|
|---|
|
|---|
| Management Team Winners Circle
|
|
Articles You can access the IIE ARCHIVE for past articles.
New Film Tax Credit Helps Bring Hollywood to Boston FALLING STARS LEAVE CRATERS OF LEGACY
_______________________________
New Film Tax Credit Helps Bring Hollywood to Boston Since its inception at the start of 2006, tax credits granted to filmmakers in Massachusetts has, so far, given a much needed boost to the industry. The Massachusetts Motion Picture Tax Incentive, designed to lure film productions into the Bay State , offers a 20% tax credit on the total in-state payroll of a film. Essentially, the exemption makes filming in Boston – or its surrounding suburbs- more attractive financially, while utilizing some of the most historic and familiar landscapes in the country. According to Laura Yellen, Assistant Director of the Massachusetts Film Bureau, complete productions were rare in Boston prior to the tax credit due to the immense cost. Studios would instead opt for “secondary shooting in Massachusetts because of the expense.” Yellen feels that the tax credit will help Boston become a host for major studio projects. “Now that we have this incredible tax credit in place, studios can save substantial money on their bottom line,” Yellen said. “ Massachusetts can finally compete for Hollywood business.” Lower costs have already begun to bear fruit as at least one high-profile production has been announced. Ben Affleck will make his directorial debut with “Gone Baby Gone,” an adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel of the same name. Based upon the reception of Lehane's previous cinematic adaptation, “ Mystic River ,” – which garnered two Academy Awards -- this project could be the make or break moment for Affleck to be taken seriously as a director. “Gone Baby Gone” begins filming in May with the cast yet to be announced. Last year, Boston partially missed out on what could have been the biggest production yet. Martin Scorsese filmed about a quarter of his upcoming film “The Departed” in Boston , but was forced to film the rest in New York due to the high cost. Certainly, the allure of such legendary talent as Scorsese must have had Massachusetts lawmakers scrambling for a remedy. The idea of a film tax credit was also influenced by a similar measure in Rhode Island , whose own film and television tax credit was adopted in July, 2005. Since then, the state has announced the filming of an adaptation of “Underdog,” the popular ‘60s cartoon series. In addition to feature films, Rhode Island was chosen as the setting for “The Brotherhood,” a highly anticipated Showtime series starring, among others, Jason Isaacs, best known for playing Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series. “The Brotherhood” tells the story of two brothers on opposite sides of the law, one being a mobster and the other a politician. The series promises the gritty realism of “The Sopranos” combined with the authentic sights of Providence . Film and television tax credits have also been approved in Pennsylvania over the past year, while New Hampshire is also in talks to discuss adding tax incentives. Slowly, states are realizing that, in order to compete with Hollywood , you need some tasty bait. Yellen thinks that once the Boston-based films are released they will “raise our state's visibility to the rest of the country and the world.” In addition to the economic boost accrued through the film's expenditures, the surge in popular filmmaking will “greatly impact tourism.” Also, the local industry will get some help by being “employed constantly” instead of working sporadically whenever a studio does take a chance on the city. There is only one thing missing at this point. “It would be great to have a television series shot on location in Massachusetts ,” Yellen said. “We haven't had that happen since “Spenser-For Hire.”
_______________________________
THE BRATTLE THEATRE: TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT? THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THE BRATTLE THEATRE in Cambridge , MA is an icon among movie theaters. You can feel the history steeped in its walls. From the moment you push your money through the small opening in the box office window and receive your ticket, you know you're joining the legions of people who have made the Brattle “ Boston 's unofficial film school”. The bathrooms are monuments to cinema history, covered wall to wall and floor to ceiling with movie posters. Who remembers that Isabella Rossellini was first an Italian actress in Italian movies such as Il Prato ? And yes, most of us have seen Peter Weir's Picnic at Hanging Rock , but can you visualize the mysteriously luminous movie poster? It's hanging at eye level in the ladies room, staring you in the face, sending chills up the spine and making you wonder, one more time, what did happen to those girls? The Brattle is one of the few movie theaters in Boston that still has a balcony. It's so much fun to watch a movie from a balcony! And so romantic. Those of us who knew movie theaters before the onslaught of multiplexes know what I'm talking about. Those who don't, get on down to the Brattle and find out. Even the physical qualities of the theatre suggest a different era, and it's no wonder, since it's been a few years since any major renovation. The original live theater stage is still there, the movie screen set back deep within it. Red velvet curtains flank the stage. The ceiling is high, the lights dim. It could almost be the Cinema Paradiso.
