Michigan colleges create joint film institute
07.08.10
Nearly two dozen students gathered Wednesday to participate in a program with the state's three largest universities to drive Michigan's burgeoning film industry, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced.
The 2010 Creative Film Alliance Summer Institute launched on Gull Lake in Kalamazoo County's Ross Township, with nearly two dozen students from Wayne State University, Michigan State University and University of Michigan.
During the eight-week course, the students will take film classes at all of the universities, shoot a 20-minute film and network with Hollywood professionals, including producer Bill Mechanic, a 1972 MSU alum and head of a production company that produced this year's Academy Awards show.
"It's going to be great launch for the futures of all the students who are involved," said Kimberly Rice, a WSU master's student and managing producer of the film.
"The program is geared toward employing the people who are from Michigan. A lot of people have been coming into Michigan making films but not necessarily all of us get a chance to be part of those opportunities. Now we are going to start from Michigan and build outward."
After the summer course, the hope is to continue the university alliance to build a film community of producers, screenwriters and directors in Michigan.
"Our ultimate goal is to put people to work here instead of going to Hollywood, instead of going anywhere," said Emery King, chair of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council.
The effort comes more than two years after Michigan began offering film incentives, refundable tax credits between 30 and 42 percent of production costs. The incentives have brought in more than $350 million in film production, according to Ken Droz, spokesman for the Michigan Film Office.
But some say the incentives are not bringing more jobs to Michigan, and the university alliance is misguided.
"The first lesson you learn in economics 101 class is at what cost," said Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy for the Midland-based Mackinac Center. "The opportunity cost here is the revenues they might better be spending, say, lowering the cost of tuition for everyone or subsidizing more scientists and engineers."
But Granholm said the film incentives have put Michigan on the map as a filmmaking hub, and the university collaboration will train students to work here.
"Filmmaking is a growing industry and a key to keeping our most creative and talented young people here in Michigan," Granholm said.
