An Open Letter to the Detroit and Michigan Film Industry.

The Motion Picture Challenge for Michigan

Stan Williams, Ph.D.

September 24, 2004

I know the comments below may come across as brutal. But from my perspective they're brutally honest. I've been making films and videos and live shows in S.E. Michigan full-time for 30 years. In the past 8 years, I've seriously pursued the making of mainstream theatrical narrative features and toward that effort I earned a Ph.D. from Wayne State in Film Studies in 1997.

I've been to NY and LA numerous times over the last 3 years to work with attorneys and industry advisors to create business plans, and to meet with producers and writers to craft stories and budget them. I've also tried (successfully) to maintain my home and business here in Michigan (Northville).

So, this is my take on the Detroit Film Office (DFO) Forum a few nights ago (9-22-04). There were at least two other filmmakers there (with completed features under their belts) who like me bit their tongues during the forum, but afterwards confided in me the sentiment you'll read below. If there is going to be any progress in Michigan toward really making motion pictures here, then these issues need to be considered. Here goes.

The oft repeated (over the years), and often arrogantly repeated comments made at the Detroit Film Office Forum (September 22, 2004) and at the Michigan Film Advisory Commission (Lansing, June 28, 2004), that... "Detroit and Michigan have everything a filmmaker needs to make a successful movie, and that no one needs to go to LA or NY"...make me and several other filmmakers who are based here in S.E. Michigan want to crawl under our seats.

There are only three things that will cause a producer to seriously consider coming to Detroit or Michigan (or any "location" for that matter) to make a film. These items are true for me, a Michigan based producer, as well.

1. Unique, compelling locations. Vacant, ugly buildings in Detroit are neither compelling nor unique.

2. Financial incentives to the producer. Free police escorts, like NYC provides, are a financial incentive. And the idea that producers can afford such things is uninformed. As an independent filmmaker I'll probably mortgage my home to make my film, and I'll take other jobs to pay the bills until, if I'm lucky enough years later, to see any cash in my account that isn't owed to someone.

3. The strong personal desires of the above-the-line cast and crew whose good will is needed to complete the picture.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS on the first tier. Not even items A. through F. below, which contradict the attitude that Detroit (and Michigan) has it all.

When someone says we have everything here in Detroit or Michigan to make a hit movie, they are obviously not talking about making a typical first run, theatrical, commercial movie. LA and NY have all of the items below in abundance. We have none of them. Here's a beginning list.

As a motion picture producer, I need:

a. A number of recognizable, marketable actors to choose two or three from, who can open a movie. The term "open" here refers to distribution and means that the actors will attract enough moviegoers to put the film on the charts the first weekend. At the present time there are ZERO actors in Michigan who can OPEN a movie. Jeff Daniels cannot open a movie by himself. He needs Clint Eastwood or Billy Bob Thornton on the playbill as well.

b. A group of distributors (including the infrastructure around them, e.g. film marketing support companies, publicists, etc.) that acquire first run theatrical movies (or direct to video) for national and international distribution. As far as I know there is not even ONE local office of such a distributor, let alone their headquarters in Detroit or Michigan. The closest are in Chicago and Toronto, whose headquarters are in NY or LA.

c. A bank that is savvy to film production lending and does it as a regular part of their business. As far as I know there is no such bank anywhere in Michigan.

d. A SAG office that deals directly with feature film contracts. For my recent feature short I dealt with Chicago. I understand as of September 2004 I will deal with NY. Not Detroit.

e. A number of entertainment attorneys that deal EXCLUSIVELY with feature motion picture contracts. I know of no one here. There are some attorneys here who do SOME entertainment law on the side, but none that I know do it full time. And the one or two I've talked to in the area, but they don't know as much as I do about distribution and talent contracts. You need a bunch of these people who know a lot more than I do.

f. A cadre of investors, or an investment group, or a motion picture production fund that will back movies with millions of dollars on a regular basis. Investors who, after years of prodding, will scrape together $100,000, or $10,000 do not count or matter...much. There is no such fund group in Michigan. Is there?

