Welcome to the West Michigan Film Video Alliance!

• West Michigan Groups Create Task Force to Fight for Film Industry

  The West Michigan Film Video Alliance has joined forces with the West Michigan Film Office as well as several West Michigan organizations and businesses including the Dove Foundation and the Compass Film Academy to defend the growth and development of the  motion picture entertainment industry in West Michigan. (For a complete list of organizations and their representatives on task force, check out the document below). 

  [read more]

  The West Michigan Film Industry Task Force is an ad hoc committee recently chartered by Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business and the School of Communications in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. The task force recently brought Carrie Jones, new director of the Michigan Film Office, to Grand Rapids to meet with the media and invited members of the community who are influential to filmmaking efforts in the region. 

  The task force is preparing a case statement to explain the economic impact of productions coming to West Michigan and to promote the continued growth of the film, digital media and entertainment industry in the region. The task force released preliminary findings that show the following: Based on figures from the Michigan Film Office Annual Report for 2008 and 2009, and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), West Michigan film productions spent more than $5 million in salaries, $1.6 million in goods and $2.6 million in services. To date, the more than $30 million in production budgets in 2010 already exceeds the two previous years combined. 

  
  

  The task force issued a formal statement that charged the motion picture incentives have become have become a political issue rather than an issue of business investment on behalf of economic diversity. "We are in danger of killing our motion picture industry just as it's taking off," said task force spokesperson Deb Havens, WMFVA chair. Critics have claimed that the 8,000 plus jobs created by the motion picture incentives are "not real jobs," but Havens said, "I can assure you that the people who hold those jobs consider them real and are grateful to have them."

  The West Michigan Film Industry Task Force supports the Michigan tax incentives as an investment in the state's future by providing jobs to displaced workers, keeping trained talent in Michigan and attracting new business to the state. The economic impact to the area also includes purchasing everything from accounting services and car rentals, to clothing, trash removal and hotel accommodations.

  For Carrie Jones' comments while in Grand Rapids, click on the link below.

  For more information contact task force co-chairs Kim Roberts, associate professor in the GVSU School of Communications, at robertsk@gvsu. edu; Deb Havens, chair, Board of Directors, West Michigan Film Video Alliance, at debhavens@att. net; or Dick Rolfe, Co-founder and CEO, the Dove Foundation, at drolfe@dove. org.

  [document] [website]

• Could the President Find YOU on STARMAP?

  Well, he found Dawn Butler, WMFVA Board Member and make up artist extraordinaire! Or rather his aides did. The big point here folks - get yourself listed on the database. Not a member? you can still list contact information and if you've worked on films before, the West Michigan Film Office can sanction your posting. Even if you are working regularly, we want the list to reflect the many skilled members of the production community who can be found in West Michigan. This helps us when producers are giving us the once over to determine if it will be east side or west side that gets the work.

  
  
  Any questions? Contact Dawn Butler! Or read about her experience by clicking on the link below.

  [website]

• In Defense of Incentives

  With all the political rhetoric heating up for this year's election, several candidates have stated they will take aim at Michigan's incentives to reduce or eliminate them completely. The Michigan Ecnomic Development Corp chief Greg Main was interviewed recently. The link below takes you to his response to the claim that incentives have damaged Michigan's economy and must be ended. Short and sweet? BALONEY! To be informed for the next time you hear negatives about incentive programs, check this out!

  [website]

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Coming Up

Third Thursday - Production Community Networking

Thursday, September 16, 2010, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
McFadden's Restaurant & Saloon (map)
Show your WMFVA membership card!
50% off drinks
15% off food

An open invitation to WMFVA members to mingle business with pleasure. Not a member but want to check us out? Come on by! It's all about networking! Membership required for drink and food specials.

4Wall Features Producer's Showcase

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

MCA-I and WMFVA co-host this annual tradition begun by the local chapter of the Media Communications Association International. The perfect opportunity to screen your work before peers. Plenty of Networking and Noshing!

4WALL shows off the best member work and provides networking inside the production community. What better venue for the Producers' Showcase? Veterans and rookies welcome. Catch the work of a master or offer constructive feedback on filmmaker request. MCAI and WMFVA members screen their completed and works-in-progress for FREE. Fourth Wednesday. Concessions open. 4WALL, hosted by Ella Swift and Charley VanPortfleit, returns in October. For program information or to arrange a screening contact 4wall@wmfva.org.

Producer's Showcase details announced by the 1st of September include location and participants.

Post Production Audio

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Details announced by the 1st of September include date and location.

See our complete calendar of events.