EC City council votes in support of film, TV production incentives; what is it?
EAU CLAIRE — On Tuesday, the Eau Claire City Council voted unanimously in support of a Film and Television Production Incentive Program and the reestablishment of a Wisconsin Film Office. But what does that all entail, and what does that mean for Eau Claire?
'Wisconsin is one of 13 states without an incentive program and one of three states without a designated film office,' said Eau Claire City Councilmember Charlie Johnson while introducing the agenda item on Tuesday. 'The structure and format of the film and TV industry is changing; a lot of it is leaving California, Hollywood, New York, the bigger markets and looking at other areas around the country. A lot of states are positioning themselves well to reap the benefits of that — two being Illinois and another one Minnesota.'
As part of Gov. Tony Evers' budget proposal, $10 million is listed as providing incentives to bring more film productions, TV shows, and creative endeavors to Wisconsin.
While that as a part of the budget may not necessarily be included in the final draft, Wisconsin legislation also has a bipartisan bill, Assembly Bill 231, to also create tax credits for film production companies and create a State Film Office.
'This is competitive with all the states around us,' said Nathan Deming, a Tomah-born filmmaker who shot and filmed his movie 'February' in parts of Eau Claire and Altoona. 'Illinois and Minnesota have very similar incentive programs. One thing that sets us apart is that the minimum spend, meaning that the smallest amount you have to spend to access these credits, is $100,000.'
Tim Schwagel, another local filmmaker from the Eau Claire area and member of a statewide coalition supporting these incentives named Action! Wisconsin, said the current lack of film incentives and a designated film office can be one barrier preventing projects from getting greenlit.
'That is really where it ends; the discussion stops,' he said. 'Which by extension, doesn't bring the money to the area and bring all the jobs to the area for people who would like to stay here for productions and stuff who are very skilled individuals… in more blue collar ways, with lighting technicians and electricians.'
One other benefit is that the incentive forces money to be put back into Wisconsin, which could go back to in-state production companies, hotels, catering, actors and a variety of other occupations or services that come along with film and television production.
'This is not a cash program, this is not a grant and this is not really money coming out of taxpayer pockets — this is money getting injected into the local economy wherever the film happens and is only eligible for Wisconsin vendors, Wisconsin crew and Wisconsin products… That really keeps the money inside the state,' Deming said.
'It's a really timely and powerful opportunity for us to elevate the state's creative economy,' said Kenzi Havlicek, executive director of Visit Eau Claire, 'and we feel as if Eau Claire is positioned really well because we offer a diverse visual landscape between urban, rural and scenic places. That makes it attractive for filmmakers to potentially choose our location.'
Speaking on the benefit of tourism, Havlicek said that a current trend is for people to visit places that are in movies or on TV.
'People are visiting places that they see on the screen,' she said. 'So what we're excited about: not only could these bring in a lot of jobs for the actual filming of the movies and TV shows, but it also could draw inspiration from visitors to come see all the beautiful landscape and experience what Eau Claire has to offer.'
The incentives are also a way to draw in talent from out of the state into parts of Wisconsin, including places like Eau Claire or even the Northwoods.
Ben Dickinson, a director based in the U.S. who has worked on projects with celebrities, comedians, musicians and more, has talked about his interest in a project that would take place in Wisconsin, highlighting places like Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire, and feature the aesthetics of the state.
'I grew up outside Chicago, but my dad is from Milwaukee and my whole dad's side of the family goes back generations in Milwaukee, so I'm very connected to Wisconsin,' he said. 'It's a really special place.'
Dickinson said having a tax incentive almost means a guaranteed return for investors on projects, which is often a cornerstone of independent filmmaking. The lack of a film incentive can drive projects, like his film which is set in the dairy state, to film in places like Minnesota and Illinois.
'There's less and less reason for filmmakers to live in New York or LA, because there's fewer and fewer shoots happening there and you can be more flexible,' Dickinson said. 'I think if it was easier, if there was incentive for people to be shooting in the Midwest — not just Chicago but in Wisconsin — you'd have filmmakers saying, 'I want to have a better quality of life and decide to live in Wisconsin.''
'For me, it would be very cool to see more Wisconsin stories be told in Wisconsin,' Schwagel said, 'rather than just being told 'no' or having to buckle and film somewhere else.'
For local organizations like Visit Eau Claire, other local organizations and even Wisconsin filmmakers, there is interest to see what kind of impact the passing of a bill bringing film and television incentives and a State Film Office would bring to and highlight from the region.
'I think Eau Claire has a competitive advantage due to our location being right off the interstate and close proximity to Minneapolis-St. Paul is a great competitive advantage,' Havlicek said. 'But then also just because of what we're known for, our arts and culture and music scene, which already draws creatives to our area.'
'We have a creative scene here also tied to the geography of the area,' Deming said. 'The difference between them and us is that film is a really expensive thing to get going; there are a million reasons why something does or doesn't happen. That is why incentives are important to make it happen.'
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'Ridin'' is an album of the summer contender for anyone whose idea of summer means hanging out at the beach with all your friends — this exact scenario describes the music video for the album's first single, 'My 45,' which stars Mexican American actress Xochitl Gomez as a femme fatale. And while the LP is teeming with enough vehicular references to make Bruce Springsteen jealous (the cover shows Cuco sitting on top of his 1989 Toyota Supra), Cuco says 'Ridin'' isn't strictly meant for the car. 'I'm hoping that ['Ridin''] is something that's interpreted however the listener chooses to interpret it, whether they're ridin' in your car, ridin' for somebody or just ridin' through life,' he says. After sound check, Cuco made his way back to the suite level to wait for the rest of his party to arrive, which included his parents, Adolfo Banos and Irma Mendoza. The only child of immigrants, the artist has made it a point to share his success with them. 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