The Blog of the Virginia Production Alliance

The Virginia Production Alliance meeting at Enrico’s
in Norfolk last night charged the membership with an ambitious program supporting the production industry in Hampton Roads.

HR VPA members Reach up

President Hunter Thomas outlined her goal for at least four educational events in the region this year.   Members learned about this month’s  Career Expo at ODU,  as well as an upcoming workshop with a major West Coast casting director visiting the area.

Hampton Roads Film Office director Jeff Frizzell
charted the progress of film incentives in the General Assembly, as well as sharing an opportunity to work on a Discovery Channel project filming on the Peninsula with those members attending the gathering.

VPA Treasurer Alfred Shapiro reported on the Charlottesville Premiere Party held on Monday, awakening a competitive spirit in the Southeastern Chapter. The meeting concluded with a hard fought Oscar night trivia contest, where one member’s knowledge of obscure ’80’s music videos won her concert tickets

Meredith Garrison, Del Spruill (D-77), Kid Richmond

Kid Richmond, Meredith Garrison, and I got a chance to sit down with Delegate Lionell Spruill (D-77th) today. The Delegate representing Chesapeake/Suffolk in Hampton Roads voted against the film tax credit bill (HB861) on second reading in the House. He told us he couldn’t support a credit for a business that won’t stay in Virginia – they shoot their movie and leave.

The VPA team explained how each production that comes to the Commonwealth builds the talent and crew that serve the film industry in Virginia. Offering incentives to short-lived movies and TV shows creates a sustainable production industry in the State.

To my surprise and delight, Del. Spruill noted that no one had laid out film incentives to him in that way before. He saw how creating jobs using tax credits for motion picture production has a positive impact on Virginia’s filmmakers and our whole State economy. He had come around to support our bill.

I tell you this story hoping to communicate how influential you can be. Sometimes all a legislator needs is to hear from constituents. With less than a week to go in the 2010 session, every VPA member has an opportunity to talk directly to their representative about preserving their job in Virginia. Your voice can change minds.

— Alfred Shapiro, VPA Treasurer

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted Sen. Louise Lucas’, SB257, out of committee to the full floor of the Senate. The bill, intended to provide $5 million per year for film production tax credits, was amended to provide $5 million per year in straight grants for use by the Virginia Film Office to attract motion picture production to Virginia. Once the bill is voted on by the full Senate it will proceed to the House of Delegates for consideration. SB 257 has a companion bill in the House of Delegates patroned by Del. Ben Cline of Amherst. HB 861 will be heard on Friday morning before a House Finance subcommittee prior to going before the full House of Finance Committee sometime next week.

We need Virginia’s film and media community to show their support for these bills now more than ever. If you haven’t signed up for “Two-A-Days” yet, please take a look at your calendar to see if you can invest a few hours of “face time” with your legislators at the General Assembly. THEY NEED US TO TELL THEM that we want film jobs in Virginia, and that we support these bills. If you don’t have time to volunteer in person for “Two-A-Days,” please send your delegate or senator (or both!) an email asking them to support these bills. Go to the General Assembly website at legis.state.va.us and click on “Who’s My Legislator” to look up their contact information.

Please email or call Margaret Ivy Smith to volunteer for “Two-A-Days”: margivy@aol.com or 804-339-2754.

In the meantime, if you want more info. on WHY we need film incentives, click here.

The recent (Jan. 26) press conference delivered by Gov. Bob McDonnell at the State Capital was more than historic for members of the VPA. It was downright surreal.

Our new governor “gets it” regarding film’s power to produce real jobs. He’s heard us and is with us. Those in the Film Office along with many longtime VPA’ers are pinching ourselves. Could this be our year, especially after last year’s success?

The credits haven’t rolled yet but yes, this is an opportune time. Other measures submitted by McDonnell in his jobs plan include economic development offices in China and the U.K., monies for the biotechnology and life sciences, and other plans that total approximately $50 million in new spending.

Now to the film industry. . . For the first time in decades, we watched a packed press conference room fill up with throngs of supporters and news cameras to hear McDonnell really get behind tax incentives and express his desire to beef up the tourism industry to attract new jobs (and to keep what feature film jobs there are). McDonnell understands that film production can contribute significantly to the state economy, especially at a time like this when revenue is needed most.

So what’s next? We need your help in keeping our message on our legislators’ radar screens full-time. VPA lobbyist Bud Oakey put it best; he said we need to show our support for more tax credits and more funding to the Motion Picture Opportunity Fund by personally making contact with our delegates and senators. If you say nothing else to them, simply say: “Hey, I don’t bother you (my delegate) a lot, but this is about my job. This is about working or not working.”

This is NOT a done deal. There is no certainty to its passage. We need you to contact your delegate and senator NOW in support of two bills (SB257 & HB861) and the Governor’s budget amendment in support of the film industry. (You can do this from legis.state.va.us. Select “Who’s my legislator?” and send your email to both your delegate and senator). We also need people to sign up for “Two-a-Days.”  This is an opportunity for you to meet with our lobbyist and learn how to most effectively communicate our message to legislators.

We’ve only got a few weeks to make a big difference. If you know Virginia-based crew who are working in other states, please contact them and ask them to email their delegates. Any amount of support will help our chances. Thanks, and please, save the high fives until we’re in the end zone!

P.S. Watch the chat below with Gov. McDonnell and Kahil Dotay, VPA 1st Vice President, from the recent “Film Day” at the State Capital.

Read today’s Richmond BizSense article on the Governor’s Economic Development program and bringing film to Virginia. Volunteers are need to contact and or call their legislators to support the Governor’s Film Production package.

http://www.richmondbizsense.com/2010/01/27/va-film-industry-might-get-new-script/

Last Saturday’s inauguration of new Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell saw members from the Virginia Production Alliance, The Virginia Film Office, and staff from the Virginia Tourism Corporation team up shoulder to shoulder as we took part in the Governor’s Inaugural Day Parade.  We donned red hats from tourism and marched down Grace street and around the steps of the capitol giving everyone cause to celebrate the incoming governor’s passion for improving the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund and for beefing up support for the state’s film industry that can bring needed jobs and income to Virginia. Led by Alisa Bailey, President and CEO of Tourism, the marchers were lead through the streets none other than George Washington and his lovely wife Martha.

Go here for more information on how you can help support Virginia’s film industry!

The Governor’s Inaugural Committee has asked the Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Tourism Corporation to participate in the Inaugural Parade of Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell on Saturday, January 16 — and VPA members are invited to join in this event.
 
While details are forthcoming, the parade starts at 1:00 p.m. and will end at approximately 3:30 p.m. This is a walking parade and is limited to the downtown/Capitol area. We do not have the route information yet. Everyone is asked to wear a black coat, black pants/skirt and  black gloves (if you wish to wear gloves). Virginia Is For Lovers blinkie pins and ball caps will be provided, as well as signs which convey the importance of tourism/film to economic development and job creation. There will be directions from the Parade Committee as to where the participants should convene and at what time.
 
If you are interested in participating in this special occasion, please contact Steven Burkarth at sburkarth@virginia.org. We will keep you apprised as details become available. Thank you for all that you do to support Virginia’s Tourism and Film industries!