Friday, February 20, 2009

MPAA: U.S. Workers Win On Oscar Night

Behind the glitz and glamour of this weekend's Oscar extravaganza, there's an economic story that the Motion Picture Association of America wants told. Brad Pitt, Anne Hathaway and Mickey Rourke are all nominated for one of Hollywood's biggest awards, the trade group said in a Friday press release, but all three were also a part of an "on location" shoot that helped bring jobs and revenue to states not necessarily known for red carpet events. "Some of the biggest winners already are the workers and small businesses in states where several of the nominated flicks were filmed," said the MPAA, which frequently laments the huge financial price its members pay when their products are pirated.

An estimated $225,000 per day is added to the economy where film production occurs, officials said. In Illinois alone, "The Dark Knight" provided a boost for Chicago when production of the Batman movie injected $35 million in jobs, taxes and other revenue over two months. Louisiana benefitted from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" while New Jersey and Pennsylvania were featured in "The Wrestler." "Revolutionary Road" and "Rachel Getting Married" were filmed in Connecticut, "Tropic Thunder" was filmed in Hawaii, and "Iron Man" shot in Nevada.

Nearly 1.5 million film industry workers -- from truck drivers to set designers and caterers to animators -- earn more than $30 billion in wages annually, the MPAA said. Plus, more than 40 states have enacted tax and other incentives to lure Hollywood productions to their cities and towns. The industry came close to being handed even more economic encouragement when the Senate Finance Committee's tax title of the economic stimulus legislation included a tax break worth up to $246 million over 11 years for investors in bigger-budget movie projects that don't necessarily qualify for incentives currently. That provision was eliminated before the bill passed Congress.