MA Film News & Events Archive (most recent items on top)
Locally produced film about troubled teen to premiere on Lifetime this weekend
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, January 13, 2012
An independent movie shot entirely in Worcester that deals with the timely and troubling topic of teenage bullying will have its premiere on the Lifetime Network at 8 p.m. Saturday. [...]
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NEA Chairman Landesman announces Challenge America Fast-Track grants
, December 10, 2011
NEA Chairman Landesman announces Challenge America Fast-Track grants.[...]
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The Top 10 Locations in the Universe
P3 Update Magazine, December 2011
The list of this year’s top worldwide locations demonstrates just how big of a comeback the United States has made. [...]
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ICG Magazine’s Great Union Locations
ICG Magazine, November 2011
The landscape has changed a bit since july 2010, when ICG Magazine last surveyed union friendly locations around the United States.[...]
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SoCA Film Festival Call for Submissions
MFO News, December 27, 2011
The SoCA (South of CAnal Street) Winter Film Festival, set for February 17-19th, 2012, seeks to provide a channel for local filmmakers to gain exposure and showcase their talents through their work and bring more visual arts to Boston’s West End. [...]
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Lights, camera, Zombie
The Salem News, November 18, 2011
Halloween may have ended two weeks ago, but there were still costumed witches in Salem this week.[...]
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Douglas Trumbull To Receive The VES 2012 Georges Méliès Award
MFO News, October 11, 2011
Visionary filmmaker, innovator and entrepreneur, Douglas Trumbull, has been selected by the VES Board of Directors as the recipient of the 2012 Georges Méliès Award. The award will be presented at the 10th Annual VES Awards, which will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 7, 2012.[...]
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PATRICK-MURRAY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ R.I.P.D.
MFO News, August 22, 2011
The Patrick-Murray Administration's Massachusetts Film Office (MFO) today announced that R.I.P.D., a supernatural action-adventure from Universal Pictures, will begin principal photography in Massachusetts this September and that production will occur entirely in the Commonwealth. Through early 2012, the project will create jobs and significant economic activity while boosting the state's growing film industry.[...]
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SILVER CITY ON THE SILVER SCREEN
Taunton Daily Gazette, July 31, 2011
Don’t count Taunton’s Mayor Charles Crowley among those having second thoughts about the state’s film tax credit law.
“I saw the benefits,” Crowley said. “They absolutely help.”[...]
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Quincy collects $114,500 from filming of Kevin James movie
The Patriot Ledger, July 7, 2011
Columbia Pictures, which shot the feature film “Here Comes the Boom” in Quincy, paid the city $114,500 in rental fees for the buildings it used. The film, starring Kevin James, is expected to premiere next summer.[...]
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Reeling in the movies
The Salem News, June 29, 2011
Peabody is getting a dose of Hollywood this summer, with two big-budget films — "I Hate You, Dad," starring Adam Sandler, and "Here Comes the Boom," starring Kevin James — already passing through, and dropping thousands of dollars along the way. [...]
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FILM, TELEVISION INDUSTRY VETERAN SELECTED TO LEAD MASSACHUSETTS FILM OFFICE
MFO News, May 23, 2011
The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) today announced that Lisa Strout, a veteran in the film and television industry and the former director of the film division in New Mexico’s Economic Development Department, will lead the Massachusetts Film Office (MFO) beginning June 15th.[...]
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‘Broken Silence’ begins shooting in Worcester
WorcesterTelegram.com, May 20, 2011
Worcester this week took on some of the glitter of Hollywood as Frenemy Films LLC began shooting “Broken Silence,” an independent feature about school bullying.
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East Bridgewater High School to be used as location for Adam Sandler film
Brockton Enterprise, May 15, 2011
It seems there is a silver lining to having a rundown and outdated high school.
People in Hollywood looking for a realistic setting for a movie may come knocking.[...]
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Wahlberg makes his mark in Swampscott
The Salem News, May 5, 2011
Stars Mila Kunis, Mark Wahlberg, Joel McHale and Jessica Stroup were nowhere to be seen yesterday around noon at an ultra-modern beachfront home that is serving as the backdrop to the Hollywood movie "Ted." The movie has been filming in the Boston area in recent days, and reports are the production will be in Swampscott until the end of the week. The film's stars were expected to arrive in the evening.
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Quincy residents turn out for a chance to appear in Kevin James movie
Boston.com, March 5, 2011
The casting call for Quincy locals to appear as extras in the new Kevin James movie “Here Comes the Boom” drew about 800 hopefuls ranging from government officials to the unemployed.[...]
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Boston Casting is hosting Open Casting Calls for the film “Here Comes the Boom”
MFO News, March 4, 2011
Boston Casting is hosting open casting calls for "Here Comes the Boom" starring Kevin James.[...]
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MASSACHUSETTS APPLAUDS AWARD WINNING FILMS MADE IN THE COMMONWEALTH
MFO News, February 28, 2011
"And the Oscar goes to....Massachusetts! On behalf of the Commonwealth, we congratulate the cast and crew of The Fighter and The Social Network on a combined five Academy Awards.[...]
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Fighter’ stars Melissa Leo, Christian Bale win supporting actor Oscars
Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2011
Christian Bale won supporting actor for his role as the drug-addicted former boxer in "The Fighter." ”What the hell am I doing here in the midst of you?" Bale said, referring to all the talent in the room. He singled out his co-stars, including Melissa Leo, who earlier had won for supporting actress for playing his mother in the film.[...]
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Massachusetts film industry ‘bouncing back’
Boston Herald, February 25, 2011
Massachusetts’ generous film tax breaks lured Oscar contenders Christian Bale and Jesse Eisenberg to the state, [...]
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Movies filmed in Quincy
Boston.com, February 17, 2011
Kevin James is gearing up to begin filming “Here Comes the Boom,” scheduled for release in 2012. Filming will take place in and round Boston, including Quincy. We got curious as to what else as been filmed in Quincy. Scroll through this gallery to see what we found.
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‘Poster Girl’ in Hollywood spotlight
Boston Globe, February 13, 2011
The Oscar-nominated documentary short “Poster Girl’’ is Newton native Sara Nesson’s first film, but it was only a matter of time. After all, she’s proud to say, it was beneath her father’s editing table that she learned to crawl. Robert Nesson of Somerville, an independent producer/director whose films focus on the environment, human rights, and educational projects (he’s also an instructor at Emerson College), taught his daughter not just the nuts and bolts of filmmaking but how it can raise awareness and effect social change.
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Old Quincy High School begins makeover to movie set
The Patriot Ledger, February 10, 2011
The old Quincy High School overshadowed its newer counterpart Wednesday as offices were set up inside for the production crew of a movie that will star Kevin James. The movie, titled “Here Comes the Boom,” may be about a high school teacher who turns to professional fighting as a way to save his school’s music program.
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Keeping the film industry in the Bay State
FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com, February 9, 2011
MPC President Joe Maiella talks about the film industry in Massachusetts on Fox 25.[...]
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Hub is ‘Boom’ town for Kevin James
The Boston Herald, February 7, 2011
Production is scheduled to begin in Quincy this month on a new Kevin James flick, “Here Comes the Boom,” and the comedy about a teacher who tries to save his school’s music program by becoming a mixed-martial arts fighter is going to save some real-life music programs.
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Hollywood to descend upon Quincy
The Patriot Ledger, February 5, 2011
The interior of the vacant school, which is next to the new high school on Coddington Street, will be the setting for scenes that are tentatively scheduled to be filmed starting next month, said Christopher Walker, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas Koch.[...]
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STATE ECONOMIC CHIEF HEADED TO LA TO PROMOTE MASS. FILM BIZ
State House News Service, Feruary 4, 2011
After receiving a public relations boost from the Academy Award-nominated films “The Fighter” and “The Social Network” and Golden Globe nominee “The Town” - all filmed in Massachusetts - state officials are looking to capitalize by attracting more major motion pictures to the Bay State.
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Q&A: Melissa Leo on The Fighter, Red State, and Kathryn Bigelow
Vanity Fair, February 4, 2011
As Oscar season enters its homestretch, Academy voters receive their final ballots, consensus gels around the favorites—and one name you hear over and over is Melissa Leo. She's already won a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her portrayal of Alice Ward, the tough-as-nails Massachusetts mother in The Fighter. [...]
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Boston movies rake in Oscar nods
Boston Business Journal, January 26, 2011
“The Social Network,” “The Town,” and “The Fighter” — all filmed in and around Boston — received a total of 16 Oscar nominations Tuesday. The nominations included Best Picture and Best Director nods, along with possible awards for actors Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Renner.[...]
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Stars excited to be in Oscar running
Boston Globe, January 26, 2011
Dicky Eklund’s last stop yesterday was Sully’s Tuxedos in Lowell. “The Fighter’’ had received an impressive seven Oscar nominations, and Eklund was thinking about what he might wear when Hollywood hands out the hardware Feb. 27.
