measure where public dollars can help, and I actually don't know the current status of this issue, the last article, which I will link to, being a year and half old. You can draw a lot of productions here without incentives if there is just a locally available large scale studio. We have a facility in Tampa that is not currently being utilized, the IMAX MOSI facility, where we saw a lot of films back when it was active. It would need to be converted, which would take public dollars. But if that was available, we could attract a lot of projects without offering any other incentives.

“The industry has been telling me for years that we have a need for a large-scale studio and that it would be an overwhelming success,” Hagan, a production advocate, said.

According to the study, large-scale studios should measure greater than 10,000 square feet. Miami-Dade County has “at least eight” such studios, says the study, Orange County has “at least five” and Pinellas has one — Bluewater Media’s 34,000 square foot studio in Clearwater.

“Tampa is at a stark disadvantage when it comes to competitive studio space,” says the study, conducted in part by interviewing 20 local industry professionals and surveying what it describes as 463 “qualified respondents” from throughout Florida.

Released in October, the study says Hillsborough has no large-scale studios. Since then, Diamond View Studios constructed a 10,000 -square foot production studio named Vū inside the former University Mall, now Rithm at Uptown.

Hillsborough wants a “large-scale” film studio to lure blockbusters

 

The Tampa area is a great place to shoot. Lots of experienced crew and very distinctive locations. Worked with a couple of decent cinematographers back in the late nineties. Equipment rental is just up the road in Orlando. The long season helps a lot. Still a huge disadvantage competing with Georgia given the footprint Pinewood established years ago in Fayette County. Atlanta also has big development community, with a handful of writers' rooms. I don't think there's a single writers' room in the state of Florida.

 

Thanks. You obviously know far more than I do. And as the father of an aspiring screenwriter 3000 miles from home, I would love to see some writers rooms here in Florida. We can only hope

 

She called him out yet he had nothing to do with the current state of affairs. My question is a fair one.

Side note. Spring training is coming and that rotation looks epic!

 

Of course.

 

I remember seeing an episode of X-Files that was supposed to be set outside Tallahassee in the panhandle but it was clearly a redwood rain forest in the pacific northwest.

 

Oh for crying out loud! I think I was quite clear in my comment that I wasn’t talking about just incentives but an addition to it. That the entertainment industry was also going elsewhere because of DeSantis heavy-handedness. I stated my opinion based on DeSantis history, and DeSantis history shows he likes to bully businesses, like Disney and the cruise industry, into bending to his will. He even likes to bully kids. Because of that it’s not unrealistic for anyone to believe he wouldn’t bully the entertainment industry the same way by stripping them of their rights to artistic freedom. He’s doing it to education by denying academic freedom. So what you’re demanding from me is proof for some imaginary interpretation you thought up just to be argumentative.

 

That was obvious and what I was referring to, but I didn't have the appetite to keep getting into it. Attacking DeSantis on this board invokes some very emotional responses

 

Oh films like “12 Years A Slave” for one.

 

I’m sure the culture warrior would attach his strings to it in order to make it useless to any high end movies.

 

Well it’s unfortunate for those who believe someone else needs to be in control of their emotional responses. I would be happy to help them but I don’t have a degree in psychology to council them, nor the legal authority to write prescriptions for any feel good meds. So…

 

If you think my response was "very emotional" than a hiatus from this board may be in order. It was nothing of the sort.

 

This is ironic.

 

They filmed a lot in Vancouver while I was living there, it was always cool to see them out and about.

 

Might as well forget about revisiting movie industry incentives until after DeSantis leaves office. The projects that would get through the DeSantis approval process would only appeal to a "select" audience.