Lights, Camera, Action! The Queen City is ready for her close-up thanks to film incentives, charming locations and untapped pool of talented actors and crew. If you want to see a thriving film industry right here in Western New York, answer Mayor Brown's call for help inside.

City of Buffalo
City of Buffalo
loading...

The television, motion picture and post-production industries provide direct economic benefits to communities in which they film: they create jobs, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate local economies.

That's why the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission Chair Cindy Abbott-Letro & Mayor Byron Brown announced the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for a qualified consulting team who can help grow this unique market in the City of Buffalo.

I've seen and benefited from efforts like this in the past and am excited to be here in Buffalo it's time in the spotlight!!

After working in Hollywood for several years, I came home to Detroit just before Governor Jennifer Grandholm announced that Michigan would offer the highest film incentive in the Country! (This is no longer the case under Republican Gov. Snyder)

The idea that a production company could qualify to receive a huge percentage of their budget back in a tax refund just for moving their set from California to Michigan caught the attention of several blockbuster films including Transformers and Oz!

But these companies bring only a handful of actors and crew with them, everything else need to make a movie was recruited locally. I personally became the go-to casting director and production coordinator of several projects due to my knowledge of the industry and contacts. Check out the projects I worked on here. 

If you are like me and are eager to help Buffalo & Niagara Falls become ago-to destination for TV shows, Commercials and Movies answer the Mayor's request for proposal and be apart of his qualified consulting team!!

Matters for which the City may require advice, counsel, recommendations, and representation include but are not limited to:

  • Creation of a multi-year strategic plan to make Buffalo a more attractive destination for the film industry;
  • Organization and execution of lobbying and advocacy efforts to:
    • Increase in New York State tax incentives for pre-production, production, and post-production activities in Buffalo;
    • Establish a film tax exemption for purchases in Buffalo;
  • Formal analysis of Buffalo’s current film industry jobs and the development of quantifiable job growth goals;
  • Promotion of Buffalo’s film assets, capabilities and opportunities to production companies;
  • Identification of new funding, incentives, technical assistance, and infrastructure (editors, equipment rental, process trailers, transportation, etc.) for soundstage development and enhancement in Buffalo;
  • Establishment of a local workforce development/apprenticeship program for in-demand film jobs;
  • Development new of alliances with national airlines and other corporate partners to help lower the cost of bringing productions to Buffalo;
  • Promotion of Buffalo’s pioneering 19th and 20th century architecture as filming locations.

 

More information, including an electronic copy of the RFP, is available at http://www.city-buffalo.com/bids.

More From 93.7 WBLK