When tackling the wonderful opportunity of starting your own production company the best place to start is The Motion Picture Association of America. The website is full of ideas and knowledge. Whether you would like more information on how to copyright your artistic creations or you’re interested in staying up to date with industry reports, you must visit this website.
While the Motion Picture Association of America’s website does a great job of informing the public on copyright, industry reports and ratings, that is not their primary responsibility. The website reads:
“We are the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries, domestically and, through our subsidiaries and affiliates, internationally. We champion a healthy, thriving film and television industry by engaging in a variety of legislative, policy, education, technology and law enforcement initiatives. These efforts range from safeguarding intellectual property rights to using technology to expand consumer entertainment choices, to championing fair trade agreements and a secure future for artistic freedom of expression.”
This site is important to our industry because of its fight for copyright laws and how it educates the public. Many people view copyrighted material illegally because they are unaware they are do so. Copyright infringement and piracy are huge threats to the film industry. Without MPAA's dedication to the issue, I do not know how long the industry would last financially.
That being said; know your options. As they say, “location, location, location.” Although, these days, you have the opportunity to make change happen anywhere. And there are different incentives for having your company film in particular states. A big state that has been pushing the onset of the film industry is Michigan. The scenery is beautiful and the tax break is too. The website provides a state-by-state statistical analysis for the film industry. For the purposes of this blog, I wanted to show you a state that is far from New York City and L.A. The following are Indiana’s statistics:
“Movies filming in 2008: 3
TV shows filming in 2008: 6
Economic Impact:
The motion picture and television industry is responsible for 10,192 direct jobs and $267.7 million in wages in Indiana.
Production Incentive:
The Media Production Expenditure Tax Credit (MPETC) provides individuals and companies a refundable tax credit of up to 15 percent of qualified production expenditures with an in-state spend greater than $100,000 for films or TV productions less than $6 million. The annual cap is $2.5 million.” (State-by-State Statistics)
With all of that information already provided, the best part for up-to-date information is their blog. It is updated often. I suggest signing up for their e-mail list; their blog updates will be sent to your e-mail. If you wanted a different way to get the information updated to you, log onto Twitter.com and follow @MPAA.
The industry can be overwhelming and confusing. With simple-layout websites like the Motion Pictures Association, a newcomer on the scene as well as any mom looking for information on blocking things from their kids, has information at their fingertips. Read their blog. Keep yourself updated so your company can be successful. Good luck!
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