relocating to another state with tax incentives

[Chris Ratledge]

Curious to hear opinions from those on this board, from all over really.

I'm considering locating out of my current state, simply because the phone doesn't ring enough. Indiana does have a tax incentive package, but it's woefully noncompetitive considering Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio all have better packages and are thus getting much more of the work, especially Michigan. My last 'big job' was a feature in another state with more significant incentives: Georgia.

Obviously money talks, and I've tried to do everything I can to stay competitive, but Michigan for example only gives 30% back on my expenses to the production, vs. 40% for resident crew. This means I'd have to eat more of my expenses to make up that difference at the minimum to get considered, but more than likely I'd think seeing my non-resident status instantly weeds me out of consideration.

I'm curious to hear from anyone who was in another market and has made the decision to relocate and work there as a local. As a DIT I'd like to hear from any other DITs in these busier midwestern markets on any details and stories they're willing to share about their experience and opinions on the impact of the incentives for them on a personal level. As such pivotal role in the production, it seems that when the BIG shows come in, such as George Clooney's new movie coming to MI & OH this winter, (if even shooting digitally) that the DITs would most likely be keys brought in by the DPs from their home market/network. Would you say that is accurate, or are the majority of the features independent productions with a majority of local crew in key positions?

Thanks.

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

If you're working as crew it's an entirely different beast.

Up here in Manitoba we have the greatest tax credit around, and it includes deeming for key crew, as well as for positions such as stereographer (a new discipline/expertise).

What I can say as a producer is you can't wait for the phone to ring...there are plenty of DITs in a given province or state and as with all crew we have choices. If someone is pro-active and makes the calls and does the relationship building/networking it pays dividends by way of consistently being top of mind. A PM or line producer will ask: Is he/she capable? Dependable? Does the crew like him/her? Are they affordable, do they come with a kit?

As a producer it makes a lot of sense to use locals because that's where your tax credit becomes maximized.

 

[Chris Ratledge]

....What I can say as a producer is you can't wait for the phone to ring...there are plenty of DITs in a given province or state and as with all crew we have choices. If someone is pro-active and makes the calls and does the relationship building/networking it pays dividends by way of consistently being top of mind. A PM or line producer will ask: Is he/she capable? Dependable? Does the crew like him/her? Are they affordable, do they come with a kit?

Thanks for the response Jeremy.

I have scoured the production resource materials of several local and surrounding markets and amassed a list of over 150 various entities; DPs, Production, Post, and Rental houses, UPMs and Coordinators, etc, and have contacted them repeatedly, initially to introduce myself and raise awareness of my existence and availability, and it has largely been fruitless. I have even gone so far float an introductory offer to work for the bare minimum on my first gig with them, just in the hopes to start to establish a working relationship, and still, nothing! I doubt an offer to work for free would even work, and if it did, more than likely I'd just be out time and money and never hear from them again- that's happened with legitimate paying gigs.

For feature films which I see crew calls, I do everything I can to find more than just an email address to try and actually TALK to someone in production to avoid getting immediately dismissed as a non-local when I make initial contacts via email or fax. I have been successful in finding numbers to call from time to time, but only ONCE did I actually get a call back and a job out of it.

What I'm saying is that pretty much all day, every day, when not working on set, I'm engaged in SOMETHING that is trying to locate more work, including hopefully gathering information via this thread, if it receives any measurable response, but for whatever reason, I seem to hardly ever get calls back from ANYONE I reach out to! So I'm doing the legwork, I don't know what else I can do/offer. I didn't intend for my comment to mean that I just buy the gear and sit around next to the phone.

If I'm offensive in some way regarding your questions you mention at the end of your paragraph, I'm totally unaware of it. AFAIK I'm the answer would be YES to all those questions, except for maybe the "do they like me" one, to which the only other answer I could imagine someone responding with would be one of personal indifference. I don't really see how that would be the most important factor but I wonder if it is? I'm not argumentative, difficult or demanding, and know my role and have a team mentality on set. But I'm also not bubbly or chatty, I'm quiet and I take my job seriously. So I'm not trying to be the class clown but I'm not Eeyore the donkey either!

AND, I'd consider relocating AFTER establishing a few consistent relationships so I could afford to move and continue to make more, but I'm not a kid anymore and can't put everything on the line like that again.