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Oscar acquires a Boston accent
Boston Globe, January 26, 2011
Hollywood tilted significantly and decisively to the Northeast yesterday. An unusually high percentage of nominations for the 83d annual Academy Awards went to movies set in Boston and its environs, and featuring actors either from Massachusetts or playing local natives.[...]
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This is Hollywood’s kind of ‘Town’
The Boston Herald, January 26, 2011
The Academy Award bounty for Mark Wahlberg’s “The Fighter” and Harvard-to-Facebook tale “The Social Network” — and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Jeremy Renner, who played a bank-robbing Charlestown punk in Ben Affleck’s “The Town,”[...]
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And The Nominees Are…Massachusetts Films!
MFO News, January 25, 2011
Nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced this morning and films shot on location in Massachusetts garnered a total of 16 nods, including Best Motion Picture of the Year for “The Social Network” and “The Fighter,” starring Boston native Mark Wahlberg. The film is also attached to local producer Dorothy Aufiero of Red Hawk Entertainment. “The Town,” directed by Cambridge native Ben Affleck, received a best supporting actor nomination. [...]
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‘Men’ at work John Wells profits from shooting drama in Hub
The Boston Herald, January 18, 2011
Because Pittsburgh’s steel mills have vanished, John Wells shot “The Company Men” in Boston.
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Golden night for ‘The Fighter’
The Lowell Sun, January 17, 2011
The Hollywood Radio and Press Foundation opened their annual Golden Globes ceremony by naming Christian Bale this year's best supporting actor for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund in The Fighter.
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Boston strikes gold at Globes
Boston Herald, January 17, 2011
“The Social Network,’’ the story of the founding of Facebook at Harvard University, won best motion picture, drama, best director, best screenplay and best score at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
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2011 Golden Globe Winners
Associated Press, January 17, 2011
A complete list of recipients at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 68th Golden Globe Awards, presented last night in Los Angeles.[...]
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New Yorker film critic says Boston films ruled this year
Boston.com, December 29, 2010
With a nod to Mark Wahlberg's and author Dennis Lehane's Dorchester ties, and the successes of locals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Denby wonders aloud whether this trend amounts to a "last united stand in multicultural America.'' Denby declares "In part because the Boston talk has so much salt, “The Fighter” and “Company Men” are among the best movies of the year.''[...]
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Jay Burke Interview – Writer/Director of Whaling City
New Bedford Guide, December 27, 2010
All of our shooting was done “on location,” meaning we really didn’t use any sets or studio space. Often times we were shooting in live, working environments, which presented its own set of challenges, mostly related to sound. We shot in New Bedford, Fairhaven, Westport, Fall River, and even out at sea on a commercial fishing boat.[...]
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BOSTON MAKES PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S BEST OF 2010!
People Magazine, December 27, 2010
"Boston must have a wicked awesome agent: Beantown and its burbs were everywhere."[...]
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It’s the role of his life
Boston Globe, December 22, 2010
When Mark Wahlberg and director David O. Russell asked the 62-year-old Lowell police sergeant, Mickey O’Keefe, to play himself in “The Fighter,’’ the new, critically lauded film about boxer “Irish’’ Micky Ward, his first reaction was to laugh them off.[...]
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NEW FILM OFFICE CONTACT INFO
MFO News, December 21, 2010
Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism 10 Park Plaza, Suite 4510 Boston, MA 02116 U.S.A. Phone: (617) 973-8400[...]
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Bay State flicks talk of the ‘Town’
Boston Herald, December 15, 2010
Three Massachusetts-made movies — “The Fighter,’’ “The Social Network’’ and “The Town’’ — copped a whopping 13 Golden Globe nominations yesterday, a sure-fire coming attraction that Bay State flicks will dominate this year’s Oscars.[...]
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Mark Wahlberg, the Globes’ golden boy
Los Angeles Times, December 15, 2010
Mark Wahlberg scored a knockout with the Golden Globes.
Wahlberg received a nod as lead actor in a drama for his role as a struggling boxer at odds with his family in "The Fighter," which he also produced. The acclaimed drama nabbed a total of six Golden Globe nominations, including motion picture (drama).[...]
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Golden Globe Nominations 2011: ‘Fighter,’ & ‘Social Network,’ Dominate
MTV News, December 14, 2010
Keeping in line with the awards and nominations already doled out to Massachusetts movies this year, David Fincher's searing look at the founding of Facebook, "The Social Network," and David O. Russell and Mark Wahlberg's real-life boxing tale "The Fighter" stormed the Golden Globe nominations with six apiece. Also nominated was Jeremy Renner for his supporting role in Ben Affleck's 'The Town'.[...]
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American Film Institute lauds film, television shows
Los Angeles Times, December 13, 2010
Three of AFI's top ten movies of 2010 were made in Massachusetts (THE FIGHTER, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, & THE TOWN.) Another, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, was produced by Boston's Christy Scott Cashman. WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, from Massachusetts-based Walden Media, also received a special award.[...]
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Massachusetts appeal at Oscars?
Boston Herald, December 13, 2010
It could be Massachusetts’ year at the Oscars. “The Social Network,” a Harvard-set drama about the creation of the Internet phenomenon Facebook, swept the annual awards meeting of the Boston Society of Film Critics, which last year called the Oscar winner “Hurt Locker” over the heavily favored “Avatar." In other races, Christian Bale, the big screen’s Batman, was named Best Supporting Actor in Boston yesterday for his cham-eleon-like performance in “The Fighter” as Dickie Eklund, the drug-addled brother and trainer of Lowell boxing champ Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) in the Wahlberg-produced boxing film. Bale must now be considered a front-runner for an Academy Award nomination.
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‘The Social Network’ is anointed by L.A. Film Critics Assn.
Los Angeles Times, December 13, 2010
Massachusetts-made "The Social Network" was the big winner Sunday at the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Awards, nabbing the best picture prize, best director, and best screenplay.
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SOCIAL NETWORK is tops with Boston Society of Film Critics
Boston Globe, December 13, 2010
“The Social Network,’’ the drama about the founding of Facebook at Harvard, won the top awards at the Boston Society of Film Critics’ annual meeting. The film capped a big year for Boston in the movies. “The Fighter,’’ which opened last week, is set in Lowell, stars Mark Wahlberg as the boxer Mickey Ward, and tells the story of Ward’s large, rambunctious family. It won the ensemble-acting award. Christian Bale was named the best supporting actor for playing Ward’s wild, crack-addicted, former- boxer brother, Dicky Eklund. Melissa Leo, who plays the boxers’ mother, Alice, was a runner-up in the supporting actress category.[...]
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Russell’s ‘Fighter’ comes out swinging
Boston Globe, December 13, 2010
Even in limited release, “The Fighter’’ packed a serious punch at the box office over the weekend. Director David O. Russell’s movie starring Mark Wahlberg as Lowell-bred brawler “Irish’’ Micky Ward and Christian Bale as Micky’s half-brother Dicky Eklund grossed $320,000 in just four theaters. "The Fighter’’ opens in 2,200 screens Friday and is already being mentioned as an Oscar contender, primarily for the performances of Bale and Melissa Leo, who plays Micky and Dicky’s mom, Alice Ward. [...]
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The Fighter (2010)
New York Times, December 9, 2010
Sticking fairly closely to the facts of Mr. Ward’s story, “The Fighter” plants itself firmly in his native terrain of Lowell, Mass., immersing the viewer in the sensorium of a hard-luck industrial town left to languish in the backwash of globalization. You can almost smell the weariness and desperation rising off of the tar that Micky, in his day job as a road paver, spreads on streets lined with sagging three-decker houses and faded storefronts. A city with a distinguished place in American labor and literary history — it was the birthplace of Jack Kerouac — Lowell in the early 1990s, when “The Fighter” unfolds, is blighted by poverty, unemployment and the crack epidemic, which has claimed Micky’s half brother, Dicky Eklund, as a casualty. Christian Bale's performance as Mr. Eklund is astonishing. Mr. Wahlberg gives a brilliantly quiet performance, underplaying so gracefully and with so little vanity that you almost forget that the movie is supposed to be about Micky.[...]
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BPD commissioner, others revel in ‘Fighter’ glory
Boston Herald, December 11, 2010
Dicky Eklund should be dead. At least that’s what Boston Police Department Commissioner Edward F. Davis thought the night the Lowell welterweight came flying out a third-floor window during a drug bust at a crack den. That’s why Davis reserved a ticket days ago to see “The Fighter,” which hit theaters yesterday. It’s a movie that goes right to his Mill City roots.
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‘The Fighter’ hits Hingham
Boston Globe, December 9, 2010
Wahlberg was joined on the red carpet by friends from his Dorchester ’hood, his mother Alma, who called her son’s success “surreal,’’ and brothers Jimmy and Bob.[...]
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Marky Wahlberg, Micky Ward a hit
Boston Herald, December 9, 2011
“The Fighter” premiere at the Hingham Shipyard last night was a TKO with star Mark Wahlberg, director David O. Russell and a bunch of Boston boldfacers snagging ring-side seats.
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‘The Fighter’ packs a punch
Boston Globe, December 9, 2010
“The Fighter’’ steeps us in the grit of its time and place — Lowell, Mass., in the 1990s — and electrifyingly dramatizes Ward’s battles with the family that almost loved him to death.[...]
