Hawaii Film & TV Productions Goin' Down

The ups and downs of film & TV production in Hawaii, 1992-2005

It may seem like Hawaii's film and TV industry is doing smashingly thanks to ABC's megahit "Lost," but 2005 production expenditures actually dropped about 40% to an estimated $100 million versus 2004's $164 million. Granted, 2004 was our banner year with 3 network TV series, 2 of which got cancelled. But the primary reason for the steep drop? Competition from other jurisdictions with better film incentives.

The Honolulu Advertiser's Sean Hao interviewed my boss, Hawaii Film Commissioner Donne Dawson, about this subject at yesterday's Senate MAT hearing on this year's film bills. Hao quoted her testimony to the Senate MAT committee: "Hawai'i has experienced first-hand what it's like to lose productions to other jurisdictions with better, more effective incentives....Our local workers have suffered a drop in employment opportunities and many are collecting unemployment compensation between jobs, which are becoming fewer and farther between."

Among the recent productions we have lost are Adam Sandler's "The Longest Yard" to New Mexico, Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" to Iceland, NBC series "Surface" to North Carolina, "Pirates of the Caribbean 2 & 3" to the Caribbean, and "Swiss Family Robinson" and "The Great Raid" to Australia.

>> TV, film projects in Islands down last year [Hnl Advertiser, 2/3/06]

RELATED POSTS:
>> MAT Decisionmaking on Film Bills Deferred
>> Everyone Else Is Doing It...
>> Summaries of Film Bills
>> 2005 Hawaii Film and TV Reverie
>> Our Loss is Their Gain