Film commission survives the budget ax
Local blogger Brodiemash helped rally people to a budget meeting at City Hall Thursday where there was a proposal from Councilmember Jerry Duncan to kill the Fresno Film Commission. Brodiemash wrote on The Dumb Are Mostly Intrigued By The Drum blog last week:
I'm here to inform you about the latest idea out of the think tank that is the Fresno City Council: decommissioning the Fresno Film Commission. It seems like they plan to get rid of it and everyone involved.
Bee reporter Denny Boyles, who was at Thursday's hearing, tells me that Duncan withdrew his motion to cut the funding. He instead asked film commissioner Ray Arthur to provide a business plan for the coming year.
What's the back story here? Was Duncan just looking for stuff to cut in the budget? Or does he reflect a view out there that the film commission isn't effective? Just what is the Fresno Film Commission's success rate these days? The last big movie I can recall being filmed in Fresno was "Mouse Hunt," and wasn't that more than 10 years ago?
Comments:
Indy.
Posted by: Heather at June 19, 2008 3:44 PM
Didn't the Fresno Film Commission bring the newest "Indiana Jones" movie here to shoot a few scenes?
Posted by: Natalie at June 19, 2008 3:48 PM
It's more than just bringing in big Hollywood movies, it's about building the filmmaking community we have here. And although it's barely starting to grow, I think the FFC (along with all of it's supporters) is working on unifying everyone here and making it easier for people to go out and make movies, to nurture & cultivate some local talent. And I'll assume that you merely forgot that we got "Indiana Jones" filming here last year:) I do remember when "Mouse Hunt" came through here, though....good times.
Posted by: Brodiemash at June 19, 2008 3:55 PM
Yep, forgot about "Indy" -- because the Fresno stuff was so brief in the movie. (Maybe I blocked it from my mind because I'm a little embarrassed that the Bee made such a big deal out of it and then it turned out to be so minor. Sorry, Heather.) Let's put it this way: I wouldn't brag to anyone from outside the area, "Hey, they filmed part of 'Indiana Jones' in Fresno," because then people would ask: "Really? Which part?" And they probably wouldn't even remember it.
Posted by: Donald Munro at June 19, 2008 4:12 PM
Oh, Munro, you are just asking for a blog war.
Posted by: Heather at June 19, 2008 4:14 PM
I must be in a blog-war mood this week, Heather.
Now I can see us having bragging rights if they'd filmed the motorcycle-crash-into-the-library scene at Fresno State, say ...
Posted by: Donald Munro at June 19, 2008 4:19 PM
Most of the scenes may have ended up on the cutting room floor, but seeing the crew here, and seeing Indiana Jones himself here, and even seeing that little pip squeak Shia LaBeouf here was pretty damn exciting for some of us Fresno folks, and worth bragging about.
We're not going to let you take that away from us, Captain Crabbypants.
Posted by: Heather at June 19, 2008 4:22 PM
And let's not forget the economic impact of having a major studio set up shop for a couple days, even if the scenes get cut from the film. I don't have the numbers, but it's go to be big.
Posted by: Famous at June 19, 2008 4:31 PM
Around $200,000 was injected into the community because of that production. Hey, I brag to everyone that Firebaugh made it into the film....albeit for only 2 seconds! And yes, Eagle Field is in Firebaugh on my map, not Dos Palos. FIREBAUGH FTW!
Posted by: Brodiemash at June 19, 2008 4:52 PM
Yes Brodie - it is Firebaugh, here is a link to the article from the Kerman newspaper about the filming in western Fresno County http://www.kerwestnewspapers.com/host-indiana-jones-crew.htm
Posted by: Iluvfirebaugh at June 19, 2008 5:03 PM
One cd put together a smash movie destined for fame and profit by collating all the references to Our Fair City (as Click n Clack say) in movies. Who cd forget the lascivious trucker in "Thelma and Louise" who gets his comeuppance in the empty parking lot of a caff in the desert? Now there was a Fresnoid to remember. And there's tons others. Contributions bloggers please!--Fig Garden Stan
Posted by: Stan Poss at June 20, 2008 12:15 PM
$200,000 is a very high number. It wasn't that high.
One local was hired for the shoot (congrats, John West).
The Fresno Film Commission was not 'instrumental' in bringing Indy to the Valley. They did their part as film liaison while Indy was in the City of Fresno, and the County commission handled their last day of shooting in Firebaugh.
The Fresno Film commission has been instrumental in helping to bring together the local film community (along with Suzanne Bertz-Rosa and Christine Autrand-Mitchell), so hopefully more indie films will be made here with everyone lending helping hands to each other.
As for affecting the economic status of Fresno, the City of Fresno Film Commission has had a very minor role and has barely brought in enough to justify the $140K+ of taxpayer money alloted to it yearly.
I have contended for some time that Suzanne and Christine can handle the filmmaker consortium on their own, and the existant County film commission can handle luring outside film to the valley and can work the permits, contracts, and resources for both the City and the County smoothly, without costing any more in taxpayer dollars.
Though I can't speak for Duncan, I'm sure he had both budget and 'let's kick Autry's butt' in mind when he proposed it, in my opinion.
I see no need for the City to duplicate County services in this instance, but that's been clearly 'just me.' As a politically minded taxpayer, I hate to see the waste of my dollars, and I've been completely satisfied as a film-working freelance production dude with the County.
Clearly, 20 or so people like the City Commission and are fairly unaware of the County services. Eh, whatever.
I'm still glad Indy shot here, if but for two days, and poured maybe a few thousand into the Valley ($200K? No way. Even at 200 hotel room nights and food for 100 peeps for 2 days? That's nowhere near $200K).
Posted by: Stephen at June 23, 2008 2:20 AM
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