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THE CARPETBAGGER: Behind Camera, Checking the Ego
New York Times, December 8, 2010
For David O. Russell's latest film, “The Fighter,” a passion project brought to him by his frequent star Mark Wahlberg, Mr. Russell takes on the true story of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, brothers and struggling boxers from Lowell, Mass., near where Mr. Wahlberg grew up. He plays Micky, the quieter but more successful of the two, and Christian Bale, in an outsize, twitchy performance that is generating Oscar talk, plays Dicky, a recovering drug addict and a wiry charmer.[...]
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MFO Highlights 2007 to 2010
MFO News, December 8, 2010
The Massachusetts film industry has experienced unprecedented growth since 2007. Here are some noteworthy accomplishments from the past four years.[...]
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‘The Fighter’ packs powerful acting punch
Boston Herald, December 8, 2010
A pandemonium of Massachusetts accents, the film is set in large part in working-class Lowell, the epicenter of the American Industrial Revolution -turned-1990s wilderness of triple-deckers packed with dysfunctional families of all stripes.[...]
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Tough talk won her role in ‘The Fighter’
Boston Globe, December 7, 2010
“The Fighter’’ premiered in LA last night and walking the red carpet with all the Hollywood heavies was Erica McDermott, the 36-year-old Scituate mom who plays one of Micky Ward’s seven sisters.[...]
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Harvard-set flick at top of the class
Boston Herald, December 5, 2010
The National Board of Review, an organization of more than 100 film critics and historians, has picked the made-in-Cambridge Facebook flick “The Social Network” as its top movie of the year.[...]
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Mark & Micky
Boston Globe, December 5, 2010
Wahlberg has wanted to do a boxing film for a long time now. He says he’s been training for 4 1/2 years. That meant up to eight hours a day in the gym and in the ring he built in his backyard for an earlier boxing movie that fell through.[...]
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Dickie Eklund spars with fame’s curse
Boston Herald, December 4, 2010
Dickie Eklund, the half-brother and trainer of Lowell slugger “Irish” Micky Ward, was once famous for fighting “Sugar” Ray Leonard and being the first to knock him down. Then came drugs and prison as fame took a dark turn. But no matter his transgressions, Eklund is known as one of the toughest boxers the Mill City — home to the annual New England Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions — ever produced.[...]
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Letting His Role Do the Talking
New York Times, December 3, 2010
Christian Bale has played real-life figures before, but in the effusive Mr. Eklund, Mr. Bale had for the first time a living, breathing model before his eyes, and one with highly distinctive mannerisms and speech patterns to boot. Mr. Eklund showed Mr. Bale around his old haunts in Lowell, while the actor took notes and recorded conversations. Mr. Russell pointed out that Mr. Bale’s task involved far more than mimicry. “Dicky has a whole rhythm to him, a music,” he said. “Christian had to understand how his mind works.”[...]
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Boxer’s life story a real knockout
Boston Herald, December 3, 2010
You can talk about world championships and gaudy leather and diamond-encrusted belts all you want, but if you hit someone in the face for pay while trying to avoid him returning the favor, you want to get well paid for it. For most of his 17-year career, Micky Ward wasn’t, which is what has made his life a movie and why a movie has been made about his life, or at least the portion of it that ended on March 11, 2000, the night he won the World Boxing Union light welterweight (140 pound) title from a Brit from Merseyside, Liverpool, named Shea Neary.
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Screenwriter a fighter, too
Boston Herald, December 3, 2010
Lowell's Rich Farrell, 52, has a cameo acting role in "The Fighter" — as documentary filmmaker Rich Farrell. But his life may soon get marquee treatment as his autobiography, “What’s Left of Us,” has been optioned by the film's producers.[...]
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‘Fairhaven’ rolling into town
Boston Globe, November 30, 2010
Looks like the low-budget, indie film “Fairhaven’’ is on its way. The movie, which is being helmed by Medford native Tom O’Brien, will start pre-production next week. Shooting will begin in January, which means that stars Rosemarie DeWitt (of “Mad Men’’ and the soon-to-be-released Boston film “The Company Men’’), Chris Messina (of “Julie & Julia’’), and Brad William Henke (of “Lost’’) will soon be around town.[...]
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Lowell lands a knockout: Special showing of ‘The Fighter’ on Dec. 9th
Lowell Sun, November 24, 2010
Roll out the red carpet. Lowell has landed a premiere showing of the highly anticipated Micky Ward biopic The Fighter on Thursday, Dec. 9th, one day before the movie hits theaters nationwide. The premiere will take place at Showcase Cinemas at 7:30 p.m. A reception will be held before the screening at the Courtyard by Marriott, 30 Industrial Avenue East, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Proceeds from the reception will benefit Team Micky Ward Charities and the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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Lights, camera … Amherst teens hit their marks with Riverwolf Productions
Amherst Bulletin, November 19, 2010
Riverwolf Productions had transformed an Amherst home into the set for its December episode of "Lights Up," a half-hour satirical sketch-comedy show that filters the world through a youthful perspective. The December episode of "Lights Up," the company's second television series, will air on Amherst Community Television (ACTV) on Monday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m.
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Class helps actors hide wicked Boston accent
Boston Herald, November 5, 2010
Boston Casting, which works in films, commercials and reality TV, is offering a solution: a four-week “Boston accent reduction” class. Owner Angela Peri had been mulling the class for years, because her own accent prevented her from getting work as an actress.[...]
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Eccentric film eyes Hub shoot
Boston Herald, October 31, 2010
Filmmaker and playwright Lorenzo DeStefano stumbled upon the story of Arthur Inman when he read a book review of “The Inman Diary.” He was immediately fascinated with the two-volume distillation of the hypochondriacal and reclusive Boston man’s handwritten, 155-volume, 17 million-word diaries that spanned his life from age 8 until he killed himself at age 68. Now, eight years later, he’s scouting Boston for an upcoming feature-film adaptation, a black comedy starring British actor John Hurt as Inman. [...]
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Lincoln house serves as set for movie shoot
WickedLocal.com, October 28, 2010
The house on Woodcock Lane features an open, modern layout with floor-to-ceiling glass creating a boundary-less Zen-like, one-with-nature experience. There is an atrium with an indoor pool as well as a waterfall just as you enter the foyer.[...]
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CHANNEL 5 ANNOUNCES PSA COMPETITION
WCVB-TV, October 24, 2010
WCVB-TV Channel 5invites filmmakers and not-for-profit organizations to participate in the "Boston7DAYPSA" contest, a competition challenging production teams to produce broadcast-quality public service announcements for deserving local human service agencies. [...]
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Berkshire Film and Media Commission Announces its First Gala Benefit on November 6 in Pittsfield
BFMC News, October 24, 2010
November 6: Support and celebrate filmmaking in the Berkshires at Berkshire Media and Film Commission’s first annual Gala benefit, “The Magic of Movie Making,” on November 6 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at the Masonic Temple, 116 South Street, Pittsfield. The fun-filled and unique event will include a live film production with renowned Berkshire filmmakers, a silent auction featuring items from Karen Allen, Elizabeth Banks, Frank Miller and James Taylor, signature cocktails, bountiful hors d’oeuvres and desserts, and a lively dance party. Festive attire is suggested. Tickets are $75 per person and may be purchased online at www.berkshirefilm.com, by sending a check to BFMC, P.O. Box 323, Great Barrington, MA 01230, or by placing a credit card phone order with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation at 413.229.0370.[...]
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Bringing Boston to the big screen
Lawrence Eagle Tribune, October 24, 2010
Boston continues to grow as a prime location for movies to set their stories and shoot their scenes. From crime thrillers to comedies, and legendary directors to up-and-coming stars, the streets of Boston continue to be walked on by the best of the best. And with the abundance of high quality films being produced here, it's no surprise that the city continues to pave the way for more cinematic possibilities.[...]
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Former Holyoke mill scene of film shoot for National Geographic Channel special
The Republican, October 23, 2010
Twister’s final site selection involved a reconnaissance trip about a week-and-a-half before the shoot. Olivia Mausel, a member of Holyoke’s Historical Commission, gave Clark and Williams a tour of several sites in the city: the Victory Theatre, warehouses owned by Curran Construction and the building that houses the Paper City Brewing Co.[...]
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‘The Social Network’ makes many friends at the box office
Associated Press, October 11, 2010
Movie fans have bookmarked the Facebook drama “The Social Network’’ as their weekend favorite. David Fincher’s made-in-Massachusetts saga about personality clashes and legal feuds among the website’s founders took in $15.5 million to remain the No. 1 film for a second straight weekend, according to studio estimates yesterday. “The Social Network’’ became the third Bay State flick since 2007--and the second of 2010--to top the US box-office chart for two consecutive weeks. "Shutter Island" (Feb 2010) and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" (Jan 2009) achieved the same feat.[...]
