EXECUTIVE BOARD Michelle Hillery, President Palm Beach County Film & TV Commission

Jud French, 1st Vice President FSU College of Motion Picture Arts

Kelly Paige, 2nd Vice President Level Talent Group For the past three years, hundreds of Florida’s film, television and digital media industry professionals have come together to ask our state legislators to replenish funds for John Lux, Treasurer Florida’s Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program. Year after year, we have IDEAS experienced initial support from the majority of our legislators, only to be removed from Herta Suarez, Secretary consideration in the final hours. Moving forward into the 2016 Legislative Session, Film SAG-AFTRA Florida is dedicated to producing a program that will yield the highest possible return on

Sheena Fowler investment (ROI) for the state. Exec. Board Member At-Large WIFT-FL What’s New~ Leah Sokolowsky This year, we are not advocating for an incentive program. Our goal is to gain the support Immediate Past President of our legislative leadership to get the most conservative program in the United States Teamsters Local 769 across the finish line. This is no longer an incentive to lure production, but a no risk rebate BOARD MEMBERS program to attract and retain production business. We are supportive of rolling back our ASSOCIATION COUNCIL Alex Katsaros, Chair 20% base rebate program to a 15% cash rebate base, cutting in half the maximum rebate Digital Media Alliance Florida per project from $8 million to $4 million and suggesting a rating system be put in place to best identify the projects that have the highest ROI. We are complimenting the program with Richard Seres, Vice Chair AICP-FL a revolving loan program with the objective to eventually become self-sustainable. Florida does not need to be as competitive as our neighboring (or 37 other states) that offer some EDUCATION COUNCIL kind of an incentive, tax credit or rebate program….we just need to compete! David Jaffe, Chair Lynn University In this package you will find the following important documents: Paul Sirmons, Vice Chair • Valencia College One page fact sheet • Tax generator chart Stephen McDowell, Chair • $650 Million in lost business opportunities across the state FSU College of Communication & Information • 16,000+ production companies in FL • FL schools with film & digital media degrees (grads leaving our state) FILM COMMISSION COUNCIL Gail Morgan, Chair • 37 other states that offer a program (why not FL?) Emerald Coast Film Commission • Our major competitors within the U.S.

Jeanne Corcoran, Vice Chair • National media coverage examples (FL jobs and project loss experienced) Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office Our current tax credit incentive program statutorily ends July 1, 2016. We must Bonnie King, Secretary pass a new Film, Television and Digital Media Industry Program. If this does not Space Coast Film & TV happen this year, a once thriving business that has been cultivated in Florida over more Commission than100 years will severely deteriorate as we watch a quick exodus of high-paying jobs INDUSTRY COUNCIL and companies move to other competing states. As we look for ways to diversify our Dawson Peden, Chair economy and build our economic future, please consider supporting this industry here in Cineverse - Miami the state of Florida. Lauren O’Quinn, Vice Chair ClassAct Studios Sincerely, LABOR COUNCIL Teamsters Local 769

SAG-AFTRA Michelle Hillery President 561.233.1000 [email protected]

FLORIDA’S FILM, TV & DIGITAL MEDIA INDUSTRY Supporting the Most Fiscally Conservative, Targeted Rebate Program in the United States Competing with 36 other states that oer some sort of rebate, grant, or tax credit program

(a) 16K+ $70K+ Companies Average Annual Wage

(b) 30+ 22.7% Universities16K+ with Film/Digital Domestic tourists influenced by Companies Working in Industry Media Degree Programs seeing movie/TV filmed in Florida

“Florida should create a tax incentive program aimed at "The lm industry is important because it generates attracting more lm productions and TV series to the state” high-wage jobs. These are just really good jobs. Also, it - Marco Rubio, then Florida Speaker of the House allows us to show off the state, in most cases in a very in his 2006 book positive way." “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future” - Jeb Bush, then Florida Governor, in a 2003 interview with Hollywood Reporter

(a) $5 100K+ Spent in Florida for every $1 invested Floridians working in the film, by state since 2004, $219 million TV and digital media industry invested, $1.1 billion spent 21.5% (c) Growth of Florida’s16K+ computer and video $650 Million+ Companiesgame industry Working from 2009-2012, in Industry Known film & TV lost adding $171 million to state economy opportunities since 2013

(a) Includes NAICS codes relating to traditional content production, post production, visual FX, game/website/mobile app development, part-time or full-time jobs (b) 2013 Survey conducted by VISIT FLORIDA showed 22.7% of domestic visitors to the state indicated viewing a movie or television series lmed in Florida contribut- ed to their decision to travel here (c) Video Games in the 21st Century: The 2014 Report conducted by Economists Incorporated

IMPACT OF FLORIDA’S FILM, TV & DIGITAL MEDIA INDUSTRY

Foreign/Out of State Startup Investment Bright Futures retention

Infrastructure 25+ of Film & Major alumni Spin Out Businesses Florida Pre-Paid retention 22.7% Film Tourism Induced Construction/Improvement Digital Media schools in FL industry sector Induced Tourism

ENTERTAINMENT DIRECT CAPITAL Production Facilities INDUSTRY CLUSTER EDUCATION INDUCED Development INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL & INVESTMENT

High Skill Retain Skilled Labor & Post Production, Marketing Production Companies FILM, TV & & Advertising Services DIGITAL MEDIA High Wage/STEM Industry-Related Graduates INDUSTRY

Production Studios Attract Creative Class DIRECT INDUSTRY BROAD JOBS BUSINESS GROWTH ECONOMIC IMPACT Software/Visual Effects Production Vendors Animation Developers

Hardware/Lumber Rental Cars/Trucks Hotels, Restaurants & Grocers Construction Florida Cast Casting/Talent Agencies & Crew

Furniture Police/Fire Commercial Space Underutilized Tax Credit Sales Bene t Clothing/Supplies Rescue Services Rental/Improvement Region Production Other Florida Businesses

TAX GENERATOR TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Florida’s Film & Television Lost Business

Emerald Coast Jacksonville St. Augustine • Kevin Smith Feature (unknown) • Three Little Words ($8,000,000) • Untitled Pirate Series ($20,000,000) • Captain Phillips ($20,000,000) • Untitled Warner Bros Feature ($4,000,000) • Untitled Warner Bros Feature ($4,000,000)

Volusia County • 42- The Story of Jackie Robinson ($20,000,000)

Panama City • Asent of Evil ($6,800,000) • Men of Honor ($15,000,000) • Pintrist ($330,000) • Husband in Law ($2,500,000) • The Prince ($12,000,000) Cocoa Beach • Astronaut Wives Club ($25,000,000) • Cocoa Beach ($16,000,000) Orlando • Terra Nova ($33,000,000) • Sisters ($20,000,000) • Paper Towns ($10,000,000) • Tomorrowland ($10,000,000) • 99 Homes ($8,000,000)

Palm Beach County • Hero ($10,000,000) Pinellas County Tampa • Hot Tub Time Machine 2 ($5,000,000) • Name Withheld Feature ($15,000,000) • Live by Night ($35,000,000) • The Way, Way Back ($4,600,000) • Not Without Hope ($35,000,000) • Magic Mike XXL ($14,000,000) • Untitled Warner Bros Feature ($4,000,000) • Gifted ($15,000,000) • The In ltrator ($18,000,000)

Broward County Collier County • Travis McGee ($10,000,000) • Deep Blue Goodbye ($2,000,000) $650 million+ in known lost opportunities • Queen of the South ($25,000,000)

110,000 potential lost lodging/hotel room nights

Miami - Dade $1.8 billion potential positive impact on state GDP • Rosewood ($20,000,000) • Million Dollar Arm ($25,000,000) • Alvin & the Chipmunks 4 ($20,000,000) • Arms & the Dudes ($20,000,000) • Ride Along 2 ($25,000,000) • Rock the Kasbah ($12,000,000) • Cocaine Cowboys ($20,000,000) • American Desperados ($30,000,000) • The Trap ($10,000,000) • Travis McGee ($10,000,000) • Spongebob Squarepants ($25,000,000) • The Godmother ($19,000,000) • Curse of the Fuentes Sisters ($25,000,000)

