What's the Difference?: Film Bills Demystified
Confused about all the different film bills currently being heard by the Legislature? Let me explain.
There are two key strategies for growing Hawaii's film industry:
1. Attract bigger-budget productions (over $200K) - both visiting AND local Hawaii productions qualify
2. Support low-budget independent productions by Hawaii-based filmmakers (under $200K)
Both strategies are part and parcel of the overall goal to develop a sustainable local film industry.
Reasons Behind Strategies
1. Bigger-budget productions, whether visiting or local, create jobs, train our local workforce, pump money into the local economy (spending money on hotels, food, equipment, supplies, transportation, consumer goods, etc.), present direct and indirect promotional opportunities for Hawaii, and teach and inspire our fledgling local filmmakers.
2. Low-budget independent local productions give voice to Hawaii, promote cultural expression, education, and understanding, help foster a sustainable local film industry by decreasing reliance on visiting productions to create jobs, and enhance Hawaii's own sense of identity and its image to audiences around the world.
[Note that bigger-budget local productions that would benefit from the refundable production tax credit (#1 above) also do all of this!]
Associated Bills
1. HB1590 and SB541 attract and encourage bigger-budget productions (both local and visiting, as long as they spend over $200K in Hawaii) of film, tv, commercials, digital media, and photography shoots, by offering refundable production tax credits based on a production's expenditures in Hawaii. In their current form, these bills are companion bills which accomplish similar goals. In the end, only one will be passed after both are discussed by both houses (if they get that far).
2. SB1304 appropriates money from the state to create grants for local filmmakers.
Why Testify?
Though you may not receive direct feedback or response to your testimonies, emails, and calls to legislators, please know your efforts are not in vain. The legislators' feedback/response to your testimonies is essentially whether or not they pass the bill.
Each individual's opinion really does count. Remember that YOU elect these legislators to represent YOUR views; it is their duty to represent their constituents (including you). If you have ever attended a hearing in person, you'll know that the committee chair goes through each testimony she has received, reads aloud the name of the testifier, and states whether the testifier supports or opposes the bill. If the testifier is present, he may deliver his testimony orally. Also, the committee reports published by each committee after each hearing list the names and stances of the testifiers. You can search for a committee report by bill number.
So please keep sending in your testimonies!
There are two key strategies for growing Hawaii's film industry:
1. Attract bigger-budget productions (over $200K) - both visiting AND local Hawaii productions qualify
2. Support low-budget independent productions by Hawaii-based filmmakers (under $200K)
Both strategies are part and parcel of the overall goal to develop a sustainable local film industry.
Reasons Behind Strategies
1. Bigger-budget productions, whether visiting or local, create jobs, train our local workforce, pump money into the local economy (spending money on hotels, food, equipment, supplies, transportation, consumer goods, etc.), present direct and indirect promotional opportunities for Hawaii, and teach and inspire our fledgling local filmmakers.
2. Low-budget independent local productions give voice to Hawaii, promote cultural expression, education, and understanding, help foster a sustainable local film industry by decreasing reliance on visiting productions to create jobs, and enhance Hawaii's own sense of identity and its image to audiences around the world.
[Note that bigger-budget local productions that would benefit from the refundable production tax credit (#1 above) also do all of this!]
Associated Bills
1. HB1590 and SB541 attract and encourage bigger-budget productions (both local and visiting, as long as they spend over $200K in Hawaii) of film, tv, commercials, digital media, and photography shoots, by offering refundable production tax credits based on a production's expenditures in Hawaii. In their current form, these bills are companion bills which accomplish similar goals. In the end, only one will be passed after both are discussed by both houses (if they get that far).
2. SB1304 appropriates money from the state to create grants for local filmmakers.
Why Testify?
Though you may not receive direct feedback or response to your testimonies, emails, and calls to legislators, please know your efforts are not in vain. The legislators' feedback/response to your testimonies is essentially whether or not they pass the bill.
Each individual's opinion really does count. Remember that YOU elect these legislators to represent YOUR views; it is their duty to represent their constituents (including you). If you have ever attended a hearing in person, you'll know that the committee chair goes through each testimony she has received, reads aloud the name of the testifier, and states whether the testifier supports or opposes the bill. If the testifier is present, he may deliver his testimony orally. Also, the committee reports published by each committee after each hearing list the names and stances of the testifiers. You can search for a committee report by bill number.
So please keep sending in your testimonies!
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posted by mynette at
3:27 PM
