Not dead yet: Movies still percolating in Michigan despite lapsed incentives
The release this past weekend of Batman v Superman underscores that Michigan is still on Hollywood’s radar despite the removal of film incentives.How much are show business and digital media entrenched in the state’s identity and branding messages? Perhaps more than originally predicted.
Incentives for producing movies in Michigan may have been discontinued, but the newly reinvented Michigan Film & Digital Media Office, formerly the Michigan Film Office, said it still has a significant role in promoting film and digital media job growth.
The office changed its name last September to reflect its new role.
According to 2014 data, Michigan ranks 11th in the U.S. in employment in digital media-intense industries. It ranks second among the Midwest states; Illinois is first. The state employs more than 130,000 in jobs that focus on digital media. More than 56 percent of these jobs are in Wayne, Oakland and Kent counties.
Jenell Leonard, commissioner of the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office, said that when she took the job a year ago she walked into a volatile environment with the state losing all of its film incentives.
“We knew we needed to take action in selling Michigan as the creative hub of the Midwest,” she said.
Among her office’s actions in recent months:
- Attempting to build tourism as part of the newly released film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Much of it was filmed in Michigan.
- A partnership with Google Inc., at Google’s expense, that offers a free online coding program for fourth- to eighth-graders in 70 schools across the state. This means 3,500 youngsters will learn coding either in class, after school or during the summer.
- Shooting a new Comedy Central series in Detroit this summer called “Detroiters.” The show produced a pilot in Detroit last year before the film incentives dried up. It went so well, the creators decided to film in Detroit without incentives. It happened because city of Detroit and film office representatives worked together to accommodate crews and budget for the TV production, Leonard said. Detroit native and actor Sam Richardson is featured in the TV show and has a major role in its creation.
- The film “Transformers 5” is being shot in Detroit this summer.
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