! ! ! ! 16,000+ Florida Film & Digital Media Companies* ! ! ! !!! !! ! ! ! !! !!!!!! ! ! ! !!! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! 4th Dimension Studios Goodwin Production Services, Inc. PGA TOUR Entertainment !!!!!!!!!! ! !!!!!!! Advantage Video Production, Inc. Guidewell Connect/ DVA Studios PineRidge Film & Television ! ! ! !!!!! ! ! !! !! ApppleBox Productions Kennetic Productions PRC Digital Media ! ! ! Crop Creative Media Lindsey Films, Inc. Spectrum Films Dripsblack Mozeik Television TigerLily Media Live Oak Production Group ! ! Easy Edit Video, Inc. Pensive Crow, Inc. WJCT Studios AMC Talent Mike Vasiliinda Productions Crestview Community TV Pietrodangelo Production Group, Inc. CT Pro Media Tallahassee Media Group Emerald Coast Film Motion Picture Video Trew Media, Inc. ! 9 Iron Productions Emerald Coast Internet TV ! DEEB IZEA Remote Possibilities ! !! A&S Animation John Peros Casting Emergent Studios Digital Brew Row Sham Bow Acceler8 Productions Izon Models and Talent DNP Studios Junyo SK Filming Locations, LLC Adrenaline Films Kinematic Entertainment edgefactory OMNIMEDIA Lasting Blueprint Prod. Skydog Productions, Inc. Airstar America, Inc. Lightmaker Mad Dog Productions Gear Media Group Electronic Arts Tiburon SkyStorm Productions Astro Crow Mike Cotton/Dave Barnes Productions Puppy Punch Entertainment Partners LMG, Inc. Spiral Media Corporation Attitude Specialty Lighting Photos Florida Six Shooter Games Extreme Stunt & Driving Team, Inc. Mark Mullen Casting, Inc. Stars North Films ! Azuree Talent Agency Monster Media Revive Media Services Springtree Studios Corp. Fiction StickyFilms, Inc. ! !! Bob Cross Video SB Video Trendy Entertainments !!! ! Florida Film & Tape Nebula Productions Studio 500 ! Brevard Talent Group, Inc. Sea Hunters Films LLC ! FX Design Group n-SPACE Surreal Pictures Brighthouse Networks The Color Earth Productions GameSim Nth Degree Design & VFX Swanson Production Partners ! Bruno White Entertainment ! ! GFX Omni Productions The Crawford Group ! Chapman Leonard Studio - GO Convergence Orange Studio TWC Pegasus FilmWorks & Media ! and Production Center Golf Channel PEI Graphic Technology Two for the Show Company 6 Strong Media Echo Bridge Animation PP&K ! ! !!!!! CineBob High Voltage Extreme Entertainment Photomart Cine-Video Universal Studios Artix Entertainment Fenton Productions Production Services & Systems, Inc. !! !!!! ClassAct Studios Hollywood Rentals Phyken Media Wonderland Creative Group AVI SPL First Unit ProlificFilms ! !! !!!!!!! Cloudy Logic House of Moves Pink Sneakers Productions XOS Digital Bay Stage Lighting Gulf Camera Set Medic !!!!!!! ! !!!!! ! !!! Creative Industry Alliance, Inc. Hyper-Sky Productions Premise Entertainment Zynga Bessolo Design Group, Inc. Habana Avenue Spectrum Post and Production !! !!!!!!! !!! ! ! ! !! Cybis Communications IDEAS ProductionHUB Big U media HSN SSP Media ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!! ! D7 Inc. Iron Galaxy Blue Water Media ION TV Sullivan Productions !!!!! !! ! Castaway Music Studios Level Up Talent Sun Wolf Lighting and Grip ! ! !! Company Man Studios Leverage Digital Tampa Bay Multimedia ! ! ! Litewave Media Willow Avenue Studios ! ! ! Digital Zerotrope Productions Diamond View Studios ! ! ! ! Dream Nine Studios Media Fusion ! !! !! DRTV Productions Inc. ! ! !!!!! Firebrand Games !!!! !!! !! !! !!!!!!!! ! !! ! ! Interstellar Illustrations ! !!!! !!!! ! ! Torch Film & Television !!! !!!!!!!!!!! ! !!!!! ! ! ! !!! ! 3 Amici Studios RCG Productions ABC 7 Digital Media Hilker Media LLC RTZ Film Studios !!! Focus Video ! AA Video, LLC Resistance Entertainment Artistech New Media HuB Studios Salt & Light Productions Grapeseeker Video and Graphics Allegro Productions Richard Bloom Productions atLarge, Inc. Illum Productions Sandy Howe Films Immagine Productions All-Sun Media Rio Vista Media BBK Productions InterMedia Productions Sarasota Film Society Inc ! ! InterActive Publishing, Inc. ! Audacity Recording Schoolyard Films, Inc. Beautifully Mad FX Little Village Productions Silverlight Productions !! JGM Enterprises, Inc. ! ! BG Solutions See-Worthy Films Begin Productions Mars Vision Productions SNN Productions ! Jupiter Films/Tempo Key Studios ! Blue House Film and Media, LLC Ship Shape TV BES, Inc. McVideos Animation Spaghetti Ninjas !!! Just Peachy Productions !!! BMI Productions and Boss Images Silver Beach Productions, Inc. Best West Productions Media Management Global Squalus Inc !! Lions Ark Inc. ! ! BusEye Films, LLC Sky Quest Entertainment Big Seed Productions MelEcho Productions SRQ Productions ! ! Majic Robot Studios ! Capitol Pictures Stuntconnection Inc. BOC Productions Mumford Video Productions Inc Studio 26 Productions Inc ! Mist Productions Chocolate Star Entertainment Talent Direct Burning Empire On-Hold CO USA Inc Studio KRP ! ! My Animation Studio Cool Attitude Films The Rising Creative Club Cocoanut Orensis Films Studio Ray Productions ! National Teleproductions ! Darkside Games Studios Top Hat Productions Concept Digital Media Peachdan LLC The Education Channel New Beginning Films !! Echo Beach Studios Wellington Talent Group Digital Frontiers Media Plota Productions The Integration Company Alpha Media Productions Palm Beach Film Group Inc. Electric Productions Westchester Films Digital Waves Post Premier Video Productions Inc TNT Video Productions Blue Sky Media ! Palm Beach Rox !! First Edge Films Young Entertainment Divine Imagery Real Digital Media TriForce Productions Cage xxi Enterprises ! ! ! Pamplin Film Company ! FloridaTVFilmCrews Focused Films Red Frame Productions True Concept Video Productions Dreamtime Entertainment ! !!!!! Parallax Productions ! ! ! !!! H & H Productions Rocket Digital Inc Xaxco Corp Fiddler Films !! ! Hemlock Productions Inc Ron Larose Productions Inc Full Circle Productions !!! ! !! Hidden Lake Productions ! ! ! !! ITZ Productions ! !! !! !!! !! !!!!! !! !!!!!!!! ! !!!!! !!!! !!!!!!! !!! ! !!! !!!!!!!!! !! !! !!!! 2C Media Cinema East Imagina US New Discovery Media Corp. Telemundo Network !!!!!!!! 305 Films Cinemat Impossible Gardens North Beach Media Inc. Telemundo Studios !!!!!!! ! !!! ! 5k Productions Cineverse - Miami Intavision Productions Nuclei 3D Terra Miami Productions !!!! !!! Accord Productions Clear Channel iZoom Productions Onda Films Tfactor Mobile Television !! !!! !!!!!!!!!! ACT Productions Codebell KEF SENSEI On Set Environmental Inc. Trade Audio Corp ! !!!!!!!!!! !!!! ALMA Collaboration Kesser Productions Pivot Entertainment Tropic Survival !! !!! America Filmworks Continental Film and Video Lab ! Industry Subsectors KSC Kreate Promofilm US Unique Producers Service !!! Andromeda Productions Creative Kontent Lava Studio Quackstudios Univision Networks ! Game Dev. / Website & Mobile App Dev. / Software Dev. Arri CSC Crescent Moon Studios Lesense Media Group Entertainment Red String Productions Upstairs Discovery Networks LATAM Audacity Letca Films Republica Venevision Studios ! Post Production & Visual FX baKno Games Disney Media Networks LATAM Little Big Bang Design Rhino Studios VER (Video Equipment Rentals) Barbizon Lighting of Florida ESPN LATAM VICO Entertainment Magic II Lighting Rum Bum Films ! Traditional Content Production Beverly Boy Productions Ether Digital Miami Teleproduction Second Floor Productions Visual Concepts Studios Bexel Falcon Productions Midtown Video Shiver Entertainment VTA Inc. Blue Dolphin Studios FilmGate Interactive Mindscape Productions Shoot Collective WATCH305 Productions ! * Not all companies listed Bottom Line Productions FOX LATAM Miro Studios Skyjoy Interactive Worldwide Production Services Budget Video Rentals Great Southern Studios Moon Spider Studio Sony Pictures Entertainment WOW-HOW.studio * Company names pulled from NAICS codes relating to Camera Group International Greenwich Studios MTV LATAM Stage Equipment and Lighting Digital Island Media Capsule Media Handle Like Eggs Productions Multivision Video and Film Stellar Hawk Game/Website/ Mobile App Development, Post Production/ MANiKiN Model and Talent Agency Celebrity Estate Management Group HBO LATAM My Pachamiami Productions Inc. Stylerepublic Mediadesign Way Down Video Visual FX and Traditional Content Production. Christian Media Group Ice Palace Studios Native Films Surging Media Group !!