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Canton actress Cindy Lentol finding success away from ‘Tinseltown’
Canton Citizen, October 7, 2010
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism has the slogan “It’s all here,” hoping to draw visitors to the commonwealth. But for Cindy Lentol, that registered trademark also perfectly describes her career as an actress and model. She does not need to go to Hollywood to find work — it’s all here. “I’ve made a great living right here,” Lentol said.[...]
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Spike Lee drops by BU
Boston Globe, October 7, 2010
“Do the Right Thing’’ director Spike Lee was at BU yesterday, where he talked about life, work, and the way films can effect social change.[...]
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Brad Pitt plays ‘Ball’ at Fenway
Boston Herald, October 6, 2010
Brad Pitt hit Lansdowne Street yesterday to film scenes for “Moneyball” - but if the script stays true to the book, the Boston Red Sox will not look as good onscreen as the Hollywood uber hunk![...]
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“The Social Network” becomes third Massachusetts-made film to top U.S. box-office this year
Massachusetts Film Office News, October 3, 2010
This weekend, "The Social Network," David Fincher's film adaptation of Ben Mezrich's 2009 non-fiction novel "The Accidental Billionaires" about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, became the third Massachusetts-made film this year to open nationally as the No. 1 movie in America--a new state record.
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“The Social Network” finds friends at box offices
Reuters, October 3, 2010
Facebook movie "The Social Network" found millions of friends in theaters during the weekend, taking in $23 million and earning the No. 1 spot at box offices, according to studio estimates on Sunday.[...]
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Facebook film not making friends with some Harvard grads
Boston Globe, October 2, 2010
The movie opens this weekend to rave reviews from critics. For some people who were there during the website’s launch at Harvard University in 2003 to 2004, though, “The Social Network’’ is more than a cinematic revisiting of events and personalities.[...]
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Jesse Eisenberg shines in must-see Facebook flick
Boston Herald, September 30, 2010
“The Social Network” begins in 2003 with a scene set in Somerville’s Thirsty Scholar Pub. Zuckerberg insults Boston University, frets about getting into one of Harvard’s exclusive clubs and gets dumped by his BU student girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara, the new Lisbeth Salander).[...]
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The Social Network: Poking into Facebook founder’s tangled web
Boston Globe, September 30, 2010
‘The Social Network’’ opens with a scene — already justly celebrated — in which a college-age couple sits in a darkened Cambridge restaurant and discusses their relationship. It’s not going well for the guy, a weedy, focused sort named Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) who talks as if he’s trying to break the sound barrier and assumes his girlfriend, Erica (Rooney Mara), will keep up. She doesn’t, and after a while her eyes go dead and she’s not his girlfriend anymore.[...]
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Fenway Park right on the ‘moneyball’
Boston Herald, September 27, 2010
Fenway Park will get the Tinseltown treatment once again when Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” flick films at the old ballyard Oct. 4-6. “Moneyball,” which stars Brad Pitt, is based on Michael Lewis’ bestseller about Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane, who built a winning team with now- Red Sox stats man Bill James, computer analytics and very little cash.[...]
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‘Social Network’ taps other campuses for Harvard role
Boston Globe, September 24, 2010
With its impeccable pedigree and movie-star good looks, Harvard is cinematic shorthand for academic excellence. But most of the movies that say they take place at Harvard — including “The Social Network” — don’t. Since 1970, Harvard has had a policy of not allowing film crews on its campus, and filmmakers have had to find clever strategies to depict the Ivy League school.[...]
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THE TOWN becomes 6th Massachusetts-made box-office champ since 2007
Mass Film Office News, September 23, 2010
This weekend, Ben Affleck’s heist thriller “The Town” became the sixth Massachusetts-made film since 2007 to open nationally as the No. 1 movie in America.[...]
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Facebook’s Ivy roots
Boston Herald, September 23, 2010
The Hollywood spotlight will shine on Harvard in “The Social Network,” the highly anticipated Facebook movie that goes behind the ivy-covered walls to chronicle the birth of the massive online Friendfest. The flick, due out Oct. 1, is based on a book by Boston author Ben Mezrich about the origin of Facebook in a Harvard dorm room by alienated computer nerd Mark Zuckerberg.[...]
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Movies misplay Hub holdups
Boston Globe, September 23, 2010
The new Ben Affleck film “The Town’’ portrays the region as a haven for bank thieves, who pull off dramatic robberies donning masks with guns blazing, but the reality is far from colorful. It turns out the region isn’t “the bank robbery capital of America,’’ as the movie posters proclaim. Massachusetts ranked eighth in robberies per resident last year, down from number one in 2008. And most real-life bank robberies are more mundane.[...]
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Leo pulls no punches in praising ‘The Fighter’
Boston Globe, September 22, 2010
Actress Melissa Leo isn’t prone to hyperbole, so when she says “The Fighter’’ is a “great motion picture,’’ she means it. Leo, who plays Micky Ward’s mom in director David O. Russell’s biopic of the Lowell-bred boxer, says the movie is beyond memorable. (“The Fighter’’ is due out in December.) [...]
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Is ‘The Town’ Oscar-Bound After Box-Office Win?
MTV News, September 20, 2010
Ben Affleck's Boston bank-robber tale is not only a contender for one of the 10 Best Picture nominations, but could land a nod in an acting category as well. "Either Jon Hamm or Jeremy Renner could easily end up in the Supporting Actor category," said BoxOffice.com editor Phil Contrino, citing the film's robust ticket sales.[...]
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10 reasons “Jaws” might be the best film ever made
TopTenFilms, September 20, 2010
Steven Spielberg’s "Jaws" (made in Massachusetts) is one of the most financially successful films ever made. Not only that, it is one of the most widely decorated films ever made, collecting three Oscars as well as ranking highly on hundreds of top films lists including being named as one of the top 100 films ever made by Total Film, the 5th best film ever made by Empire, and the 48th best film ever made by the American Film Institute. Read more to discover the ten reasons why it deserves all the praise it gets.[...]
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Ben Affleck steals box office crown with “Town”
Reuters, September 19, 2010
Ben Affleck made off with a bigger-than-expected haul at the weekend box office in North America on Sunday as his heist thriller "The Town" surprised observers with a strong No. 1 opening.[...]
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Affleck’s ‘The Town’ surprise winner of Friday box office
Boston Herald, September 19. 2010
According to Nikki Finke’s ”Deadline Hollywood” website, the Charlestown-set crime drama "The Town" is the surprise winner of Friday’s box office with a predicted $8.5 million gross.[...]
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Rapper Slaine brings Hub street cred to Affleck flick Man about ‘Town’
Boston Herald, September 19, 2010
It’s easy to see why Ben Affleck cast George “Slaine” Carroll Jr. as a shady character in “Gone Baby Gone.” Or why Affleck hired him to play a Charlestown bank robber in his new movie “The Town.” The 6-foot-tall Dorchester-born rapper is an intimidating physical presence with a raspy grumble of a voice flavored with a thick Boston accent.[...]
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Tough guy’s tattoo is talk of ‘The Town’
Boston Herald, September 19, 2010
When Ben Affleck needed to add some brawn to his shoot-’em-up flick “The Town,” he hired real-life Townie Dennis McLaughlin. McLaughlin, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound, fourth-generation longshoreman from the square mile, plays Rusty, henchman to actor Pete Postlethwaite’s (“In the Name of the Father”) villain Fergus Colm.[...]
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Arlington pilot bankrolls festival film
Boston Herald, September 18, 2010
Arlington businessman Fred Gevalt has pumped $1 million into a feature documentary film that mocks the way America tries to keep its skies safe. “Please Remove Your Shoes” premieres Monday at the Boston Film Festival.[...]
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Denis Lehane: The (gritty) town
Boston Globe, September 18, 2010
When we who write about the working class and underclass in Boston choose to do so, “crime fiction” (and its cinematic brother, film noir) often best serve our purpose. The crime novel is custom built to address issues of class warfare and the ills society foists on the people it flies over. When Dickens wrote about the underclass in London, I’m sure there were those who would have preferred he write about the Upper Crust--but that would be to miss the point. Dickens’s London wasn’t the London, it was a London. And so it is with Ben Affleck’s Boston.[...]
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Robbed of its new image? Charlestown hopes not
Boston Globe, September 18, 2010
Denis Lehane, who attended the premiere at Fenway Park on Tuesday (Affleck directed the adaptation of Lehane’s “Gone, Baby, Gone’’), said if anything, the movie is so visually gorgeous in its treatment of the iconic brownstones and the Bunker Hill monument, it will make people want to move to Charlestown. “My wife kept saying, ‘I can’t believe we live there,’ ’’ he said.[...]
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Eliza Dushku enjoys being a (mean) girl
Boston Herald, September 17, 2010
“Locked In,” formerly known as “Valediction,” is a made-in-Mass. thriller about a couple (played by Ben Barnes and Sarah Roemer) whose daughter is left in a coma after a car accident. The girl, however, continues to haunt her father who, at the same time, is being stalked by the creepy Renee (played by Eliza Dushku).[...]
