RRFC LOBBIES

 SACRAMENTO FOR FILM

 INCENTIVES 

(Ridgecrest)---The Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission (RRFC) traveled to Sacramento last week to meet with Assembly Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and State Senator Roy Ashburn to seek support in developing incentive programs to help retain and increase film production in California.  RRFC Film Commissioner Ray Arthur was one of 20 Film Liaisons In California Statewide, or FLICS, who traveled to the state capitol to further educate state legislators on the severity of what has been commonly referred to as "runaway production" to other states and countries.

Independent data compiled by the California Film Commission illustrated the volume of aggressive competition from numerous states and foreign countries as well as information that indicates how much state tax revenue is generated by motion picture production.  Entertainment industry statistics show that more than 10,000 jobs and $30 million in revenue were lost between 1998 and 2001 alone.

Arthur notes that initially he thought the Ridgecrest region would be unaffected due to its many unique locations, "but in 2002 we began to feel the impact as the incentive programs became so big that scripts were rewritten to take advantage of the savings in other territories.  Dry lakebeds became lakes.  Desert roads became mountain roads."

Arthur estimates a nearly 50 percent drop in local film production for the past three years.  And he says it's not just runaway production to Canada.  Over 25 U. S. states and many other countries have adopted incentive programs similar to Canada that have created a significant production flight from the Golden State.  According to Arthur, Ridgecrest has lost commercial productions to Canada, Nevada and Arizona, and feature films to those locations as well as Australia.

            Last Wednesday, Amy Lemisch, Director of the California Film Commission, Ann O'Connor - VP Government Affairs - NBC Universal, and Craig Van Gundy, feature film Location Manager joined Arthur to meet with Assembly Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, educating him to the severity of the problem facing this industry, and briefing him on proposals that will be brought forward later this year.  The California Film Commission is working with a broad coalition of entertainment industry professionals including the unions and guilds to craft legislation that would give the state some firepower to offset the dozens of incentive programs throughout the U. S. and internationally.

            While in Sacramento, Arthur also attended the quarterly Board of Directors meeting of the California Film Commission and chaired a special

Board of Directors meeting of the FLICS.  The Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission is one of 55 FLICS throughout California that promote and

facilitate film production within the state.  The FLICS are in the process of becoming a California 501 (c) 6 non-profit corporation; and, Arthur was recently elected as founding Chairman of the organization.                                                                                                                            

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Attached is a photo of Ridgecrest Regional Film Commissioner Ray Arthur (left) and California Minority Assembly Leader Kevin McCarthy (right) in McCarthy's Sacramento office.