Florida Schools with Film & Digital Media Degrees

Pensacola Tallahassee Jacksonville

Gainesville

DeLand

Orlando

Lakeland

Tampa St. Petersburg

Port Charlotte

West Palm

Beach Fort Myers

Fort Lauderdale

Miami

Key West College/University Everest University-Tampa Tampa ITT Technical Institute-Tampa Tampa Seminole State College of Florida Sanford First Coast Technical College Saint Augustine Jacksonville University Jacksonville Sheridan Technical Center Hollywood AI Miami International University of Art Flagler College-St Augustine Saint Augustine Jones College-Jacksonville Jacksonville South Florida Institute of Technology Miami and Design Miami Flagler Technical Institute Palm Coast Kaplan College-Jacksonville Jacksonville South Florida State College Avon Park American InterContinental University- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Southeastern University Lakeland South Florida Weston University Tallahassee Lake Technical Center Eustis Southwest Florida College Fort Myers Anthem College-Orlando Orlando Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton ATI Career Training Center-Fort Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg St Petersburg College Clearwater Florida Career College-Miami Miami Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Lincoln College of Technology-West St Thomas University Miami Gardens Florida College Temple Terrace Palm Beach West Palm Beach Atlantic Technical Center Coconut Creek State College of Florida-Manatee- Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Florida Gateway College Lake City Sarasota Bradenton Ave Maria University Ave Maria Center Miami Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers Stetson University DeLand Barry University Miami Lively Technical Center Tallahassee Florida Institute of Recording Sound and Strayer University-Florida Tampa Beacon College Leesburg Technology Orlando Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology Naples Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne Lynn University Boca Raton Technical Education Center-Osceola Kissimmee Brewster Technical Center Tampa Florida Institute of Technology-Online Melbourne Manatee Technical Institute Bradenton The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Broward College Fort Lauderdale Florida International University Miami Marchman Technical Education Center New Port Richey The Art Institute of Jacksonville Jacksonville Cape Coral Institute of Technology Cape Coral Florida Keys Community College Key West M-DCPS The English Center Miami The Baptist College of Florida Graceville Charlotte Technical Center Port Charlotte Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens Miami Dade College Miami The Dave School Orlando Chipola College Marianna Florida National University-Main Campus Hialeah North Florida Community College Madison The University of Tampa Tampa City College-Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Florida Southern College Lakeland Northwest Florida State College Niceville The University of West Florida Pensacola Clearwater Christian College Clearwater Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville Northwood University-Florida West Palm Beach College of Business and Technology- Tom P Haney Technical Center Panama City Flagler Miami Florida State University Tallahassee Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale Traviss Career Center Lakeland College of Business and Technology- Florida Technical College Orlando Orlando Tech Orlando Kendall Miami University of Central Florida Orlando Full Sail University Winter Park Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach College of Central Florida Ocala University of Florida Gainesville George Stone Technical Center Pensacola Palm Beach State College Lake Worth Compu-Med Vocational Careers Corp Hialeah University of Miami Coral Gables Gulf Coast State College Panama City Pasco-Hernando Community College New Port Richey D G Erwin Technical Center Tampa University of North Florida Jacksonville Herzing University-Winter Park Winter Park Pensacola State College Pensacola University of Phoenix-Central Florida Daytona State College Daytona Beach Pinellas Technical Education Center- Hillsborough Community College Tampa Campus Orlando Clearwater Clearwater DeVry University-Florida Miramar University of Phoenix-North Florida Hodges University Naples Pinellas Technical Education Center-St DeVry University's Keller Graduate Campus Jacksonville Petersburg Saint Petersburg School of Management-Florida Miramar Immokalee Technical Center Immokalee University of Phoenix-South Florida Digital Media Arts College Boca Raton Indian River State College Fort Pierce Polk State College Winter Haven Campus Miramar Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico- University of Phoenix-West Florida Eastern Florida State College Cocoa International Academy of Design and Technology-Online Tampa Orlando Orlando Campus Temple Terrace Eckerd College Saint Petersburg International Academy of Design and Rasmussen College-Florida Ocala University of South Florida-Main Campus Tampa Technology-Orlando Orlando University of South Florida-Sarasota- Edison State College Fort Myers Remington College-Tampa Campus Tampa International Academy of Design and Manatee Sarasota Edward Waters College Jacksonville Technology-Tampa Tampa Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University- University of South Florida-St Petersburg St. Petersburg ITT Technical Institute-Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Robert Morgan Educational Center Miami Daytona Beach Daytona Beach University of Southernmost Florida Jacksonville ITT Technical Institute-Fort Myers Fort Myers Rollins College Winter Park Everest University-Brandon Tampa Valencia College Orlando ITT Technical Institute-Jacksonville Jacksonville SAE Institute of Technology-Miami North Miami Beach Everest University-Lakeland Lakeland Warner University Lake Wales ITT Technical Institute-Lake Mary Lake Mary Saint Johns River State College Palatka Everest University-Largo Largo Washington-Holmes Technical Center Chipley ITT Technical Institute-Miami Miami Saint Leo University Saint Leo Everest University-Melbourne Melbourne Webber International University Babson Park ITT Technical Institute-Orlando Orlando Santa Fe College Gainesville Everest University-North Orlando Orlando Westside Tech Winter Garden ITT Technical Institute-St Petersburg St. Petersburg Sarasota County Technical Institute Sarasota Everest University-Pompano Beach Pompano Beach William T McFatter Technical Center Davie ITT Technical Institute-Tallahassee Tallahassee Schiller International University Largo Everest University-South Orlando Orlando Winter Park Tech Winter Park

Florida's New Entertainment Industry Targeted Rebate Program vs Major Competition

Florida Georgia Louisiana Texas New Mexico New York California (proposed)

15% base 20% base 30% base 5% - 20% base 25% base 30%/35% base 20%/25% base Incentive 5% bonus 10% bonus 5% bonus 2.5% bonus 5% bonus 10% bonus 5% bonus 2% bonus

Cash Tax Tax Tax Tax Tax Type of Grant Program Rebate Credit Credit Credit Credit Credit Awaiting $32M for $50M Per $330M Per Annual $420M Per Legislative Unlimited Unlimited Biennium Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Funding Calendar Year Approval End 8/31/17 7/1 - 6/30 7/1 - 6/30

Per Project $4 M Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Cap $250K $1M Minimum $250K $500K $300K Film/TV $0 $500K Feature/TV Spend $100K $500K MOW/ Comm/Video Miniseries 1st $500K Each Each 1st $200K of 1st $1M Each BTL Qualified of each Resident & Resident & Resident & BTL Each Resident of each Nonresident Resident & Labor Resident & Nonresident Nonresident ONLY Resident Performing Nonresident Nonresident Artist Labor

Limit on Yes/Limited Non-Labor to 50% Labor Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Expenses Expenses

Screen Credit Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Required

CPA Audit Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Required

Awaiting Sunset Date Legislative None None None None 12/31/2019 6/30/2020 Approval

EXECUTIVE BOARD Michelle Hillery, President Palm Beach County Film & TV Commission

Jud French, 1st Vice President FSU College of Motion Picture Arts

Kelly Paige, 2nd Vice President Level Talent Group Contact Michelle Hillery, President FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [email protected] July 21, 2015 John Lux, Treasurer IDEAS Florida Keys Bloodline Series Nominated for Two Emmy Awards Herta Suarez, Secretary $20+ Million Spent in Florida Keys and South Florida Region SAG-AFTRA