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‘Girlfriend’ a hit at film fest
Boston Globe, September 17, 2010
“Girlfriend,’’ an indie film shot entirely in Wayland, Massachusetts, made it onto the bill at the Toronto International Film Festival. But even cooler is the fact that the film has been a hit. Wayland-bred director Justin Lerner has already sold out two screenings in Toronto and has plans to host a third on Sunday.
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Bunker Hill to Fenway: A Crook’s Freedom Trail
New York Times, September 17, 2010
Long ago, in the American popular imagination, Boston was the home of the bean and the cod, a genteel stomping ground of Brahmins and bluestockings and Ivy League nitwits. Nowadays, perhaps owing to tax incentives that encourage local film production, it has become a paradise for dialect coaches and a cinematic stronghold of the kind of white, ethnic, blue-collar tribalism that used to flourish in movies about places like Philadelphia, Chicago and, of course, New York.[...]
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Editorial: Boston on film: Whitey doesn’t live here anymore
Boston Globe, September 16, 2010
For local filmgoers who want to see their community on screen, the bumper crop of Boston-themed movies should be a treat.[...]
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Stars of Ben Affleck’s new Boston-set flick, ‘The Town,’ invade Fenway Park for premiere
The Patriot Ledger, September 15, 2010
His love of all things Boston didn’t make Ben Affleck any more comfortable shooting some of his new movie at Fenway Park. “I don’t know what to make of it. I’m either excited or panicked,” the actor said Tuesday night at Fenway, where “The Town” was premiered.[...]
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For Ben Affleck, there’s no place like home
Boston Herald, September 14, 2010
"There are bars - I’m not naming names - down on the main strip, where guys have been known to get stabbed. And the projects are on the other side." He’s not talking about the Boston of Paul Revere, Old Ironsides and the Red Sox [team stats]. Ben Affleck is relating the sights in that part of Beantown - just a mile and a half from where he grew up - where he has filmed two movies. The rough "brown bag" (as Affleck calls it) neighborhood of Charlestown was the setting for "Gone Baby Gone" and Affleck’s second film as director, "The Town," which opens Friday.[...]
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Enjoying a night on ‘The Town’
Boston Globe, September 15, 2010
A host of Hollywood heavyweights hit Boston yesterday, gathering at friendly Fenway for a screening of Ben Affleck’s latest film, “The Town.’’ The movie’s A-list cast — Affleck, Jon Hamm (who brought his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt), Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Chris Cooper, and Blake Lively — all made the scene, and walked a red carpet in front of the first base dugout. The surprise guest of the night was Matt Damon, who brought his pregnant wife, Lucia, his mom, Nancy, his dad, Kent, his stepparents, and his brother Kyle.[...]
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Thin line between real and reel in ‘The Town’
Boston Herald, September 15, 2010
Across the span of his life, Maurice "Moe" Gillen has known most of Charlestown’s sinners and all of its saints.[...]
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Stars go to ‘Town’ for premiere!
Boston Herald, September 15, 2010
The stars of “The Town,” Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Chris Cooper, Blake Lively and Rebecca Hall - and Ben’s BFF Matt Damon - shone at Fenway Park [map] last night for the world premiere of Affleck’s set-in-Charlestown flick about some extremely good-looking cops and robbers who do battle in the bank-crime capital of America.[...]
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With new film, Affleck ties Boston knot tighter
Boston Globe, September 15, 2010
1997’s “Good Will Hunting’’ was set in Cambridge and South Boston and made Affleck both a famous actor and an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. A decade later, “Gone Baby Gone,’’ shot in Dorchester, made him a respected director. Now comes Affleck’s second feature as a director, the heist thriller “The Town,’’ which got a celebrity-studded local premiere last night at Fenway Park and opens nationally on Friday.[...]
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Ben Affleck’s ‘The Town’ gets Boston’s gritty, mean streets right
Boston Globe, September 15, 2010
The romance is the the part of THE TOWN that works best. As an actor, Affleck is a nice visual match for Rebecca Hall — they’re both big, rangy people who seem comfortable in their own skin — and we root for them to make it even as we know that the big revelation (I’ve been dating the guy who held me at gunpoint and ditched me in East Boston!) might possibly be a deal killer.[...]
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Rockport back on the big screen
Gloucester Times, September 15, 2010
The town of Rockport, which can count its murders on one hand, provides the backdrop for "The Last Harbor," a thriller filmed in town last year, featuring a face known in police-like roles, Wade Williams.[...]
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Locals anxious to see Charlestown on silver screen
Boston Herald, September 14, 2010
THE TOWN is already being hailed as the most authentic of the recent made-in-Boston films, including “The Departed,” which copped the 2007 Best Picture Oscar. “They can’t wait to watch this film. The last time it was like this was when ‘Miracle’ came out,” said Ed Callahan, a life-long Townie and member of the Charlestown Historical Society, referencing the 2004 film about the 1980 men’s Olympic hockey team that included Townie Jack O’Callahan.[...]
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Man about ‘Town’
Boston Herald, September 14, 2010
The actor/director and Hub native came back to Boston to film “The Town,” a crime drama based on Chuck Hogan’s book “Prince of Thieves,” set in Charlestown.[...]
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Ben Affleck goes to ‘Town’ in gritty Hub thriller
Boston Herald, September 14, 2010
In “The Town,” Affleck’s adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s Hammett Prize-winning 2004 novel “Prince of Thieves,” Ben Affleck skips another junk-movie paycheck to make a film closer to his heart and his hometown.[...]
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Jon Hamm gets Hub immersion for ‘Town’ role
Boston Herald, September 14, 2010
“It was a tremendous advantage to be able to hang out with and talk to several of the law enforcement officials in Boston, both at the federal level and at a state level and local level,” Hamm said.[...]
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Ben Affleck: Insecurity, Fear Good Motivators
CBS Sunday Morning, September 14, 2010
Ben Affleck is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. And he's a pretty big name back in his hometown of Boston as well. Russ Mitchell pays him a visit for this CBS Sunday Morning Profile.[...]
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Scoring some roles
Boston Globe, September 14, 2010
Sometimes it takes 10 years to become an overnight sensation. Just ask Stephanie Lemelin. The actress (inset) has done 11 TV pilots in nine years, but she’s only getting traction in Tinseltown now. Lemelin, whose dad is former Bruins goalie Reggie Lemelin, has a recurring role on “The Whole Truth’’ — Jerry Bruckheimer’s new legal drama on ABC costarring Rob Morrow — and also shows up in the new issue of Esquire, dubbed one of the “Sexiest New Faces of Fall TV.’’ (Daniella Alonso of “My Generation’’ and “Lone Star’’ lovely Eloise Mumford are a couple of the others.)[...]
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In the new season, Hollywood’s releases take a serious turn
Boston Globe, September 12, 2010
Four Massachusetts-made films (THE TOWN, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, COMPANY MEN, and THE FIGHTER) lead a parade of new films opening nationally in the last quarter of 2010.[...]
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Big names, eclectic lineup at Boston Film Festival
Boston Globe, September 12, 2010
A first for the Boston Film Festival this year is that all screenings will take place at the much-heralded, invitingly intimate Stuart Street Playhouse, a 425-seat, stadium-style, state-of-the-art independent cinema at 200 Stuart St., in Boston’s Theater District.[...]
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On the ‘Town’
Boston Herald, September 10, 2010
The critics have spoken, and early reviews out of Venice for Ben Affleck’s made-in-Boston thriller “The Town” are mostly positive. The set-in-Charlestown bank-robbery drama debuted at the Venice Film Festival earlier this week, and most of the critics say the flick is a worthy successor to Hub classics such as “The Departed,” ‘Mystic River’ and Ben’s earlier work in “Gone Baby Gone.”[...]
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How to pick up some ‘extra’ cash on movie sets
Boston Herald, September 7, 2010
“Everyone in this business was an extra,” said Angela Peri, owner of Boston Casting. “I was an extra.” According to a 2010 University of Massachusetts study, the Bay State is among the fastest growing states in the country for film production. And while employment is down, film production jobs have increased, the study said. Case in point: Ben Affleck’s “The Town” was shot here and opens Sept. 17.
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Stars coming to ‘Town’
Boston Globe, September 3, 2010
The stars of director Ben Affleck’s new shot-in-Boston heist drama will attend the Sept. 14 screening at Fenway Park. Warner Bros. yesterday announced that “The Town’’ will premiere at the ballpark, and the all-star cast, including Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, and Chris Cooper, will join Affleck for the special event in the outfield. [...]
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Filmmakers wrap up work on thriller ‘The Woman’ being shot in Greenfield
Springfield Republican, August 28, 2010
The production company Moderncine has spent the past four weeks in mostly remote parts of Greenfield and Montague shooting the movie “The Woman,” and some of the scenes are not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.
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Massachusetts star Schilling is Taylor-made for Hollywood
Boston Herald, August 25, 2010
Massachusetts native Taylor Schilling is taking Hollywood by storm. Best known for her role as tough Iraq vet nurse Veronica Callahan on NBC’s “Mercy,” Taylor will hit the silver screen as Zac Efron’s leading lady in the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks’ novel “The Lucky One.” [...]