Before you can say that a producer can get all he or she needs in Michigan, you need ALL of the above. And I don't think there is even ONE of ANY of the above. So let's quit bragging or acting like Michigan and Detroit are God's gift to the film industry.

There are also other things that Southern California has over MI...like predictable weather. Weather has been known to affect shooting schedules and budgets, unless you're shooting at night in burned and dilapidated buildings, e.g. 8 MILE.

Lastly, neither will a multiple credited and talented gaffer like Spike Simms, or a writer like Dutch Leonard, or shooter like Lon Stratton, or a dozen like them, bring a film to Michigan without the three things I mentioned earlier. Spike can go anywhere to work and does, and Dutch Leonard's stories can be made anywhere and do. That Spike and Dutch live here has absolutely no bearing on where the film will be made. And the same is true of every Michigan based screenwriter, director, or P.A. Having a DEEP and EXPERIENCED base of crew will HELP bring films here, but it is a second or third tier factor...certainly no reason to come here in the first place. Remember WHY there are credits before (ABOVE THE LINE) and credits after (BELOW THE LINE) of a movie. Location decisions are made by the folks above the line. And most of the time those decisions are financially based.

Here are ten things the MFO and DFO can do to bring films here or to encourage development (and subsequent filming in Michigan) from local filmmakers like myself.

1. Find ways to financially incentivize productions made in Michigan. The comment the other night that Detroit is unique and it's a waste of time to benchmark what other cities are doing to attract films, is ignorant at best. There is nothing unique about Detroit (except the grit) when it comes to financial incentives for producers.

2. Collect and display on a website unique locations that can ONLY be found here. And avoid the burned out and vacant buildings that are featured in so many films shot in Detroit.

3. Compile and maintain comprehensive crew and support listings...and make it available free to producers of any ilk who can demonstrate they have some funding in place.

4. Host quarterly pitch events ONLY for qualified producers and potential investors...from wherever. No crew allowed. No clubs allowed. No unions, agencies, or press allowed. Keep the meeting focused on what's important now...putting confidential PRODUCTION FUNDING together for Michigan based pictures.

5. Work with a couple local, but nationally linked banks, to set up exclusive bank financing arrangements for Michigan produced films.

6. Co-sponsor or facilitate a film production fund with investors in the area.

7. Travel to the coasts with the Michigan and Detroit Film Offices and pitch Michigan and Detroit locations, crews, and incentives. But before you go, make sure you have in place the above stuff, otherwise you "poison the well" and reinforce the industry's negative attitude about Detroit and Michigan.

8. Clean up Detroit physically so it has pretty locations not just gritty locations. Okay, okay, okay...cordon off a few blocks and designate it "The Dilapidation Back Lot Filming Preserve." But put grass on the front lot...and fertilize it, and cut it and plant flowers. Think Windsor, CA. It does not help Detroit's image when we "showcase" run down trailer parks like in 8 MILE.

9. Provide FREE police services like NYC does. The influx of money and taxes will pay for the expense. Money spent is taxed six times over as it changes hands. The city needs to look at the economic impact a film brings to the region not just to the city. Perhaps the state and region could pay into a fund to help police defray costs from whatever city the production team chooses to shoot in. A recently released (direct to video) film avoided Detroit and ended up in Troy because the Detroit police department demanded to be reimbursed for its "expenses." Troy welcomed the film crew free of cost. Guess where the producers spent their money?

10. Work to create the reputation that a producer, crew and cast will be safe when they stay in a Detroit hotel other than the Ren Cen or the St. Regsis. Are there any other places for an out of town crew and cast (think Stars) to stay that would be safe other than private homes or apartments and condos on the River?

May God shine the limelight on our efforts to create redeeming stories on film and help us to enjoy our craft in this Great State of Michigan.

Stan Williams, Ph.D. - Executive Producer - Director

SWC Films

E-mail: Stan43635@StanWilliams.com

Web: http://www.StanWilliams.com