Our View: Film proposals worth consideration
We like the idea behind a pair of proposals to establish a state film office and tax incentives for filming in Wisconsin. At the same time, we realize it’s not as simple as it sounds.
Only four states, including Wisconsin, don’t have some form of incentive to attract film and television programs to shoot in the state. Gov. Tony Evers’ budget calls for changing that, though there is often a night and day difference between a governor’s proposed budget and what the Legislature approves.
Still, there seems to be some bipartisan support for the idea. There’s also the fact Wisconsin has dabbled in this in the past, with a similar program discontinued in 2013 after a five-year run.
A look at one recent example shows what kind of impact even a moderate shoot can have. “Top Chef” spent two months filming in Milwaukee. The hotel revenue was in the neighborhood of $4 million, according to Action! Wisconsin. The three-week shoot for a film in Door County for a film resulted in some $600,000 in spending.
We’ll grant that Action! Wisconsin isn’t exactly an unbiased source. They’re one of the groups pushing the idea of incentives. But neither of those figures sounds unreasonable given what we’ve seen happening in other areas. Georgia, which has a booming film and television sector, estimated every $1 a production spends generates $6.30 for the state.
There’s good reason to be cautious. Any such program must have careful oversight and cannot be allowed to simply dole out money without review. A look at what happened in Iowa underscores why.
Iowa offered a film tax credit and had a state film office. The program imploded after questions about the programs found massive problems. The next year the state’s auditor found that more than $25.5 million was improperly given out. That was some 80% of the credits the program granted.
The other category was double-dipping on the tax credits, which is more obviously problematic. Three filmmakers wound up being convicted of criminal activity in connection with the program, which was unsurprisingly shut down.
Wisconsin doesn’t need that kind of headache. The line between close oversight and micromanagement is fine, but it’s one that must be found for any attempt to reinstate credits here.
We can see a counterargument that points out Wisconsin isn’t going to compete with Hollywood, or even well-established programs in Canada or Georgia. That’s probably true. But who says that should be the goal?
One of the backers of the current proposals is Kurt Ravenwood, who produced “Hundreds of Beavers.” The film was shot in Wisconsin and it’s a surreal indie film. That’s the kind of thing Wisconsin could reasonably expect early on.
Not every such film will find a large audience. Not every independent filmmaker will wind up growing out of that niche. Some do, though, and that’s a chance worth taking for Wisconsin. Once a producer or director is comfortable in a state, they tend to come back. It doesn’t guarantee the state landing a major film, but it does increase the odds.
As we said at the outset, there’s a lot to like about the concept here. The devil, as always, is in the details. If lawmakers can hash those out to their satisfaction and oversight can be maintained, we think this is a good move for Wisconsin.
Read the original article from Leader-Telegram to learn more!
About Action Wisconsin!
Action! Wisconsin is a coalition of businesses and individuals working to bring Film, Television, and Video Game investment into communities, large and small, across the state