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For ‘Fighter,’ a Long Count Before Release
New York Times, August 9, 2010
Despite the extraordinary passion of Mark Wahlberg, who started training almost four years ago for the lead role as the real-life boxer Micky Ward, "THE FIGHTER" still had to survive a grueling behind-the-scenes struggle before landing on the schedule at Paramount Pictures, which plans to release it on Dec. 10, as the awards season hits full stride.[...]
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Family and fans greet Wahlberg in Hingham
Boston Globe, August 4, 2010
Just a day after Dorchester’s own Mark Wahlberg premiered his comedy “The Other Guys’’ in New York with costars Will Ferrell and Eva Mendes, he took the film to Hingham — more specifically to Alma Nove, his brother Paul Wahlberg’s new restaurant in the Hingham Shipyard. [...]
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County makes strikes in the filmmaking business
Berkshire Eagle, July 25, 2010
Filmmaking in the county has operated at a steady pace since "Pretty Poison" became the first major motion picture made in Berkshire County. It was shot in 1968 in North Adams and Great Barrington and was followed a year later by "Alice's Restaurant." This past spring, two out-of-town filmmakers came here to shoot low-budget short feature films.[...]
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Movie cannibals hunger for Western Mass
Springfield Republican, July 25, 2010
The New York Times reported this week that "The Woman" could begin shooting Aug. 2. Massachusetts offers filmmakers a 25 percent tax credit on money spent in the state. In recent years, that has been enough to draw movies like "Shutter Island" and "Gone Baby Gone" to the Bay State. In 2008, parts of the Mel Gibson movie "Edge of Darkness" were filmed in Northampton and Deerfield.[...]
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Op-Ed: The secret to our movie success
Boston Business Journal, July 23, 2010
The credits have been like Miracle-Gro for our industry. Over the past five years, there has been a national race — a fierce competition to attract the high-spending film and TV industries, with states across the country vying to create incentives to lure movies and TV companies and their lucrative spending to their states. The surprise winner: Massachusetts.[...]
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The guru of toughness
Boston Globe, July 19, 2010
An odd wrinkle in the globalization of popular culture has given Massachusetts a certain currency as a place where traditional forms of masculine virtue still thrive. Movies have played a key role. The state’s efforts to attract film production, especially the film tax credit, have enabled a string of movies — “Mystic River,’’ “The Departed,’’ “Gone Baby Gone,’’ “Edge of Darkness,’’ and, next up, “The Fighter’’ and Ben Affleck’s “The Town’’ — that glorify white-ethnic (usually Irish) styles of toughness associated with working-class neighborhoods in places like Boston and Lowell. Native storytellers like Affleck, Wahlberg, and Dennis Lehane are responsible for this lionizing of Boston-area regular guys, but so are internationally prominent mythmakers from elsewhere like Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, and Mel Gibson. With the help of local casting consultants and dialogue coaches, they come here, of all places, to get some of that potent homegrown stuff.[...]
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Massachusetts in “Top Ten” again!
Production Update Magazine, July 15, 2010
Productions of all types and sizes are hitting the road and bringing into
play what this country has to offer beyond the glitz and glamour of Tinsel Town. With tax incentive programs, a deep crew base and bountiful infrastructure, filmmakers will find themselves hard pressed to find a reason not to film in this great state.
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John Krasinski and Emily Blunt tie the knot!
Boston Herald, July 12, 2010
Newton homey John Krasinski (THE OFFICE) and his British-born fiancee, Emily Blunt (THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA), finally exchanged vows this past weekend at the Villa D’este in Como, Italy. “John and Emily were married on Saturday in a private ceremony,” Krasinski’s rep told Us Weekly mag. Blunt won a Golden Globe in 2007 for her performance in the TV movie “Gideon’s Daughter.”[...]
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Hub detective Russell Grant has criminal intent for TNT
Boston Herald, July 12, 2010
“I had Angie Harmon out here for three or four days shadowing the homicide unit,” said Boston Police Detective Russell Grant. “She got to see a real homicide scene in Dorchester. And then I had Lee Thompson Young (who plays another detective) get a feel for the homicide unit, and Jordan Bridges, who plays Jane’s brother who is a uniform guy, rode along with the guys from District 4.” So, Detective, got a lead on why this TV show is not being filmed in Boston??? “Oh, don’t get me started,” he laughed. “I know at one point they wanted to come here to film but the actors thought it would be too much of a hardship. [...]
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Movie theater nears reality on Nantucket
Boston Globe, July 11, 2010
If the nonprofit Dreamland Foundation has its way, its goal of reviving the much-loved Dreamland Theatre, which closed in 2005, is closer to realization than any previous efforts have been, lifting the hopes of 10,000 islanders and some 40,000 vacationers. With millions of dollars raised and a few million more to go, the foundation expects to break ground on a new 340-seat theater this fall.[...]
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Movie pioneer Trumbull plans sci-fi film to jumpstart western Mass. cluster
Journal of New England Technology, July 7, 2010
While taking a breather from Hollywood, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (“2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”) re-located to the Berkshires in 1987 — ultimately begetting a cluster of visual effects companies in the area.
The cluster has seen several core companies depart since the mid-1990s. Now, Trumbull, who remains in the Berkshires, hopes to inspire a new wave of visual effects firms to migrate to the area. His plan to accomplish this? Produce a sci-fi film entirely in Western Massachusetts.[...]
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As the Studio Turns: The Saga of Plymouth Rock Studios
New England Film, July 6, 2010
The story involves glitz, intrigue, and indictments. No, it's not a soap opera plot. It's the amazingly true story behind the still-proposed Plymouth Rock Studios in Massachusetts...[...]
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“Biggest Loser” open call on July 24th
MFO News, July 2, 2010
"The Biggest Loser" is coming to Boston looking for contestants at an open casting call on July 24th.[...]
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‘Grown Ups’ premiere reminds Essex of positive influence movie had on town
WickedLocal.com, June 25, 2010
“Grown Ups,” starring Adam Sandler and an ensemble cast including many other former “Saturday Night Live” cast members, came to Essex last spring and did the majority of its filming on location on Chebacco Lake, with Centennial Grove used as a Connecticut lake house visited by Sandler’s character, four of his childhood friends and their families. The cast and crew’s presence on Cape Ann was felt throughout last summer, both financially and as a cultural boost. The town was paid $150,000 for the use of Centennial Grove from Lakefront Productions Inc. and received another $500 daily from September until November to keep the site untouched in case re-shoots were necessary. Many of the sets were decorated with pieces from Essex’s antique shops, and regular celebrity sightings around town created a buzz that lasted long after the crews left town. [...]
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‘Boston Med’ gives inside view of life at three Hub hospitals
Boston Herald, June 24, 2010
Produced by the makers of the Peabody Award-winning series “Hopkins,” each episode focuses on critical cases at Massachusetts General Hospital, Children’s Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Boston Med” is the cure for summertime TV blues.[...]
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‘Boston Med’ finds humanity in the hospital
Boston Globe, June 24, 2010
The episodes jump among both routine and unusual cases at three local institutions — Mass. General, Brigham and Women’s, and Children’s Hospital — without hokey manipulations.[...]
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2 major films shot in state opening in same week
Associated Press, June 23, 2010
For the first time ever, two major motion pictures shot extensively in Massachusetts are opening in the same week. "Knight and Day," starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, opens Wednesday. It was shot in Boston and other locations including a field in Bridgewater, where an airliner was blown up. "Grown Ups," a comedy starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James and Rob Schneider, opens on Friday. Much of the film was shot in the town of Essex.[...]
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Five things you may not know about ‘Knight and Day’
Patriot Ledger, June 23, 2010
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz met with a group of special needs students from Bridgewater-Raynham High School. Their teacher, Kara Kuntupis, had invited the stars to visit the school and eat at the cafeteria that the kids run. Cruise and Cameron instead invited the kids, teachers and one parent each on location. The actors treated them to an ice cream bar, chatted and posed for individual pictures, which they later autographed and mailed back to the students. “They still feel like they’re these little stars,” Lynn Temme, one of the classroom aides, said Tuesday.
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Movie comedy grows into a winner
Boston Globe, June 22, 2010
A pack of Bridgewater State College students were honored earlier this month for creating the funniest film at Campus MovieFest, a national film festival for college students. [...]
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Adam Sandler showcases team spirit - on set
Boston Herald, June 22, 2010
Adam Sandler pays homage to the local colleges in his new made-in-Mass. flick, which opens Friday. In “Grown Ups,” Adam wears a different New England university T-shirt or cap in almost every scene, including swag from BU, Harvard, and UMass.[...]
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Location, location, location
Boston Globe, June 22, 2010
"Knight and Day’’ is a movie that indulges our local audiences with a balletic high-speed shoot-out through the highways of downtown Boston. (The fantasy lies not in the flipping cars and trucks but in the notion that any traffic could move this fast on the Southeast Expressway.) After 40 minutes or so of casually destroying our fair city, the movie moves on to Salzburg, Seville, the Azores; tax credits or no, it’s flattering to think we’re in the same league. Oh, and it’s apparently illegal to shoot a movie in Boston without getting a chopper shot of the Zakim Bridge. Accept it — as far as Hollywood is concerned, the Zakim’s our Eiffel Tower.
