Why I Joined The OMPA

So... last Friday, I attended an event thrown by the Oregon Media Production Association at Portland's Indent Studios. The event, dubbed "Oregon's Got Talent," was a celebration of the great actors we have here in our state - and it marked a new period in the OMPA's operation.

Before last Friday, the OMPA was known around Oregon as a producers' and crew members' organization... as Oregon's industry has grown, though, the OMPA board came to realize that talent working in front of the camera was a major factor in our industry's success. The OMPA's mission is to serve and represent everyone in Oregon's film, TV and new media industry, so on Friday they announced that they're offering a new "add on" membership for represented actors, and they've set up a new "Talent" category in SourceOregon, our state's official film and TV personnel directory.

And me? I was there to sign up!

(Want your own coffee cup like the one I showed off in the video? Get it here!)

So, Oregon actors, won't you join me in joining the OMPA? Show Oregon - and the world - just how big our industry is. Make your presence in our field known - get listed in SourceOregon.com and get seen by producers and casting directors all over the world... and get involved in your Chamber of Commerce! Let them know how you think our film and TV industry in Oregon should grow, and how you want to be represented.

It's not a lot of money, really... and the more we speak with a united voice, the stronger we are. Join the OMPA. Get listed. and help us grow our industry into the next decade.

Oregon Film & TV Workers: Get To Know Your Friends In The State Legislature!

Hey everyone... it's me, rabble-rousing again, and urging my friends in Oregon's film and TV industry to get involved now in the upcoming state election. Remember, the governor's race isn't the only political contest happening this year (and besides, Dudley and Kitzhaber have both - finally - told us where they stand on supporting the film and TV industry.) There are also campaigns happening state-wide for seats in the Oregon House and Senate.

The other day, I got a fundraising letter in the mail from my state representative, Mike Schaufler. Mike was a BIG supporter in the push to get SB621 passed in the waning days of last year's Legislative session - he shuttled back and forth from the lobby to the House Floor in between every vote working us to make the bill work, and get the votes from his colleagues in the Oregon House.

I was happy to drop a small check in the mail to Mike's reelection campaign, because we need friends like him in the legislature. Here's a copy of the email I sent him last week:

Dear Mike

I got your fundraising letter in the mail yesterday, and of
course I'll be sending you a check - it's the least I can do after all the hard
work you did to help the Oregon film and TV industry get SB621 passed last year.
I'm also more than happy to put a sign up in my yard, and if you want an
endorsement, just ask (I signed that spot on the flap of the donation envelope.)

You might also consider visiting a new web site -
http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ - and clicking the "Share Your Story"
link. We'd love to feature your support for the industry on that site; jot down
a few notes about what the industry brings to your district, the part you played
in increasing the OPIF cap with SB 621 and the "Local OPIF" (SB 863), and
forward a photo to me at this address - I'll be sure to highlight your work on
the site.

Thanks so much for everything you do for the district, and for
all of us here in Oregon. I'm VERY happy to support your re-election campaign!

Harold
http://www.haroldphillips.net/

I'd encourage everyone in Oregon's film and TV industry to contact your state Senators and Legislators (http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/) - and the candidates running to replace them! If you're reading this outside Oregon, then hey, do the same in your state!

Drop supporters of the industry a few bucks if you can afford it (believe me, I can't afford to send Mike a lot of money... but $25 makes more of an impression than $0...), and if you're not sure - ask them where they stand on supporting our industry!

Encourage them to use http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ as a platform to share their support for the industry - it can be a good way for them to get the word out about their campaigns AND to help raise the visibility of our industry... so we all win!

But don't wait... now is the time to get involved, and get the candidates (and incumbents) thinking about everything our industry does for Oregon. Remember, the OPIF "sunsets" in 2012; we need as many friends in the legislature as we can get so the program is renewed. Now's the time to make sure those friends get elected.

Besides... it's Independence day weekend. Can you think of anything more patriotic than getting involved in the process?

Have a great weekend...

-Harold

What Can The Oregon Film Industry Expect From A New Governor?

Well, someone out there gets it! Take a look at what showed up in my change yesterday when I bought a Viso at my corner mini-mart!

While the legality of writing on US currency is a bit questionable, the message is clear - the Film and TV industry in Oregon is bringing money into the economy! Film and TV dollars aren't just going to rent equipment and cater the craft services tables on the set of Leverage... they're going into the pockets of people who spend those dollars at the corner store, keeping local merchants in business.

This is a message that needs to be repeated often, especially in light of the upcoming governors' race here in Oregon. Whether John Kitzhaber or Chris Dudley moves into the Governor's Mansion this November, they're going to have a lot of hard work to do. Oregon's economy is still in trouble, and our current budget shortfall has brought proposals for a 9% across-the-board cut in state agencies - bringing drastic cuts to Oregon schools, health services, and other programs. Add to this an 11% unemployment rate, and whomever the new Governor is... he's going to face some challenges.

The problem here is revenue; most industries in the state have seen their income drop - and the taxes they pay on that income have dropped as well - which has reduced the amount the state has to spend on services it provides. This is a pretty simple formula, right? When Oregon industry does well, the state gets lots of money in tax revenue... when Oregon industry does poorly, the state doesn't have as much money to spend.

In an environment like this, it would seem logical to shore up the industries bringing jobs and revenue into the state - yet, to date, both Dudley and Kitzhaber have been silent when it comes to their support of one of the few industries actually growing here in Oregon - the film and TV industry.

According to Susan Haley at the Governor's Office of Film and Television, this industry brought $62,000,000.00 into the state in "direct spending" last year (Portland AFTRA president and SAG National Board member Mary McDonald-Lewis points out that "indirect spending" has a conservative multiplier of 2 - by industry standards - which makes the actual total brought in more like $124,000,000.00).

As of February of this year, TNT's hit show Leverage - just ONE project in this industry - had hired over 900 Oregonians to appear on camera - and many more to work behind-the-scenes as carpenters, grips, drivers... you name it (sadly, I don't have any figures on crew positions at this point.)

Now, there's been a lot of negative buzz lately about the "worth" of film incentive programs throughout the country... as this recent article in Parade Magazine points out, several states are suspending or reducing their incentive funds in the quest to balance their own budgets. Looking at the numbers above, it's patently obvious that Oregon would be mistaken to follow this trend. When Ms. Haley at the GOFTV gave me last year's revenue figures, she also gave me another figure - the amount the state spent as an incentive to bring outside projects in to shoot (the Oregon Production Incentive Fund gives producers a rebate - up to 20% - on what they spend here in Oregon when they shoot... unlike many other film incentive programs, though, producers have to spend their dollars in the state before they see any return). That figure? $7.8 million.


So, lets do a little math here... the Oregon film and television industry spent $7.8 million to bring production into Oregon... and that production brought at least $62 million into the state (or, if you factor in "indirect spending" - the hotel rooms and restaurants cast and crew eat at, the rental cars, the cell phones... etc, perhaps as much as $124 million.)


And at least one of those dollars ended up at my corner store. We can only wonder how many more have filtered into the rest of the Oregon economy at-large. So the question to the candidates for Oregon's governor is clear - what are you going to do continue this industry's growth, and continue bringing the jobs and revenue our state so desperately needs?


We're still waiting for their answer...



-Harold