Sheena Fowler (Florida Keys, FL) – Florida Keys based Netflix TV series, Bloodline has received two Exec. Board Member At-Large Emmy Award nominations. Kyle Chandler (John Rayburn) has been nominated for Lead WIFT-FL Actor in a Drama and Ben Mendelsohn (Danny Rayburn) has been nominated for th Leah Sokolowsky Supporting Actor in a Drama. The 67 Primetime Emmy Awards show will be held LIVE Immediate Past President coast-to-coast from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Fox Sunday, Sept. 20 Teamsters Local 769 (8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT), the Television Academy and FOX announced. BOARD MEMBERS ASSOCIATION COUNCIL Season 1 of Bloodline was shot in the Florida Keys over a six month period in 2014 with its Alex Katsaros, Chair premiere on Netfilx in March of 2015. The production spent over $20 million in the Florida Digital Media Alliance Florida Keys and South Florida region. The average TV series shot in Florida typically employs Richard Seres, Vice Chair more than 2,000 Floridians with an average annual wage of more than $70,000. Bloodline AICP-FL was picked up for Season 2 shortly after its premiere and is scheduled to start production in

EDUCATION COUNCIL the fall of 2015. David Jaffe, Chair Lynn University The series was nearly lost to another location because of better incentive programs provided

Paul Sirmons, Vice Chair by other competing states. The series did benefit from Florida’s existing entertainment Valencia College financial program coupled with the juxtaposition between the beauty of the Keys and the depth of the local crew base against the dark storyline of the Rayburn family. Bloodline is Stephen McDowell, Chair FSU College of scheduled to film Season 2 in the Florida Keys because the show has already qualified for Communication & Information potential tax credits after filming concludes through Florida’s existing Film & Entertainment Industry Financial Incentive Program, keeping the series in Florida for at least one more FILM COMMISSION COUNCIL Gail Morgan, Chair season. Emerald Coast Film Commission “We’re so happy for the whole KZK, Sony, Netflix team, an amazingly talented and creative Jeanne Corcoran, Vice Chair group who deserve the accolades,” commended Rita Troxel, Florida Keys and Key West Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office Film Commissioner. “Big Congrats to Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn, who are awesome in their roles. We’re very proud of all the people in the Keys who have been on Bonnie King, Secretary board, our film-friendly communities and the talented crew who got the job done. We are Space Coast Film & TV Commission grateful and thrilled to have Bloodline set in and filming in the Florida Keys.”

INDUSTRY COUNCIL A recent survey conducted by VISIT FLORIDA showed 22.7% of domestic visitors to the Dawson Peden, Chair Cineverse - Miami state indicated viewing a movie or TV series filmed in Florida contributed to their decision to travel to the state. With many websites and travel blogs touting the Florida Keys locations Lauren O’Quinn, Vice Chair used in filming the series, it appears Bloodline will substantially contribute to those positive ClassAct Studios tourism numbers. LABOR COUNCIL Teamsters Local 769 About Film Florida: Film Florida is a not-for-profit entertainment production association that serves a leadership role in Florida's film, TV, and digital media industry by representing all SAG-AFTRA aspects of the business including film commissions, industry, labor, associations and education. The growing membership driven organization provides a network, a platform, and the benefits of playing an active part in solidifying Florida’s position as a major production destination, positive economic development driver and tourism generator. For more information about Film Florida visit FilmFlorida.org.

Governor Nathan Deal Office of the Governor

Home » Press Releases » Deal: Film industry generates $6 billion for Georgia’s economy Deal: Film industry generates $6 billion for Georgia’s economy

July 9, 2015

State’s first Marvel production, ‘Ant­Man,’ to open in theaters July 17

Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that Georgia­lensed feature film and television productions generated an economic impact of more than $6 billion during fiscal year 2015 (July 1, 2014­June 30, 2015). The 248 film and television productions shot in Georgia represent $1.7 billion in spending in the state.

“As evidenced by today’s announcement, Georgia’s film industry has had a significant impact on our state,” said Deal. “These statistics represent job creation, increased business opportunities and the revitalization of communities statewide, and I am committed to building a strong film­ready workforce in Georgia to ensure that the industry continues to flourish here.”

Providing a sustainable workforce to meet the needs of productions coming to Georgia is a priority for the state. Deal established the Georgia Film Academy earlier this year, bringing together the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia and members of the film industry to collaborate. Working together, they established a program to provide students with degrees or certifications that fulfill industry needs and demands.

“Georgia is one of the fastest­growing entertainment production centers in the world with 42 productions currently filming across the state,” said Chris Carr, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “More than 100 new businesses have relocated or expanded in Georgia to support the industry – creating jobs for Georgians as well as economic opportunities for our communities and small businesses – ensuring Georgia’s place in the industry well into the future.”

The highly anticipated Georgia­lensed “Ant­Man,” set to premiere nationwide in theaters on July 17, made a major economic impact in Georgia during filming (October­December). “Ant­Man” employed 3,579 Georgians, spent more than $106 million in Georgia and utilized 22,413 hotel rooms during filming. In addition to filming at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, “Ant­Man” shot scenes in Atlanta including the state­owned Archives Building, Bank of America building and on Broad Street.

The summer blockbuster was the first film to shoot at the new Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayetteville. The new Georgia facility helped Pinewood Studios achieve record revenue numbers for its financial year ending March 31. Marvel will continue work in Georgia with principal photography for “Captain America: Civil War” at Pinewood Atlanta Studios.

Georgia­filmed movies will take over the big screen in 2015 with “Lila & Eve,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis on July 17; “Vacation,” starring Ed Helms on July 29; “A Walk in the Woods,” starring Robert Redford on Sept. 2; “Goosebumps,” starring Jack Black on Oct. 16; and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” on Nov. 20. Upcoming Georgia­filmed television series that will premiere in the next few months include “The Walking Dead” on AMC; “Rectify” on Sundance; and “Satisfaction” on USA Network.

About GDEcD

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts events and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. www.georgia.org

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Visiting Hollywood South - Louisiana on the Silver Screen and Small Screen Locations tied to Louisiana­filmed movies, TV shows are numerous.

Evergreen Plantation was a prominent filming location for the Hollywood blockbuster Django Unchained.

Louisiana’s official state nickname is Sportsman’s Paradise thanks to rich and abundant natural resources and the fish and wild game that call it home. Related nicknames for our state include The Pelican State, in reference to our state bird, and Bayou State, thanks to our slow­moving streams.

There’s another nickname for Louisiana that is not all about our flora and fauna—Hollywood South. Thanks to our diverse settings for movies (Louisiana has everything including bustling cities, antebellum mansions and lush wilderness areas), generous state tax incentives for film producers and a sea of production support businesses ranging from cutting­edge soundstages and post­production facilities to large­scale catering and transportation operations, Louisiana is a global player as a movie and TV filming location. I’d be remiss not mentioning that movie and TV stars rave about enjoying our food, music and joie de vivre away from the sets.

Simply put, if you watch movies or TV, you’ve likely seen Louisiana on screen.

A comprehensive list of major movies and TV shows made in Louisiana in recent years would be too long to list here—the state film commission says more than 400. Here are a few ideas for mixing some of Louisiana’s more notable filming sites with your travels throughout the state:

Louisiana’s antebellum plantations on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge remain a magnet for blockbuster films. In recent years, 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained were filmed at Felicity and Evergreen plantations, respectively. For the classics enthusiast, the tours at Oak Alley and Houmas House plantations explain the mansions’ roles in making Interview with the Vampire and Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Fans of the popular CBS series NCIS: New Orleans can easily find locations featured in the show. Sites on and near Bourbon Street in the famed French Quarter and along St. Charles Avenue in the Garden District were common filming backdrops. Many areas offer tours based on the most notable film or TV projects. Natchitoches hosts a Steel Magnolias tour; Monroe­West Monroe has a trail to explore sites commonly viewed on A&E’s Duck Dynasty; New Orleans’ Tremé neighborhood will take you back to the hit HBO series by the same name; and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will put you in the swamps where Troy Landry and several other alligator hunters make their kills on History’s Swamp People. Fans of the HBO hit True Blood can check out two downtown Shreveport sites positioned prominently in the opening credits—the Ogilvie­Wiener House, a creepy Victorian mansion, and just two blocks away, the Lucky Liquor store. On a somewhat related note, moviegoers who like to enjoy an adult beverage in an off­the­beaten­path locale will appreciate Fisherman’s Wharf in Des Allemands, Spillway Bar in Norco and Moonlight Inn in Port Vincent. The first two bars were used for many scenes in HBO’s True Detective series, and the last served as the Boar’s Nest in the movie remake of The Dukes of Hazzard.