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BOSTON PREMIERE OF GROWN UPS
MFO News, June 20, 2010
The Boston Premiere of GROWN UPS is set for Thursday evening June 24th. For more information on the event, and to purchase tickets, click on "more"...[...]
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Cape Ann & the movies, a “Perfect” match
Cape Ann Guide, June 2010
Rugged seaside beauty has lured scores of filmmakers and actors to Cape Ann, as they discover what an ideal setting it is for making movies.[...]
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It’s a starry night on Nantucket
Boston Herald, June 20, 2010
An all-star comedy roundtable starring Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg and Zach Galifianakis yesterday during the Nantucket Film Festival devolved into a debate over YouTube.[...]
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Tilda Swinton gets top props in Provincetown
Boston Herald, June 20, 2010
Academy Award-winner Tilda Swinton came to the Provincetown Film Festival yesterday to promote her new flick, “I am Love.” She had no idea she would be taking home the Cape festie’s Excellence in Acting Award.[...]
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‘Knight’ & Diaz
Boston Globe, June 20, 2010
“Knight and Day’’ opens Friday and gives her and Cruise another crack at each other. The new playing field appears to be level. It’s a comedy. He grins and runs and cracks some jokes. She gawks and laughs and waves her arms in ecstasy. That is the Diaz way. This is the rare beauty who’s made a career out of being a dork.[...]
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Hub ‘Med’
Boston Herald, June 20, 2010
Three of Boston’s best hospitals - Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston - get prime-time exposure in the new series “Boston Med,” premiering Thursday at 10 p.m. on WCVB, Ch. 5.[...]
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Inexplicable cult film reels ’em in at Coolidge Corner
Boston Globe, June 19, 2010
The screams coming from behind the Coolidge Corner Theatre on a recent Saturday night weren’t the blood-curdling kind. They were more like the raucous howls that greet rock stars, which is pretty much what it looked like when Tommy Wiseau, the writer, director, producer, and star of “The Room,’’ materialized to press the flesh before a midnight screening of his film. “Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!’’ chanted the throngs, waving their cellphones and jockeying for a chance to take a picture with the man responsible for what many believe is the worst movie ever made.[...]
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Websites direct filmmakers to Cape
Cape Cod Times, June 14, 2010
Dennis and Falmouth would like people to know they are open for business ... the movie business, that is. Both have developed Web pages promoting their attractiveness as potential film sites and promising assistance with the permitting process if film crews need to shut down roads or work on public property. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce also maintains a similar site, www.filmoncapecod.com, that promotes the entire region.[...]
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‘Boston Med’ goes behind the scenes
Boston Globe, June 13, 2010
In the second episode of “Boston Med,’’ a cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s Hospital Boston makes this matter-of-fact assertion: “It’s a tough situation, but it’s not hopeless, and if anybody can fix it, we can.’’ He is describing a particular case: a baby born with a rare heart abnormality whose father, a US soldier, has returned from Iraq for the surgery. But his words also reflect the core assumption at the heart of “Boston Med,’’ an eight-part ABC News documentary series that premieres June 24.[...]
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Tom & Cameron seek Cruising altitude
Boston Herald, June 13, 2010
Tom had a helluva time in the Hub making the pic. Cruise told Entertainment Weekly he and his fam had their best Halloween ever in Boston, because the Hollywood heavy, his bride Katie Holmes, daughter Suri, and Tom’s kids Connor and Isabella, roamed the streets of Beacon Hill - in costume - and no one recognized them![...]
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Nantucket and Provincetown film festivals uphold traditions
Boston Globe, June 13, 2010
With beaches, sunshine, and a summer party atmosphere, it isn’t difficult to lure visitors, even film buffs who plan on spending lots of time in the dark, to Cape Cod. But the Provincetown and Nantucket film festivals raised the bar early on: both consistently deliver impressive and eclectic events worthy of the towns’ artistic and bohemian traditions.[...]
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Independents’ day
Boston Globe, June 6, 2010
Despite the prevalence of sprawling multiplexes and the eternal appeal of Hollywood blockbusters, the area hosts a number of smaller movie houses showing lesser-known independent films, including the Capitol Theatre in Arlington, the West Newton Cinema, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, the Embassy Cinema in Waltham, and Maynard’s Fine Arts Theatre.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios and co-founder David Kirkpatrick split
The Patriot Ledger, June 3, 2010
The company announced Tuesday that a reorganization has resulted in an amicable split with Kirkpatrick, a co-founder of Plymouth Rock Studios. Kirkpatrick will stay on as head of Rock Entertainment, a separate organization concentrating on movie making, television, social networking and education. When the studio is built – completion could come before the end of 2012 – Rock Entertainment would be able to lease space for its productions.[...]
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Cofounder splits from Plymouth studios
Boston Globe, June 2, 2010
Plymouth Rock Studios, the real estate arm in charge of building the production facility and leasing its space, and Rock Entertainment, the creative arm of that endeavor, are no longer affiliated and will not have any direct ownership or management influence over each other. David Kirkpatrick, CEO of Rock Entertainment, said yesterday’s announced split formalized a division that had been made between the real estate team and the creative members of the venture. “Now it’s really focused on being infrastructure, but that’s critical,’’ Kirkpatrick said. “You need the railroad tracks to run the trains.’’[...]
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Dedham High film students win a Scully
Dedham Transcript, May 28, 2010
Dedham High School looked more like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Wednesday, May 19 night as students and their friends and families celebrated at the fifth Annual Dedham High School Media Film Festival.[...]
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New Bedford native’s film traces Stones’ ‘Exile’ days
Boston Globe, May 24, 2010
If so much of movie-industry success combines talent and luck, Stephen Kijak’s luck is that he’s talented. The New Bedford native is sitting on a rooftop from which you can see the Mediterranean, basking in his moment at the world’s biggest film festival. His hourlong documentary, “Stones in Exile,’’ arrives on DVD in June. It premiered with a lot of hoopla last week at a sold-out screening in the Director’s Fortnight program of the Cannes Film Festival.[...]
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Proposal Would Mandate More Oversight For State Tax Credits
Worcester Business Journal, May 24, 2010
An amendment in next year’s state budget would create a website that would publish reports detailing which companies receive tax credits, how much the tax credit is for and the date it is issued. Some in the business community say the requirement unfairly focuses on businesses and could be a slippery slope toward giving out confidential tax and trade information.[...]
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Filmmaking industry goes pro in Boston
Metro-Boston, May 23, 2010
As film season returns this year, city officials are more prepared to handle the onslaught. Officials studied best practices of permitting from New York and Los Angeles after streamlining the process by gathering representatives from various departments for weekly meetings.[...]
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School’s network is a Hollywood hit
Boston Globe, May 22, 2010
The number of Emerson graduates who have not only found work in the entertainment industry, but are wielding significant influence, has exploded in the worlds of television, film, the Web, and publishing. And the biggest reason is the willingness of the big-name graduates of the small liberal arts college to take care of their own. It’s gotten to the point where they have started jokingly referring to their network as the Emerson mafia.
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Harvard film student gets his shot — at Cannes
Boston Globe, May 20, 2010
Harvard film student Andrew Wesman was on a Utah road trip over spring break with his best friend, Ian Carr, when they stopped to take pictures in Zion National Park. An e-mail popped up on Wesman’s iPhone: The renowned Cannes Film Festival in France had accepted Wesman’s senior thesis, a low-budget, 21-minute narrative film called “Shelley.’’ His tuxedoed presence was requested on the red carpet on May 21.[...]
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Ari Graynor gowns around in Boston
Boston Herald, May 17, 2010
Natick homegal Ari Graynor starts shooting Anna Faris’ made-in-Boston romantic comedy “What’s Your Number?” today. But that career rush can’t compare to the day she went to Priscilla of Boston to get fitted for three onscreen wedding gowns! The film, which co-stars Sudbury homey Chris Evans, revolves around Ari’s faux wedding. It seems Faris’ character doesn’t want to go to her sister’s wedding alone, so she revisits each of her past paramours - and there are many - to see if she missed her Mr. Right. Hilarity, as you can imagine, ensues.[...]
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‘The Perfect Game’ is Walpole native’s perfect underdog story
Walpole Times, May 13, 2010
When David Salzberg’s friends called him “Hollywood” as he was growing up in Walpole and in the area, it was more-or-less a derogatory moniker. Nowadays, that has all changed. With the release of “The Perfect Game” earlier this month, Salzberg, a Hollywood mainstay, earned his first executive producer film credit.
Based on the true story written by W. William Winokur, “The Perfect Game” follows a group of poor young boys from Monterey, Mexico in 1957 who dreamed of playing baseball in uniform. With the help of a local priest (played by Cheech Marin) the boys realize that dream and much, much more.[...]
