The film industry is seeking its ""big break"" with the help of a Wisconsin Tax-Credit Bill.
Producing more films within the state could leave filmmakers with stars in their eyes, or at least dollar signs. The Film Industry Tax-Credit Bill, passed last May, was slated to take effect this July, but has now been delayed until January 2008. In the meantime, both the state and the movie industry are losing out.
Sen. Russell Decker, D-Weston, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, is refusing to schedule a hearing to speed up the implementation of the bill according to WISC-TV3.
""The thing that both Governor Doyle and Senator Decker need to understand ... is that there are no pay-outs at all in 2007,"" said Scott Robbe, film producer and Madison resident. ""They do not have to worry that the incentives would impact the budget in any way, shape or form in 2007.""
Robbe pointed to two films seeking to shoot in Wisconsin with budgets of $10 million apiece as sufficient motivation to pass the bill as soon as possible.
""[The state] would lose $20 million dollars worth of production that wants to come to Wisconsin,"" he said.
Robbe has also pointed out that both movies are stories about Wisconsin, set in Wisconsin and written by Wisconsin natives. Furthermore, the same people that made the Academy Award-winning ""Little Miss Sunshine"" are producing one of the films, with a Wisconsin director.
If the incentives aren't instituted this year, the state will lose both films to a less-expensive Canadian locale. Legislators are trying to make sure that this doesn't happen.
State Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said she supports the bill's possibilities.
""Our state has a great deal to offer, and I know that such investments will give a tremendous boost to the state economy.""
Jerry Huffman, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, said, ""One film leads to another film leads to a music video leads to another film which leads to a TV story. We need to ... start pushing the beauty of Wisconsin as a film location.""
Critics of the bill, such as state Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbottsford, are not without concerns, however.
""I'm not convinced that media moguls like Steven Spielberg or even Michael Moore really need tax credits,"" said Suder. ""I'm not sure that the state needs to be in the business of courting Hollywood producers.""
Despite the logic behind this opposition, the benefits of the bill seem to outweigh the skepticism.
""Once the film bill goes into law it becomes a great vehicle for tourism,"" Hoffman said.
Robbe said he agrees: ""I just don't see any logical or fiscally responsible reason for [the bill] not to be passed. It should be enacted immediately.""
