I heard someone say this once. I don't remember when, but it effected me greatly. -
“If filmmaking is about quality than we have an uphill battle here in Florida.”
Regardless of whether this is a fair assessment of the Film Industry in Florida, we DO have an uphill battle ahead of us with the recent striking down of the attempt to re-institute incentives in Florida. But, maybe there is a "Way Around" traditional incentives in Florida. If there was, would you be interested in doing something to make it happen? If the answer is "yes", than please, hear me out.
We Must Be Indispensable:
To build the Film Industry in Florida we need to make Florida an indispensable part of the Industry itself. We need to showcase the state, but, also, the people here and the resources available here to shoot. This is not easy without incentives, but there are some things we can do.
Here’s some priorities we can focus on until we get incentives (noting that state incentives are STILL on the list to get at some point & that this is unavoidable if we wish to compete effectively).
In order to do this we need to let the industry know that…
1. There are good crews & good locations here (we are working on this)
2. There are good projects being originated here
3. There are ways for us to get the attention of producers
4. There are competitive incentives, or other funding available
5. There are good film festivals (we are working on this)
Crews, Locations and their Origination:
Films start with scripts. Scripts that get imagined in specific locations, with specific characters, doing specific things. The only one of these things that can help Hollywood know that we have good crews and locations… is if we are getting great projects to be IMAGINED in our LOCATION, Florida, then filmed here.
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| Don't bet that another Burn Notice, a show originally 'imagined' in New Jersey will show up here again, without some sort of competitive edge in place. |
But, this isn't as easy as it looks. There are a few films that have a specific “Florida Look” to them, films which can be striking, but there are not many. Films that are memorable in how they portray Florida are…
“The Creature from the Black Lagoon” - “Cocoon” - “The Yearling” - “Key Largo” - “Miami Vice” - “Palmetto” - “Spring Breakers” - “Pain & Gain” - “Burn Notice”
The idea is that we need filmmakers and screenwriter to 'imagine' stories taking place in Florida. The easiest way to do this is to actually engage Florida filmmakers and writers in making films with Florida as the indispensable backdrop for a good set of characters doing interesting things within a compelling story.
Back to the list… this means #2 has to happen on the list- in order for #1 to happen.
Attracting Producers:
Getting the attention of producers will happen as more projects are filmed here, but for producers nothing talks louder than money. If there were competitive incentives or other funding available that setup Florida as a competitive player in the incentives battle, we might have something to talk about here. As it is… silence is what we hear. So we need #4 to happen before #3 can happen in any substantial way.
Although, one caveat is that these good Florida films that we get made end up making bountiful profits- but this is not something filmmakers can plan for. All one can do is make the best film you can and hope that it strikes a nerve in the audience effectively enough that it becomes financially successful. And one film here and there is not enough. We've seen that play out here and it doesn't seem to lead to more films getting made here.
Film Festivals:
Good festivals take care of themselves, until they don’t. These sorts of non-profits or community organizations center on the success of their event(s), which is really due to certain individuals in the organization possessing particular talents which has, really, nothing to do with film or filmmaking. Then, regardless of the event’s success, it ultimately doesn’t prove that we have what it takes, as a state, to be a filmmaking state. It’s just a stop on the tour, but no one seems to actually ever consider staying there to film.
Until we prove our local industry to be worthy of investment, we ought not prop up any festivals with state subsidies. But, if we can, that support may prove productive, as those who DO become attracted will find much more than promotional buzz. There will be something special here that people will be able to sense. Something of true substance. Something worth investing in.
The Snow-Ball Effect:
Once producers get wind of this “something special” they will attract more stars. Stars will attract even better projects and funds. A snowball effect can then happen. But, in my view, until a few high quality films or show gets made here WITH Florida as its indispensable backdrop, infrastructure and crews won’t grow more, locations won’t get utilized more, competitive incentives won’t help to attract more producers and thereby, more stars. And festivals will attract many to stop by, but never to stay, until we have something of substance to offer them as an example of the kinds of projects they can shoot here too.
This all means we need to encourage, invite and attract directors and screenwriters to write with Florida in mind in such an indispensable way that these directors will shoot great micro-budget films here because they are inspired by other great work to take part. An even more effective ‘snow-ball effect’ may take place with directors and screenwriters and the ‘originators’ of projects in my opinion.
A Different Kind of Incentives… Incentivizing Originators:
How do we accomplish this? If a program, contest or special fund can get approved to do just that- we might be off to a start, incentivizing project origination in a different way than traditional film incentives can.
A contest to invite screenwriters to write features, shorts and series’ with Florida as a primary “character” in the script could be a start. Give an award for the best one- a ‘Grand Prize’ to source a director to direct it, and possibly a star to champion the project, etc. Do one every year and we will have a good start.
We can also award funds for Florida directors to write and shoot films from the very beginning of development with Florida as a primary “character” in their films. But I prefer the contest idea, unless the director has a proven track record of doing high quality work before, these funds may never accomplish their task.
This would definitely be true for features, in my opinion- but I do think that if we provide funding for Florida directors to make shorts, it may prove productive for them, with very little risk of public funds. Capping that amount to a reasonable amount, say a few hundred thousand (available funds per year), would be a substantial benefit to these filmmakers.
Do What Works:
Hedge your bets. Focus on what will truly work. Real Work attracts people in the Film Industry. Actors, Producers, Executives, Directors. That means films or TV shows that are of exceptional quality, that compete with Hollywood on their level and that show Florida as an indispensable backdrop or “character” in the story, will help to make Florida an essential player in the Industry.
If we can accomplish that, I believe that real money will come into play for more productions here, and we can attract even more of the industry here to make a lasting legacy for Florida.
...A snow-ball in Florida. I think I’d like to see that!
Do you think this would work? Why or why not? Present this concept to Producers and Directors and ask them what they think. Is this a viable option for the Florida Film Industry to find “Another Way Around” traditional incentives in the state.
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