Against the smear of a wintry Michigan highway, a woman in a sapphire 2007 Ford Focus peels back the pavement between Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Hurtling into the snow heavy northern horizon, she blurs the boney trees and crusted drifts with the momentum of a fierce concentration.
Dan and Lena Maude met Deb Havens for a quick taste of Om Cafe innovation before zipping over to the Inside Out Gallery. Meredith Barack, reporter for TV 9 and 10 was waiting for us when we arrived. Interviews for the 11 o’clock news commenced while Dan scurried to toss together technology. By 6:35 pm about 25 of the key regional movie makers had arrived, and unaware of the big intro Dan and Rich Brauer had cobbled together, Deb started the program.
Honestly, it was great. Yes, even though Dan didn’t light Deb’s flip chart, the documenting camera was down for the first 15 minutes of the program… but the internet worked and most crucially – the community SHOWED UP!
Ashen, roiling clouds part to the exaltation of an unearthly chorus! A thick shaft of blessed brilliance flashes forth, striking with palpable force the crinkled brow of your humble narrator. Could this be at long last be the galvanizing event for our Northwestern Film Family? Will we finally stand together and kick some metaphorical butt?
Well, maybe. In any case, I can’t help but feel heartened, encouraged, even relieved. There are players out there more savvy than Dan Kelly. Who am I to promote regional movie making, gather the diverse gang, beg and plead for participation? What about my own projects, why am I diverting energy to poke and prod my peers?
Ha! Six years working on DOG illustrates that real movie makers need teams! M3 is a community disguised as a supremely selfish agenda, which I’ve certainly alluded to ad nauseam. So back to the glorious event, the quickening, the awakening, the near miracle that might have just happened.
Movie Makers finding each other, yay! Newsworthy…
The following snippets for your consideration.
Jed Jaworksi and Rich Brauer shared anecdotes of working in Bowers Harbor on Hide Away (formerly a Year in Mooring) with director Chris Eyre, (Smoke Signals) and how local savvy kept the project in the region and enhanced the production.
Hide Away, Director Chris Eyre, 2011
We checked out the MEDC and the Michigan Film Office websites and noticed the deplorable lack of metrics to measure the positive economic impact of the film incentives.
…but the dashboard is empty, we can’t tell whether the incentives are working!
March 27 at LIAA has been scheduled as a production planning meeting, the ultimate result being a movie that explains who we are and what we want to legislators with Bill Latka, Aaron Dennis and Morgan Burke-Beyers on point. Stay tuned.
STRENGTHS
video starts here…
Joe Carter – working professionals who have moved here or retired here, discipline or craft that isn’t represented.
x – culture – surprising, good food, craftsmanship
Joe Carter – you’ve got to want to come here
Lena Maude – because of lack of infrastructure – we got to be innovative, creative to make things work, unique trends happening here
x – the web many thing are possible, we are connected
Jeff Morgan – We have an international airport
David Marek – we may not have sound stages but we have tons of hotels (for crew and casts.)
x – We have four solid seasons.
Jed – locations diversity , we can make Northern Michigan look like almost anywhere.
WEAKNESSES
Dan Kelly – the perception that there isn’t anyone here who can do the work
Andrea Maio – ignorance of the area, Michigan is one big Detroit. one big Flint.
Jed Jaworksi – Forbes. “Detroit is worst city in the nation”
Jeff Morgan– disconnected, where do outsiders go to find the talent?
Dan Kelly – Lack of awareness of how coming together can help all of us. No solid inventory of who is actually here and what is happening. Talent.
Jed Jaworksi – Other industries don’t know how to hook into film business (24 hour dry cleaning)
Jamie – talent drain, folks are leaving
Joe Carter – lack of trust in the process, no 4 year film program
Andrea Maio – how much are we building a local and inviting people in?
Rich Brauer– Not taking the producers and Hollywood’s point of view, how do we see it from their point of view? How do they perceive our credibility, our organization skills and our track? Not oversell, if you not a kick-ass whatever, don’t say you are. We must be honest with ourselves first.
David Marek – we have to leave to get experience
Bill Latka – no industry here, people here who’ve done some stuff, you can’t rely on steady work. Detroit back in the day sustained a community. Better job of hiring each other for our own projects. Your reputation is on the line when you recommend someone. Does that person really know what they are talking about?
Deb Havens – No good system or communication to find out about the people.
Dan Kelly – lack of connection to our legislature
Discussion of film incentives and policy
Jeff Morgan – addicted to incentives, refocus and think that there are multiple facets to regional success.
Discussion about building an indigenous industry
Clover Roy – No infrastructure, no sound stages. Loosing all the warehouses that could be re-purposed.
OPPORTUNITIES
Andrea Claire Maio – utilize resources that are here to build an indigenous film industry vs courting outsiders to utilize our resources?
Jeff Morgan – we can provide the varying services across the board – big Hollywood, docs, indy projects
x – used to wearing many hats
Joe Carter – A destination for workshops, specialty workshops. A mecca for education in the industry because we know how to party. We have local expertise, writers, musicians. Professionals go for immersion programs, we could be a destination for that.
Clover Roy – strong tourism office, thriving business community – connect the existing networkers with us, a Traverse City Film Office.
Jed Jaworksi – infrastructure to support summer is empty in winter, could support projects in fall and winter
Justin – national park
Jed Jaworski – extra value for the same buck, diverse skill sets
Dan Kelly – tell our story, like what Jed said
Jeff Morgan – no unions
Morgan – Help filmmakers come up with money, regional funding help
Dan – restore confidence, the indigenous industry drives the change in perception
Bill Latka – Rick Snyder
Lena Maude = an emphasis on becoming something that we are not as opposed to building on what we have
Dan Kelly – being pessimistic, we’ve got to get fired up
x – not enough knowledge available to young people about how do I stay here?
Joe Carter – other states countries with incentive programs
x – winter, inconsistent weather
Jeff Morgan – greed, desperation
Dan Kelly – territorial
Joe Carter – cuts in funding, arts, public schools
Deb Havens – Michigan’s image generally
Bill Latka – young people are out of here
Andrea Maio – considering leaving
Rich Brauer – regional airport, connections. a hassle for producers
Jed Jaworski – technology, “anyone” can do it.
Jeff Morgan – Technology is a threat and opportunity.
Dan Kelly – Technology is nothing without workflows
Joe Carter – No certification
Rich Brauer – Looking from a producers point of view. They will bring their key personnel in, their own gear – so what are our strengths? Knowledge about local resources.
Discussion about sustainability
Lena Maude – capture everything available
Dan Kelly – I don’t want to take on the full time job of corralling you cats.
Rich Brauer – resource directory of who’s out there and what they want to do.
Discussion about legislature
Discussion of MEDC