All movie theaters, not just repertory movie theaters, have been hard hit financially over the past few years. The opportunities to see movies in so many different venues has depleted the ranks of those willing to go forth into Cambridge, and Harvard Square, pay the $$ and sit in some not too comfortable seats and watch an old film on an old screen. You have to love movies to do it. Otherwise, why not just download the movie, or order it from Netflix, have it delivered to your door, pop it into the DVD player, lounge comfortably in your p.j.s, eat what you want and, if you happen to fall asleep and start snoring, loudly, like the guy two rows behind me last time I was at the Brattle, no one will walk over and knock you on the back to wake you up. But where's the fun in that? Anyone can download a movie, or get one from Netflix. Anyone can do that anytime. The Brattle is about the film experience. About sitting in a theater with other people, strangers before the film, all joined by the common desire to see that movie, that one and only movie playing in that one and only theater at that one and only time on the big screen. And being a bit changed by seeing it in that time and place with those people. It's so much more than the exchange of information and images.
Here's how you can help: http://www.brattlefilm.org/brattlefilm/donations.html
_______________________________
Toofy Film Festival: Celebrating Movies, Art, And Strange Mascots Question: How can an independent film festival stand apart from a crowd of thousands? Answer: By calling it ‘Toofy'. “Toofy is a character that my brother (Mark) and I created several years The two Siebert brothers created the festival to promote underground artists without corporate restraints on artistic expression. Their passion for film translated into a desire to host the festival, 2004 being the event's inaugural year. However, in its short existence, Toofy has made a name for itself by embracing the arts as a whole, celebrating not only independent film, but music, art, and even fashion with its Un-Tied Fashion Show. How does a film become worthy of being shown at the Toofy Film Fest? Submitted material gets judged by the Sieberts themselves on a number of criteria, the most important of which is the story itself. Toofy searches for films that present solid dialogue and action which contribute to an intriguing story. After that, the directorial vision is measured, mostly through judging the acting, the shots used in the film, and whether or not it appears that the director has achieved his vision for the film. Finally, the selection team looks at the overall production value of the film, including lighting, location, editing and music. If a feature or short animation does not make it to the film festival itself, however, there's still hope: many rejected submissions reap exposure from a number of different Toofy-related outlets. One such outlet is the relationship between Toofy and Frontier Airlines, where many films are shown as part of the in-flight entertainment to an audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The Toofy Film Festival pulls in submissions from all over the globe. Last year's event saw over three hundred submitted films, fifty of which made the cut. One of these was a feature length film by Jay Edwards called “Stomp! Shout! Scream!”, which won the Golden Toof Award for Best Feature. “Stomp! Shout! Scream!” blends 60's era beach-party rock and monster movies in a story about the Skunk Ape, the Everglades version of Bigfoot. Edwards, who is also the editor and producer of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, was pleased and impressed with his experience with Toofy. “It was a great opportunity for me to see the film with an audience and go back to improve it,” said Edwards. “Plus a weekend in Boulder is never a bad thing.” The 2005 Toofy Film Festival took place in mid-September, with festivities beginning at night with a number of shorts followed by a feature-length film. Saturday, however, was the Un-Tied Fashion Show, billed as a night of “funky, fresh, fine-art fusion,” featuring homegrown musical talent and a number of well-known design companies, including Conspiracy Skateboards and Strhess Clothing. Sunday wrapped up the festival with a marathon of feature-length films, including Edwards' “Stomp! Shout! Scream!” and “The Boy With No Face”, a documentary by Swedish director Folke Rydén about a Vietnamese boy disfigured by a phosphorus bomb. One of Toofy's strongest allies includes the satirical/humorist paper The Onion . “For our inaugural fest, we called them up to see if they would be involved and they said ‘Hell yeah,'” said Siebert. “We were ecstatic and they've been a clutch sponsor for the fest ever since.” However, the