40 MILLION TOURISTS CHOOSE THEIR DESTINATION PRIMARILY BY MOVIES OR TV PROGRAMS THEY’VE SEEN

The Association of Film Commissioners International Hosts 39th Annual Cineposium Film Summit to Discuss and Examine the Economic Impact of Film Tourism Globally

Los Angeles, September 1, 2015 – The Association of Film Commissioners Internationalb(AFCI), the official professional organization for film commissioners who assist film, television, and video production across the globe today announced its theme, panelists, speakers and program list for its annual Cineposium conference.

Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Film Commission and Barcelona Tourism will host this year’s summit at the Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB) in Barcelona, Spain on September 24-26, 2015. For the first time in Cineposium’s 39-year history, this year’s conference is dedicated to one topic, Film Tourism.

In 2012 the Tourism Competitive Intelligence reported that 40 million international tourists chose their destination primarily because they saw a film shot in that country. Up to 10 percent of the tourists in the survey attributed movies as a factor in deciding on their destination.

“Filming and tourism have reached a noticeable level of significance in Barcelona to the point that now the concept is being strategically examined in order to establish it as a sustainable model,” said Carles Sala, Director of Barcelona Capital with the Barcelona City Council. “Film tourism appeals to both local and foreign visitors, and it drives them towards popular, less known and unexplored areas, highlighting our local cultural and unique landmarks.”

URL: http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/filmmaker­affleck­building­ybor­city­in­brunswick­ga­ 20150928/ Filmmaker Affleck building Ybor City in Brunswick, Ga.

By Paul Guzzo

BLAST COVER ­­ 9/17/15 ­ Crews are erecting temporary buildings along Newcastle Street in Brunswick, GA to give it a Prohibition era look for the November filming of Ben Affleck's "Live by Night." (Florida Times­Union, Terry Dickson)

TAMPA — With its well­preserved history as an immigrant community, cigar rolling capital of the world, and Mafia hotbed, Ybor City seems ripe for Hollywood.

Ben Affleck agreed, and bought the film rights to “Live By Night” — a novel by former Tampa area writer Dennis Lehane set in Ybor City during the 1920s and 1930s about a petty Boston thief’s rise to successful Gulf Coast rum runner.

Unfortunately for Tampa, the absence of state tax incentives for movie productions coupled with Affleck’s wish to work close to home means filming of “Live By Night” will bypass the original.

Instead, a fake Ybor City is being erected 270 miles northeast in Brunswick, Georgia.

Since early September, set designers have been busy turning areas of Brunswick into Tampa’s Latin district.

And casting directors are recruiting extras to portray the ancestors of many people who still live in Tampa — salsa dancers, Depression­era families, residents of Cuban neighborhoods, and cigar factory workers.

Filming is set to begin the first week of November, once set designers finish their work, and last for about two weeks.

“It’s pretty amazing what they can do how fast they can do it,” said Matthew Hill, executive director of the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority. “They are erecting new buildings and sprucing up facades of existing buildings to look like Ybor City.”

Brunswick was founded by British immigrants in 1771, but its first active development period was in the late­1800s and early 1900s, said Mimi Rogers, curator of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.

That was the same period in which Ybor City was born.

They have different immigrant roots — Ybor City is Spanish, Cuban and Italian — but each boasts similar two­ to three­story brick structures throughout the business district.

“Those types of buildings are what would be built in any American town at that point,” Rogers said. “Maybe small things would be added for cultural differences.”

These include Ybor City’s distinctive wrought iron balconies and awnings — now being affixed to any existing buildings planned for filming, said Hill with the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority.

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Filming will take place on Newcastle and Monck streets in the Brunswick business district, Union and Wolfe streets in the city’s residential areas, and on Jekyll Island off Brunswick’s coast.

The production will occupy Brunswick for almost three months and employ almost 300 people.

How many are hired locally is unclear, Hill said, but they will all be spending money in and around Brunswick and the production is purchasing as many supplies as possible from the immediate area.

Hill said the City of Savannah Film Office estimates that productions the size of “Live By Night” spend as much as $45,000 per day locally.

Mostly, exterior scenes will be filmed in Brunswick — a metropolitan area of some 150,000 people along the Atlantic coast about 30 miles north of Florida.

The movie’s location manager could not be reached for comment on where interiors will be shot. Hill said he has heard that sound stages in Los Angeles will be used. Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios could also handle such a large­scale production.

Affleck is directing and starring in the movie, wrote the screenplay, and is co­producing it with Leonardo DiCaprio.

The movie’s cast also includes Zoe Saldana of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Elle Fanning of “Maleficent,” and Sienna Miller of “American Sniper.”

“People are excited to have something like this with this many stars here,” Hill said. “More people than usual seem to be taking a detour through downtown since the production arrived.”

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Brunswick’s gain is Tampa’s loss.

“This was once­in­a­lifetime,” said Dale Gordon, Tampa­Hillsborough Film and Digital Media commissioner.

“Not only is ‘Live By Night’ a big budget Hollywood film attached to a major Hollywood star, it’s a movie about Ybor City. It should have been filmed in Ybor City. Instead, we’re losing real jobs and real revenue to Georgia because of the state’s failure to invest in the film and digital media industry.” Affleck came to Tampa in May 2013 scouting for “Live By Night.”

But by early 2014 word was spreading that diminished state tax incentives were sinking Tampa’s chance of landing the film and its producers would instead choose Georgia, which offers up to 30 percent back on in­state expenditures and has no cap on how much a project can receive or how much the state can allocate per year.

The Florida Legislature allotted $296 million in film incentives for 2010­2016, but all the money was quickly awarded.

The Legislature declined to replenish he pot during the past two legislative sessions.

Hillsborough County hoped to at least get a few days of production through a local incentive similar to what it offered for “The Infiltrator,” starring Bryan Cranston and based on the true story of a federal agent posing as a Tampa businessman to bust a financial center laundering millions of dollars for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Hillsborough County agreed to provide “The Infiltrator” production up to $250,000, the county and city provided in­kind services such as off­duty police patrol and street closures, Port Tampa Bay provided office space and the University of Tampa’s film production program provided students for support roles.

In return, the production had to spend at least $1 million locally.

The deal was enough to get the Tampa area eight days of “Infiltrator” shooting.

If state incentives were available, the producers of “The Infiltrator” said they would have filmed 90 percent of the film over 40 days in Tampa. Instead, the bulk of the work went to England in return for $4.5 million in incentives.

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Wes Miller, executive director of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, said representatives from “Live By Night” were in Ybor City earlier this year for either location scouting or to help set designers get a better understanding of Ybor City.

Film commissioner Gordon said the Hillsborough County Commission was “standing by ready to offer local incentives” to “Live By Night,” but such negotiations never materialized.

“Despite the best efforts of the Hillsborough County Commission and other local partners to secure this project, we simply cannot be competitive at this level without support from Tallahassee,” Gordon said.

The decision to film “Live By Night” in Brunswick was about more than dollars and cents, though.

Affleck owns a home on Hampton Island, a waterfront community about a 45 minute drive from Brunswick.

And even without filming here, Ybor City remains the star of the show and stands to earn great exposure worldwide.

A report by the Motion Picture Association of America said 23 percent of leisure visitors to Florida consider viewing a movie filmed in the state as very important or extremely important in their decision to come here. In 2012, the USF St. Petersburg College of Business released a study that estimated 73 percent of all visitors to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium — backdrop for the film “Dolphin Tale” — do so because of the movie.

Brunswick will be made to appear like Ybor City.

Santiago Corrada, CEO of the tourism agency Visit Tampa Bay, lived in Miami in the 1980s and recalls how the television series “Miami Vice” played a role in that city’s sightseeing boom of the time.

“You can also see today how the ‘Twilight’ movies have impacted Seattle or what ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ did for Savannah tourism,” Corrada said. “Some people make a connection with a destination based on what they see in a movie. Any time you mention some aspect of Tampa in a film and that inspires people to make a trip here, it’s a good thing.”

Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Hagan, a proponent of efforts to have the Florida Legislature replenish the empty pot of tax incentives for film and television production, said he is still saddened that the area could not enjoy all the benefits of “Live By Night.”

“It’s better than Ybor not being portrayed at all. They could have changed the name to something else,” Hagan said.

“But we could have received the jobs and other economic benefits if the filming had taken place here. Hopefully this serves as a lesson to our Legislature.” [email protected]

(813) 259­7606 URL: http://www.tbo.com/news/politics/tax­incentives­get­georgia­another­film­set­in­bay­area­ 20151008/ Tax incentives get Georgia another film set in Tampa area

By Paul Guzzo

Octavia Spencer, winner of the 2011 supporting actress Oscar for “The Help,” will be filming a movie that takes place in St. Petersburg, but the set will be in Georgia. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

TAMPA — Once again, a bounty of state tax incentives and a close resemblance to the Tampa area has landed Georgia a major motion picture that’s about this region’s people and events.

On Wednesday, a month of production work started at Tybee Island off the coast of Savannah on “Gifted” — the fictional story of a St. Petersburg man who fights for custody of the brilliant young daughter of his deceased sister.

Directed by Marc Webb of “The Amazing Spider­Man” movies, “Gifted” stars “Captain America” Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer, winner of the 2011 supporting actress Oscar for “The Help.”

St. Petersburg had a chance of landing the production, as Ybor City did with “Live By Night,” about rum running in Ybor City during the 1920s and 1930s and directed by and starring Ben Affleck.

But Florida doesn’t offer the publicly funded financial incentives that Georgia does, so Tampa’s Latin District is being recreated in Brunswick, Georgia, and production is set to begin next month.

“I read the ‘Gifted’ script; it takes place in St. Pete,” said Tony Armer, St. Petersburg­Clearwater film commissioner. “I talked to the writer. I met with the producers. They all wanted to come here.”

Armer added, “It has an Avenger, an A­list director and an Oscar winner. It has a seven­figure budget. The film is no slouch. This is such a shame. It was our film to lose and we lost it.”

“Gifted” screenwriter Tom Flynn also lives in St. Petersburg. The Florida Legislature allocated $296 million to film incentives for the period 2010­2016, but all the money was quickly awarded. The Legislature declined to replenish the pot during the past two legislative sessions.

Georgia has no cap on how much the state can allocate per year.

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Until Monday, Armer held out hope that St. Petersburg could host a few days of filming on “Gifted,” primarily exterior shots to tie the movie to the city. But he has not heard from producers since last week.

This makes three productions in the past two years that originally considered the Tampa area because the stories take place here but settled on the Savannah area, instead, said Andy Young, a location scout for the city of Savannah Film Office.

The other was “Magic Mike XXL,” a sequel to the original that was filmed in Savannah.

Producer and star Channing Tatum attended high school and worked as a male stripper in Tampa.

“I met with a representative from ‘Magic Mike XXL’ about a year and a half ago,” said Dale Gordon, Tampa­Hillsborough Film and Digital Media commissioner. “Their response was, literally, ‘Sorry, Florida, but I can’t even talk to you because you have no money.’”

In the “Gifted” script read locally, the lead character works at a St. Petersburg marina. The story made use of several landmarks, such as The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg.

Young said he “suspects it will remain a Florida story” since Tybee Island can replicate the Sunshine State. He wasn’t certain of this, though, nor did he know whether the movie will keep the name St. Petersburg.

If not, Armer said, the city will get no benefit from a film meant to showcase it.

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Tampa, on the other hand, will at least reap the marketing benefit of “Live By Night” if not production money.

With “Gifted,” screenwriter Flynn approached Armer in December 2014 about finding a way for the film to be produced in St. Petersburg.

Director Webb was in St. Petersburg about eight months ago scouting locations and Armer flew to Los Angeles to meet with the producers in June.

But when he learned the producers’ were in discussions with Georgia’s film office, Armer said, he knew St. Petersburg’s chances were bleak.

Without state incentives, all he had to offer was $200,000 from Pinellas County.

“If this was a million dollar movie I think we would have had a chance,” Armer said. “But it’s in the high seven figures so $200,000 could not move the needle as compared to what Georgia could offer.”

As a consolation, he tried to win the city at least a week of filming. That’s the approach local officials took with “The Infiltrator,” starring Bryan Cranston and based on the true story of a federal agent posing as a Tampa businessman to bust a financial center laundering millions of dollars for Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

The producers chose England over Tampa, in part because of $4.5 million in incentives, but Hillsborough County offered $250,000 — enough for eight days of filming in April.

Similarly, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties provided $100,000 in incentives each for two weeks of production in February for Tim Burton’s film “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” The scenes were written to take place in Sarasota.

“I’ll keep trying to get some exteriors for ‘Gifted’ here,” Armer said. “But it’s not looking good.”

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Whether state incentives for film and television productions are a sound investment remains open to debate.

When money is available, Florida can provide a production up to 20 percent back on what is spent in the state, with a cap of $8 million.

A study conducted by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research shows the state received just 43 cents back per dollar on tax incentives awarded to productions since 2010.

That amounts to a loss of almost $170 million on the $296 million in incentives.

The report is accurate, as even proponents of the incentives agree, but misunderstood. The numbers reflect how much money in tax receipts the government gets back, primarily through the sales tax, and does not count private spending.

The $296 million Florida spent in film and production incentives added $4.1 billion to Florida’s Gross State Product, a 15 to 1 return.

“Everybody I talk to in the industry wants to film in Florida,” Armer says. “And our area in particular could be crushing it in terms of the number of films we get here.”

“Dolphin Tale” and its sequel, and “Spring Breakers” were made in Pinellas County because Pinellas was the scene of the stories and because the productions received state incentives.

“Based on the positive experiences the producers of those films had here, others wanted to make movies here,” Armer said.

2015 may be remembered as a big opportunity lost, Armer said.

The producers of “The Infiltrator” have told the Tribune they would have filmed more than 20 more days here had state incentives been available.

“All we can hope now is that this is lesson to our legislatures,” said Armer. “And then hope we haven’t missed our big chance to make an impact on Hollywood. Who knows if four major films will ever want to come here in the same year again.” [email protected]

Why this Orlando MS&T firm is diversifying its biz with gaming

Orlando Business Journal August 12, 2015

Well, the secret is out: Video games are a big deal. Seriously.

Data from the Entertainment Software Association shows that 155 million Americans play video games and American consumers spent a total of $22.41 billion in 2014 in the game industry. So, it's no surprise that a local modeling and simulation training company has taken an interest in developing video games.

Orlando-based JHT Inc., which develops simulation training tech for the military and medical field, is moving more into the entertainment side of things with video game development.

Orlando Business Journal previously reported about JHT Inc.'s subsidiary game studio Gentleman Squid getting attention from popular online gaming platform Steam, but JHT Inc. CEO Jim Jardon said more plans are on the way to create new games with a focus on education.

Why is JHT Inc. paying close attention to the game industry? "Revenue," Jardon said. "[A good game] spreads throughout the gaming community fast. We've been green lit by Steam, but we're chugging along."

While Gentleman Squid can't be compared to massive gaming studio EA Tiburon, Jardon said the game industry is a promising moneymaker for the company if the studio can create one massive seller.

"Usually in that industry, it's hard to get recognition, but if you do, you have a reasonable chance for success," he said. The 10 most successful states for video game development

by John Gaudiosi @JohnGaudiosi, Fortune Magazine FEBRUARY 24, 2015

The proliferation of smartphones and tablets, along with new free-to-play games luring a new audience of gamers, has helped the United States video game industry to see consistent growth despite a global recession. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the video game industry grew four times faster than the American economy between 2009 and 2012.

Video game jobs have flourished across the country, growing at 9% each year since 2009, thanks in part to tax incentives in a growing number of states and more video game programming at colleges and universities. The game industry directly employs more than 42,0000 people in 36 states, a more than 30% increase since the 2009 report.

It’s not a bad gig, either. Industry employees earning an average annual compensation of up to $95,000, and total direct compensation for all workers directly employed in the video game software industry was more than $4 billion. In 2012, the game industry added $6.2 billion to the American economy. But where is the money flowing? Here are the 10 states leading in video game development, based on total economic contribution in 2012, the most recent data available.

