Lights, Camera...........Call to Action!

Invite the lights, cameras

February 2, 2008

Just as corporate America seeks tax incentives to lure business, so, too, should Michigan work to lure the film industry ("Lights, camera, action ... Michigan," Jan. 22). Where some see unoccupied factories or urban grit, producers like Michael Bay ("The Island" and "Transformers") see possibility and art in Detroit.

They hire electricians and other skilled tradespeople; they stay in hotels; they hire location scouts, assistants and makeup artists.

Films can showcase Detroit's interesting landscape to millions as a place to do business and visit. In the mid-20th Century, Detroit was a hotbed of the ad and film industry for commercial production, and films were shot here en masse.

Detroit boasts some of our country's most talented creative professionals who have made fortunes here for decades. Instead of reading headlines about people leaving Detroit and Michigan, we want them to stay and work in film and other industries that can profit in and for Michigan. To help our region survive and thrive into the future, we must welcome and aggressively seek all industries.

In 2008, the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau plans to officially launch Film Detroit and continue promoting metro Detroit as a location for commercials, films, documentaries and still photo shoots, and to help support our partners in the Detroit and Michigan film offices.

We created Film Detroit after Michigan's film incentive passed last year, and this year our team will launch a Web site, attend film trade shows and events, and work hard to make Detroit a player in the film industry. A more competitive Michigan film incentive will give us a better chance to attract more films and help diversify our economy.

I urge the Michigan Legislature to pass a more aggressive film incentive as soon as possible.

Larry Alexander

President and CEO
Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors
Bureau/Film Detroit


Lights, Camera...........Call to Action!

As a life-long resident of Southeastern Michigan and participating member in the Detroit commerical film industry for four decades I can concur with this intention.

I have also been an ardent advocate and in some cases a pioneering early adopter, developer and implementor of sophisticated 21st Century digital technologies.

This issue (business case) and the correspondingly supporting advanced technological executions when coupled together could become the basis for a "renewed emergent business sector" culminating in a foundational regional Detroit Creative Culture that would sustain such an overwhelming undertaking.

For those creatives whom heed this clarion "Call to Action" more at http://www.dwiff.blogspot.com/

Much continued success!

Best,

Jim Ross