work doesn't end with one big name sponsor. “This year we are concentrating on getting the word out both locally and nationally,” said Siebert, praising the work of the PR team in boosting recognition for Toofy. Even with all the focus on independent shorts and features, Siebert says he doesn't totally write out the mainstream movies; among his favorites he lists “Lord of War” and “Dumb and Dumber”. Beyond sheer entertainment, he also believes that movies serve to teach. “On the enlightening side of filmmaking are films like ‘Baraka' that take you across the globe and provide the viewer with a breathtaking visual window to the world.” Does the story of Toofy end here, or will his influence reach beyond this festival? “As soon as Toofy is a driving force in the independent art scene, we will have completed step 1 in our 10 step world domination plan,” Siebert explained. This year's Toofy Film Fest will take place from Friday, September 29, to Sunday, October 1, where steps two through ten will undoubtedly be outlined. _______________________________ FALLING STARS LEAVE CRATERS OF LEGACY Death has cast his shadow over the Hollywood landscape, leaving behind a solitude sadness. Over the past few weeks, great tragedies have struck at the base of the entertainment industry. A few months ago, I wrote a bit about this inevitable sequence that we all must face sooner or later, and how we have lost some of the greatest talent in 2005. Well, sadly, I knew that one day I would have to write about it again. I just never imagined that it would be so soon. In doing some research on the most known of the departed actors, I was utterly shocked to see just how many of our icons we have actually lost in this past month alone. Ranging from film, to television, and even to literature, this has been one busy month for the Grim Reaper. Below is a list of just some of our entertainment peers who have met there demise in February. Don Knotts, 81 Died Friday February 24 th of pulmonary and respiratory complications at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. Knotts was best known for his role as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. Al Lewis, 82 (although, there was some speculation about his age) Died February 3 rd after years of failing health. He was best know for is role as Grandpa Munster, and as a radio personality and activist. Darren McGavin, 83 Died February 25 of natural causes. He was the star of television's 'Mike Hammer', and could be seen every holiday season as the father of Ralphie in the classic 'A Christmas Story'. Richard Bright, 68 Killed February 19 th as he was struck by a bus crossing the street. No charges have been filed. Bright appeared in all three Godfather movies as a bodyguard for the Corelone family. Most recently, he appeared in The Sopranos. Andreas Katsulas, 59 Died February 13 from a long battle with lung cancer. Katasulas was the one who helped frame Harrison Ford in 'The Fugitive', and was more known by the younger generations for his role in Babylon 5. Franklin Cover, 77 Died of pneumonia on February 5 th . He was known as the white neighbor, Tom Willis, on 'The Jeffersons'. Some say he was a pioneer for interracial couples to appear on television. Alan Shalleck, 76 An associate of the series of children's books 'Curious George', was found dead, wrapped in garbage bags in his driveway on February 8 th , just days before the release of the movie. The investigation is still open. Perdo Gonzalez Gonzalez, 80 Died February 6 th of natural causes. He appeared in many films with John Wayne, including The High and the Mighty and Rio Bravo. Peter Benchley, 65 Author of 'Jaws', died February 12 th due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis. His other works 'The Deep' and 'The Island', also spawned films. Myron Waldman, 97 Died of congestive heart failure. He was the last surviving animator of Max Fleischer Studios. He was the animator of the original Superman series, along with Raggedy Ann and Andy, Popeye, Casper and Betty Boop. Although most of the these people lived full, long lives, some were taken away at an untimely age. This just goes to show you that anyone, at anytime, can be called on to pursue the greatest role God, the director of Human Kind has to offer. The fact is, by the time you read this, there will be another few handfuls of talent that have passed. That is why we should remember them while they are still with us, and not just wait until they are gone to say how wonderful they were. To all the above-- Thank you, and you will be missed!
|
Home :: News :: About us :: Projects :: Articles :: Interviews :: Casting :: Newsletter :: Message Board :: Links :: Contact us Copyright © 2005 by Image Icon Entertainment. All rights reserved.
|