10. PENNSYLVANIA 9. COLORADO 8. OREGON 7. ILLINOIS 6. FLORIDA Economic contribution: $171.5 million With hubs in Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, and Miami, Florida is the home state of EA Sports’ Madden NFL franchise. The state has two publishers and 31 development studios, including Trendy Entertainment, Nival Interactive, and Artix Entertainment. Employees make $89,540 per year on average and game developers rake in $217,139. Florida saw a real annual growth rate of 21.55% from 2009 through 2012 thanks to the rise of mobile gaming and the annual success of sports franchises from Electronic Arts Tiburon. 5. MASSACHUSETTS 4. NEW YORK 3. WASHINGTON 2. TEXAS 1. CALIFORNIA

Bob Sparks: Entertainment industry adds to Florida’s economic menu by Bob Sparks April 9, 2015

For years Florida governors and legislators stressed the need to diversify Florida’s economy. A state’s financial wellbeing so heavily dependent upon tourism and agriculture is a disaster or recession away from economic calamity, they said. They, and their successors who toe the same line, are right. Resorts, parks and Fresh From Florida are great for our economy in so many ways, but our menu needs more entrees.

Television, film and entertainment production will not drive an economy, but it pedals fast enough to add another element historically capable of producing well-paying jobs. Florida is home to thousands of entertainment related businesses that employ more than 100,000 individuals. This industry involves more than movies and television. Video games, educational films, infomercials, commercials, and music videos are all created and produced in Florida overwhelmingly by Floridians.

The average wage for these jobs is $70,000, a staggering 62 percent higher than the state average of nearly $44,000. Floridians involved in motion picture and video distribution earn, on average, nearly $100,000.

Fortunately, a bipartisan majority of the Legislature shares the goal of expanding the number of these types of jobs. The competition for them among other states is rather fierce. Hindering Florida’s effort is an outdated and inefficient structure and incentive package. While it gets complicated, the bottom line is Florida easily runs out of authorized tax credits, leaving worthy projects, and their jobs, no choice but to seek better deals in other states.

A January report from the Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) revealed Florida is falling behind states like Georgia and Louisiana. Combined with aggressive tactics used by the other states and Florida’s inefficient system, this state’s position is clearly lagging from where it was a few short years ago.

This year, the Legislature seeks to make the necessary changes to bolster’s Florida’s climate advantage with business incentives without writing checks to producers as an enticement. House Bill 451, sponsored by Winter Park Republican Mike Miller, and Senate Bill 1046, sponsored by Venice Republican Nancy Detert, are making steady progress through committees. The basic message is simple. Those with projects are asked to bring your already funded projects to Florida, spend money on Florida businesses, hire Floridians and pay them well, and then we will give you 20 percent of that money back in tax credits.” While the small numbers of critics decry “giving taxpayer money to Hollywood,” there is no direct negative fiscal impact on the state. In other words, no money goes out until five times the amount of any tax credit comes into our economy, certified by an independent audit. The payback begins with sales tax revenue from local purchases made by those paid by the entertainment industry. Enhanced tourism to movie locations and Florida in general keeps it going.

While some fun and mischief surfaced in committee hearings, the “Film Bill” seems headed toward passage. A minority of Republicans has a problem with incentives on principle, but each of the three House committees hearing the bill reported it favorably by at least a two to one margin.

Loudly offering lonely public opposition to the bill is the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) group. That group, like some of the Republicans, oppose tax incentives. The lead AFP lobbyist on the issue, Skylar Zander, took some heat at last week’s committee hearings, but was back for more at this week’s House Economic Affairs Committee. There were no fireworks this week.

Opponents claim the incentives prevent Florida from investing in other more important areas, but face strong blowback from people such as House Finance and Tax Chairman Matt Gaetz, who correctly points to the lack of an appropriation in the bill. Detert, a longtime supporter of the Florida film industry, and Miller make a strong case for Florida film school graduates who need a vibrant industry for employment after graduation. Why not make it more likely they will find work and stay (and pay taxes) in their home state? Did I mention 100,000 jobs?

While these bills have multiple components, the tax credits receive the most scrutiny. A less discussed component involves additional opportunities for recent college graduates, military veterans and the developmentally disabled. As Gaetz said at the end of his committee’s discussion, this bill is “not about Hollywood.” It is about diversifying the economy. He finished by saying “there is no defense for the status quo.”

The House bill is now headed for the floor while the Senate bill has reached its last committee stop. Miller, Detert, their cosponsors and colleagues deserve credit for creating and improving worthy legislation. It makes “cents” to have the entertainment industry as a featured item on our economic menu.

Bob Sparks is a business and political consultant based in Tallahassee. Column courtesy of Context Florida.

URL: http://www.tbo.com/list/news­opinion­editorials/editorial­florida­losing­film­industry­ 20151014/ Editorial: Florida losing film industry

Georgia is finding it profitable pretending to be Florida — at least on film.

Because Florida does not offer tax incentives to film companies, a number of movies with Florida settings are being shot in Georgia, which does provide enticements.

Lawmakers should remedy the situation. This doesn’t mean simply throwing money at film companies. But it makes no more sense to ignore the potential benefits of the film business than it does to give money away without regard for the risks.

As the Tribune’s Paul Guzzo reports, offering incentives has enabled Georgia to attract high­profile films with Florida settings.

Among the films Georgia has snagged:

♦ “Gifted,” which has a St. Petersburg setting and stars “Captain America” star Chris Evans and Octavia Spencer, who won the 2011 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for “The Help.”

♦ “Live by Night,” a gangster story that takes place in Ybor City and stars Ben Affleck, who also will direct.

♦ “Magic Mike XXL,” a sequel to the story about a male stripper in Tampa that stars Channing Tatum.

All the productions could have gone to Florida.

“The Infiltrator,” the true story of a federal agent who investigated drug money laundering in Tampa, is being filmed in England, which offered $4.5 million in incentives. The movie stars “Breaking Bad’s” Bryan Cranston.

Because Hillsborough County offered $250,000 in incentives, about eight days of “The Infiltrator” will be filmed here. But producers said they would have filmed more than 20 days had the state provided some inducement.

Unfortunately, the Legislature has refused to try to build the state’s film industry. Lawmakers allocated $296 million in film incentives for 2012­16, but the money was exhausted within a year, and lawmakers have refused to replenish it.

This is short­sighted.

As with any incentive, government needs to be cautious, but precautions can be taken.

Sen. Nancy Detert of Venice has pushed a plan that would provide state support in the form of a tax credit, which would not be awarded until a private accounting firm and state audit had certified the project did have the economic impact that had been promised.

The plan also would limit the credit to expenditures for goods and services in Florida, not a film’s overall expense.

Carefully monitored, an incentive program, which probably also would cover advertising, television and game productions, should bring investment and jobs to the state.

If the state can continue to offer financial incentives to lure other businesses and industries to the Sunshine State, why not film production?

As Guzzo found, spending by the 342 productions that made use of the state’s $296 million in incentives added $4.1 billion to Florida’s gross state product. The average salary in the industry is $70,000. And a film can attract national attention and increase tourism.

A study by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg College of Business estimated the economic impact of the original “Dolphin Tale,” filmed at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, may reach $5 billion.

The less successful sequel is unlikely to have that kind of impact, which underscores the need to be pragmatic about expectations. Still, there is no question the films about the injured dolphin gave Clearwater a huge economic boost.

Tallahassee needn’t go Hollywood with extravagant offerings and glitzy promotional campaigns for the film industry, which has had a long history in Florida. But officials should take a hard­nosed look at the likely return on investment and act accordingly. URL: http://www.tbo.com/list/news­opinion­commentary/ken­hagan­keep­hillsborough­and­florida­ in­film­game­by­continuing­tax­credit­program­20150531/ Ken Hagan: Keep Hillsborough and Florida in film game by continuing tax credit program

Warner Bros. “Dolphin Tale” was filmed in Pinellas County, drawing visitors from all over to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and producing a sequel.

Our community as well as the state of Florida has steadfastly earned its ranking in the global marketplace, and we continue to grow increasingly competitive. Those of us focused on economic development have been strategic in targeting diverse, high­quality jobs, long ago learning that our “beautiful weather and favorable tax climate” would not be enough to prosper in the new economy. We recognize the reality of financial incentives as a necessary and important ingredient for success in today’s world.

Today, Hillsborough County is focused on the high­value market of the film and digital media industry, but we need the state Legislature to re­fund the Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program to help us continue to grow our market share.

