Buffalo News (New York), February 10, 2007, Saturday

Copyright 2007 Buffalo News

Buffalo News (New York)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

February 10, 2007 Saturday

SECTION: BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS

HEADLINE: Buffalo's role in film industry seen having growth potential

BYLINE: Sharon Linstedt, The Buffalo News, N.Y.

BODY:

Feb. 10--New York State's film industry is in a solid position for economic gains, and Buffalo-area actors and technicians also stand to benefit.

That was the message dozens of local film, television and commercial production workers heard from a panel of industry and economic experts Friday, in a first-of-its-kind session sponsored by Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations School and the Fiscal Policy Institute.

"The film industry is one of the best economic engines around and the potential for it beyond downstate is very real," said Patricia Kaufman, executive director of the Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development.

Kaufman and other panel members detailed the findings of a new report, "New York's Big Picture," which sizes up the fiscal health of the state's film industry and spots trends that affect its continued growth.

Among the key findings of the report are that New York is second only to California in the production of movies, television programs and commercials, a status that is being aided by recently instituted state tax incentives for New York-based projects. In terms of bottom-line economic impact, the report pegs the industry's statewide direct contribution at $13 billion, with spin-off revenues of about $38 billion.

And while Buffalo's take in that is minuscule compared to New York City, there has been quantifiable growth and it has the potential to continue.

Susan Christopherson, a Cornell professor and panel member, emphasized that film and television conglomerates are putting more emphasis on project costs than ever before, a factor that opens the door to less expensive venues, like Buffalo.

But, the film industry representatives were told they'll need to work collaboratively to reap the greatest benefit, emphasising the breadth of local talent and services and creating critical mass. The session's question-and-answer section included a lively dialogue on common problems, hurdles and interests, which Tim Clark, Buffalo and Erie County film commissioner, said should be a starting point for more networking.

"Shame on us if we don't have a second, third and fourth get-together like this. There was great dialogue and we need to keep everybody connected," Clark said.

One idea that gained quick consensus among those in the room was establishment of a local film arts center to act as a physical venue for what is by nature an individual and fragmented industry.

Although just 5 years old, the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission was cited by several of the attendees as a major step forward in attracting regional, national and international projects to Western New York. In 2002, its first year of operation, the one-person film office counted 17 projects, a number that swelled to more than 60 in 2006.

While high-profile feature film shoots for "The Savages" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" attracted attention, the list of recent local projects also includes independent films "Buffalo Bushido" and the "Dissection of Thanksgiving;" A&E's as-yet untitled reality dating series, which will debut in April; and commercials for Reebok and Allstate insurance.

e-mail: slinstedt@buffnews.com

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