Missing the point....

An interesting article in the Courier yesterday morning (http://tinyurl.com/msw9xm) about the Film Production Tax Credits passed recently by the KY State Legislature.

In order to grow the film industry (or any industry for that matter) in Kentucky, the state needs to be on a level playing field with other states vying for the same business. With at least 40 other states offering tax incentives for film production, the debate on whether or not to offer them should be moot. Like them or not, tax incentives are powerful motivators when it comes to shooting films, commercials and the like. Offering them does not guarantee production in Kentucky, but it does make for certain that Kentucky is in the running. What can separate Kentucky from the other states is the its ability to provide not only stunning vistas for shoots, but also its people.

Part of the reason for founding the Louisville Film Arts Institute is to provide funding (through donations from private citizens and corporations) to buttress education in the film arts and provide the training students interested in this line of work need. Tax incentives alone will not bring large productions here, but an educated workforce in conjunction with the tax incentives will. The skilled Kentuckians working on films will not be “transient” as the article implies. The will be own or be employed by local filming outfits and post production houses. When they are done working with production teams from out of state, they will more than likely be working on their own projects, or projects that homegrown filmmakers are shooting in the state.

Incentives are never enough, this is true, but incentives coupled with training and increased expertise in the field give Kentucky a fighting shot. The goal is not to only bring in out-of-state spending, but also to make certain that those Kentuckians who have a dream to follow in filmmaking can do so in their home state.