In Hillsborough, we’ve led by example and have seen the return on investment. We provided $250,000 in local incentives for the feature film, “The Infiltrator,” starring Bryan Cranston. During filming in April and May, the production created 100 high­wage jobs and invested over $2 million in our local economy. (It is too early yet to have the economic impact statement calculations completed.)

Although we are absolutely thrilled that we were chosen as one of their primary filming locations, we are also keenly aware that the Tampa Bay area lost a projected $20 million in additional economic impact due to lack of state incentives.

There is little doubt that high­impact film production projects spur high­wage job creation, investment and tourism. According to the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, our Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program is projected to contribute about $4.1 billion in positive economic impact from 2010­16.

Technology used in film and digital media is very sophisticated, and the jobs are highly competitive and well­paying. The average wages in Florida for the film and digital media industry are over $70,000 — almost double the state’s average for all other industries.

Admittedly, not every movie is “A Dolphin Tale” with its projected five­year $500 million economic impact. That is why it makes complete sense to always require productions to reach quantifiable financial thresholds and metrics to ensure their economic impact and return on investment to the community.

Additionally, local governments need to “have skin in the game,” just as Hillsborough County has and will again.

Interestingly, much of this technology is also used in other high­tech industries such as defense and security, life sciences, modeling and simulation, and animation, and offers opportunities for cross­ pollination and further development of our workforce.

However, Florida and Hillsborough again suffer a “brain­drain” effect its their technology sectors.

We spend millions of dollars annually on developing film and digital media programs at our state’s colleges, only to have graduates unable to find employment in Florida and relocate to another state.

In reality, Louisiana and Georgia have dominated this industry because they offer the greatest incentives to produce there. In fact, 37 states have film incentive programs to lure high­impact productions (and Florida was one of them.)

These states have realized that film and digital media make a significant impact on a community through immense publicity, increased tourism and new revenue generation.

I urge the Legislature to re­fund this tax credit program and help keep Florida and Hillsborough County well positioned in the film industry.

This is a clean technology sector and a creative industry. It is just the type of industry that will attract the kind of world­class projects that keep Florida at the cutting edge of innovative business development.

Ken Hagan is a Hillsborough County commissioner, elected countywide, and the longest­serving member of the board. From the Orlando Business Journal :http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print­edition/2015/05/15/editors­ notebook­why­the­florida­legislature­needs.html

Editor's notebook: Why the Florida Legislature needs to OK film incentives

SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: May 15, 2015, 6:00am EDT Updated: May 15, 2015, 1:03pm EDT

Cindy Barth Editor­ Orlando Business Journal Email | Twitter

Let me begin this week’s editor’s notebook with a confession: I am a film geek who not only used to cover the industry for Orlando Business Journal back in my reporter days, but I also am a huge fan of the medium.

Which brings us to why Florida lawmakers should address the industry’s need for incentives in this upcoming legislative special session.

When the incentives program started in 2010, its $296 million in funds was supposed to last until 2016. Instead, more than 300 projects were approved quickly, running the fund dry by 2014. And while the payoff was nearly $1 billion in total wages for 100,000 Floridians, $1.5 billion in spending and 248,660 estimated room nights for people working on projects in Florida, lawmakers weren’t anxious to give out more money for future projects.

Which was too bad, because other states leapt into the incentives fray and lured business away from here. Just talk to Sheena Fowler in the local film office. She can give you a detailed list of missed opportunities.

So why is this important not only for the state, but Central Florida, as well?

It truly is simple economics based on building an industry in which film and production crews come into town, set up their shooting locations, spend money here and generate a lot of economic return for the region.

In fact, reports show that advancement of the industry through incentives could create 50,000 new jobs in the state and $500 million a year in economic impact.

Plus, the bill that was filed this legislative session — which pretty much got lost in the wrangling over expansion of Medicaid and budget issues — also defines other ways for projects to gain more incentives, including filming in underused Florida counties, creating a Florida promotional video using project team members and hosting a preview event in the area where the project was produced.

And because there are hoops to jump through to qualify for the incentives, they really are fool­ proof as far as companies being awarded money but not following through on doing what they said they would do. No do = no funds.

That’s why Film Florida last week sent letters to Gov. Rick Scott, Senate President Andy Gardiner and Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli formally requesting that the entertain ment industry be on the June special session’s agenda.

Then last Friday, Film Florida launched an online petition asking them for the same — a petition that already has garnered thousands of signatures.

Action on this request should be a no­brainer for state officials. We know from its historical data that incentives do what they’re designed to do: employ Floridians and generate millions in economic impact.

It seems everyone else around the country understands the importance of this industry and is putting money behind their beliefs.

Certainly, the Legislature should get busy on a state budget and how we’re going to help the most low­income Floridians access health care. But we shouldn’t allow items like the film incentives to get lost along the way. Here's Why The Freelancer Economy Is On The Rise Two trends are helping independent workers land more work, and tackle it more flexibly, than ever before.

August 10, 2015 By Brendon Schrader, Fast Company

As of May 2015, 15.5 million people in the U.S. were self-employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—an increase of roughly 1 million since May 2014. That number is expected to keep growing at a steady clip. By 2020, a separate study estimates that more than 40% of the American workforce, or 60 million people, will be independent workers—freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees.

Increasingly, contractor positions are being held by the best and brightest. Harvard Business Review recently called this phenomenon "The Rise of the Supertemp." These days, even professionals like attorneys, CMOs, and consultants with world-class training are choosing to work independently.

Attorneys, CMOs, and consultants with world-class training are choosing to work independently. There are many reasons why independent work is on the rise, from shifting economic conditions to corporate downsizing and employee dissatisfaction. But two things have slowly fueled the trend in a much bigger way, lowering the barriers that once made independent contracting much more challenging.

New Platforms For Pairing Talent With Businesses There are now more ways to work remotely than ever before, from devices, apps, and other personal technology that lets us communicate with one another from virtually everywhere. But there’s another kind of technology that plays an arguably bigger role— platforms designed to match companies with talent.

One of the biggest hurdles for most contractors is business development and filling their project pipelines. Some 35% of respondents in a recent survey by Contently, which matches independent writers and businesses, said that securing enough work was their biggest daily obstacle. But new online marketplaces are launching in a wide range of categories, helping talented freelancers to find jobs in their chosen fields.

I recently visited the Contently offices in New York City and saw how its growing business model and technology platform are pairing brands with journalists, writers, and storytellers. Without it, many such partnerships wouldn't have been available to either the freelancers or the companies now working with them.

HourlyNerd is a similar platform, designed by Harvard MBA students to connect companies with talented business consultants. The community lets businesses compare consultants’ profiles to those who correspond with their needs. Users can bid on projects within HourlyNerd's platform, making it a flexible option to find qualified independent partners.

Co-Working Spaces In Major Cities It's not uncommon for independent workers to feel isolated. But the rise of co-working spaces in top urban centers is changing that, offering freelancers unprecedented support and resources. Co-working spaces are providing more than just a sense of community that comes from working around others. WeWork, for instance, is one of the most popular providers of workspace for independent contractors, and it's expanding to major cities around the world. The company has raised the bar in part by focusing on creating a collaborative ambience you’d find at any cutting-edge startup. WeWork spaces even boast arcades, fresh fruit, and beer on tap.

Co-working spaces are providing more than just a sense of community that comes from working around others. There are of course more traditional perks, too. More than 150 WeWork partners offer services like human resources, web consulting, and accounting help—removing some of onus on freelancers to do everything themselves. And in case you think co-working spaces are an unnecessary luxury or just a passing trend in the freelancer economy, remember that WeWork was recently valued at $10 billion.

The Future Of Freelancing Talent-matching platforms and co-working spaces are just two leading trends behind a freelancer economy that's growing more robust by the day. Other models and services are bound to spring up to bridge more gaps between consultants and companies in more flexible ways than ever before.

And of course, the rise of independent work isn't just a boon to independent workers, either. It also allows businesses to find more targeted and better qualified talent to address their needs— typically at lower costs. Rather than bringing someone in full- time, with benefits and a salary, a company can hire a consultant who's ideally suited to a particular project. And that consultant is likely to have more resources to tackle it than at any time before.

It's worth remembering the new freelancer economy isn't about "temp" labor. Independent workers are increasingly strategic, experienced, and professional. They want more flexibility than a traditional employee, and in many cases they're getting it.