Greater Cleveland Film Commission

Greater Cleveland Film Commission

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is a 501(c)(3) private non-profit organization. Its mission is to promote increased production of film, television, video and other types of media in Northeast Ohio to generate economic benefits for the region and increased job training and job opportunity for its citizenry.

Contents

Programs and services

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) carries out its work in four major activity areas:

Investing in local talent
The GCFC works with area colleges and universities to offer training and networking opportunities for local filmmakers
Advocacy
The GCFC works with local and state government leaders to improve the region’s economic competitiveness
Production Services
The GCFC provides a one-stop shop for filmmakers and producers including permitting and scouting services, and works with government, business, and community leaders to ensure great filming experiences.
Marketing
The GCFC promotes Northeast Ohio locations to top decision makers in the film and television industry both locally and nationwide, and promotes local production activity within the community.

Current work

Workforce Training and Development
The GCFC has implemented a new workforce-training program in cooperation with a New York production company called Nehst Studios and local universities called “The Aspiring Filmmakers Boot Camp”. While many universities’ media programs have excellent curriculum regarding the creative side of filmmaking, this seminar is conducted by top film industry professionals and addresses the business side of filmmaking such as pitching (selling) a script, making a budget and a shooting schedule, hiring crew, production and distribution.
Bringing New Business to Greater Cleveland
The Film Commission recently attracted and assisted with a DreamWorks film titled The Soloist which used 850 hotel bed nights for their three-day shoot here, and employed several local crew, extras, and vendors, resulting in nearly $900,000 in direct spending.[citation needed] The Film Commission is also working with Nehst Studios, a New York production company, to bring their headquarters to Cleveland. Nehst Studios can potentially bring 125 million dollars in new spending and create up to 1,200 full-time-equivalent jobs within their first two years in Cleveland.[citation needed] The Film Commission has been assisting Nehst Studios in their negotiations with the local and state government to relocate here.
Advocating on Behalf of the Film Community
The Film Commission has made significant headway with advocacy for a state motion picture tax incentive, involving top production executives, independent filmmakers, and public officials to rewrite the legislation to make it more competitive with other states. The revised legislation has heavy support from legislators and government officials, and the plan is to push for the legislation to be included in the state budget for 2009 this December.

References

External links