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Filmmakers flock to forum on state tax credits
Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2010
Even as some states pull back from the Hollywood game, others are expanding in a big way. The Florida Legislature, for example, recently approved a $242-million film tax credit program. Massachusetts earlier this year fended off an effort to impose a cap on its program, while New York has proposed boosting its incentive to a whopping $420 million annually.
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Lights, Video, Action! Boston Logan Asks: What Does It Means To Be An American in Paris?
Massport News, May 10, 2010
Boston Logan International Airport is celebrating the return of daily seasonal service between Boston and Paris on American Airlines by offering a three night stay for two in Paris -- the City of Light -- courtesy of American Airlines and the Hotel de Vigny located near the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées. To win this trip of a lifetime, contestants need to submit a short video--before May 20th--about what it means to be an American in Paris. [...]
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Get ready for a sequelicious summer
Boston Herald, May 7, 2010
What summer-movie season is this, anyway? We’ve got an “Iron Man” movie, a “Twilight” (June 30), a “Robin Hood,” a “Shrek,” a “Sex and the City,” another “Karate Kid,” another “Toy Story” (June 18), a George Romero zombie movie (May 28) and, for crying out loud, “The A-Team.” Can you say: I pity the fools? Clearly, it’s deja vu 24/7 as the film industry sells only what has been sold before, even if it was only on television. No wonder indies sweep the awards.[...]
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Snap, cackle, pop: Summer preview
Boston Globe, May 2, 2010
The summer release schedule, which starts Friday, is light on both obvious blockbusters and post facto 3-D spectacles. This might turn out to be the sort of summer where audiences weary of schmucks go out in search of people. Here is a complete guide to your many options.[...]
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BPL Welcomes Local Filmmakers to Made in Massachusetts Film Series in May
Boston Public Library, April 29, 2010
Throughout May, the Boston Public Library will welcome local filmmakers to its popular “Made in Massachusetts” film series. The yearlong series is the BPL’s most expansive film series ever, showcasing a wide range of movies filmed in the Bay State. Writers, producers, and directors will describe their works and take questions at each of the four Monday night film screenings planned in May. [...]
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Mazze: R.I. film tax credit is a good deal
Providence Business News, April 27, 2010
Rhode Island’s tax credit for film and TV productions generated $8 in economic activity for every $1 invested between 2005 and 2009, according to a new study by Edward M. Mazze, economics professor at the University of Rhode Island, and former dean of URI’s business school. He found that the $57.6 million in film tax credits Rhode Island issued over the four-year period created a total of $465.51 million in economic activity. The credits also created and supported 4,184 new jobs, generated $181.7 million in direct wages and $152.6 million in indirect wages, and led to $34.1 million in state and local taxes, according to the report.[...]
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Many are called for, but few TV pilots are chosen
Associated Press, April 21, 2010
This picture-perfect Newton, Massachusetts homestead is one of several shooting sites around the Boston area for a CBS pilot called "Quinn-Tuplets"....just one of 80-plus scripted pilots in production across the country, and due to be evaluated soon by the five broadcast networks. Each is bucking for a berth on a fall prime-time schedule.[...]
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NBC tunes up for more ‘Sing-Off’
Boston Globe, April 21, 2010
Local producer Sam Weisman’s hit reality show, “The Sing-Off,’’ is coming back to NBC, and casting begins next month. [...]
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Warner Bros. buys local video game firm
Boston Globe, April 21, 2010
Turbine Inc., one of the Boston area’s biggest video game companies, has been acquired by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Inc. of Burbank, Calif., a business unit of media giant Time Warner Inc. “I view this as Hollywood coming to Boston,’’ said Turbine chief executive Jim Crowley, who said the deal underscores Greater Boston’s increasing prominence as a center for video game development[...]
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Student filmmakers capture world they know and can’t see
Boston Globe, April 21, 2010
Kevin Bright, the Emmy-winning producer of the smash sitcom “Friends,’’ is involved in a groundbreaking partnership with the Perkins School for the Blind. An executive artist in residence at Emerson College, Bright has developed a filmmaking course for blind students, teaching them how to shoot, light, direct, and produce. His students just completed their first short film, “Seeing Through the Lens,’’ about the friendship between three teenage girls at Perkins.[...]
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Editorial: ‘Jersey’ in Mass.: Ready to stereotype togethah?
Boston Globe, April 17, 2010
This is all in good fun and will inevitably lead to can’t-miss train wreck moments once the show goes on the air. But it’s also a thin, cheap look at the state. Even if the show is a commercial success, the version of Massachusetts it depicts is getting less relevant by the day. And for the millions of Bay Staters who have no interest in muscle cahs or hair products, that’s not such a bad thing.
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Film czar: With tax breaks intact, projects eyeing Massachusetts
Boston Herald, April 17, 2010
Among the movies in the pipeline is the Anna Faris-Chris Evans comedy, “What’s Your Number,” which starts shooting next month.[...]
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Lights, camera, action! Dennis Web page hopes to attract filmmakers
WickedLocal.com, April 15, 2010
Come May, the Massachusetts Film Office will add Dennis to its list of six communities with film Web pages. “Dennis, MA. The Reel Deal” provides filmmakers with everything they need to know about the town as a location in which to film a major motion picture. At the 2009 Town Meeting, Dennis residents set aside $10,000 to promote the town as a destination. With the anticipated advent of Plymouth Rock Studios, Selectwoman Heidi Schadt saw an opportunity: promote Dennis as a film destination.[...]
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‘Fur’ flies with Brooke Shields and Brendan Fraser
Boston Herald, April 15, 2010
Brooke Shields and Brendan Fraser, stars of “Furry Vengeance,” know it’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature - and while filming the green-themed family flick in Massachusetts they didn’t! “We had a whole team of sergeants constantly following around people with soda cans,” said Shields, who was in town yesterday to promote the tree-huggin’ funny flick.[...]
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‘Jersey Shore’ director casts net for Mass. natives
Boston Herald, April 13, 2010
From one of the guys behind MTV’s “Jersey Shore” comes the next great reality TV sensation. Casting director Doron Ofir, the man credited with discovering the “Jersey Shore” cast, said his new project is not about Massholes - but it could be. “Everyone is labeling it as ‘Massholes.’ I find that to be derogatory,” Ofir told the Herald yesterday in a telephone interview. “I am looking at this as a love letter to the nation about (being from) Massachusetts.”[...]
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Hollywood shops in Duxbury when it needs movie material
Boston Globe, April 11. 2010
The Oscar-winning husband-and-wife art directors Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, who have worked with “Shutter Island’’ director Martin Scorsese on films such as “Gangs of New York’’ and “The Aviator,’’ selected four of Boucher’s barkcloth fabrics for “Shutter Island.’’ Their assistants called Boucher for samples while they were filming in Middleborough last year.[...]
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Weymouth town council approves script for movie tax credit
WickedLocal.com, April 9, 2010
The Weymouth town council has voted 9-0 to urge local state representatives to keep the incentives for producers to make motion pictures in Massachusetts. Councilors approved a resolution by Vice President Patrick O’Connor that stated that the tax incentive is needed to encourage the construction of a $147 million movie production complex at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. “We need economic growth in the state,” said O’Connor during an April 5 council session. “The project at SouthField will create up to 3,000 jobs.”[...]
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New report shows Michigan film incentives work, backers say
Business Review West, April 8, 2010
"We are seeing progress on a lot of different fronts that are very encouraging," said Ken Droz, communications manager for the Michigan Film Office. Gov. Granholm cited this progress in her weekly radio address last Friday. "Michigan's film incentive program has made our state one of the top three in the nation for the production of all types of media," Granholm said. "An entire new industry is emerging in Michigan, one that'll help keep our talented young people here."[...]
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Production workshop comes to Boston
MFO News, April 5, 2010
The Workshop covers a variety of skills including how to successfully plan, organize and manage a film or video production.[...]
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Will Boston be TV star?
Boston Globe, March 31, 2010
Boston may have a bigger role in the world of television, assuming that “The Quinn-Tuplets’’ and “Boston’s Finest’’ find success on the air. The two shows, which are in the thick of filming pilots around town, may bring a consistent Hollywood presence.[...]
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House says leave film tax credit alone
Gatehouse News Service, March 30, 2010
Leave it alone. That was the feeling of the vast majority of legislators in the state’s House of Representatives who overwhelmingly rejected attempts to cap the film tax credit. The first proposal to roll back the tax credit to 2006 levels was rejected by a vote of 146 to 10. The second proposal to temporarily cap the tax credit at $50 million was also rejected, by a vote of 140 to 15.[...]
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Editorial: Keeping the film tax breaks
Gloucester Times, March 29, 2010
The bipartisan Statehouse effort that preserved the state's film tax credit last week brought a sigh of relief from cultural economy boosters around Cape Ann and across the state. The state film tax break is one package that's provided some legitimate boosts for both the public and private sector economies on Cape Ann and elsewhere. It's good to see our state lawmakers keep it on track.
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Mariano backs keeping jobs through film tax credit
WickedLocal.com, March 25, 2010
“I am thrilled at the significant vote in the House today in support of the film tax credit program,” said Mariano. “As other sectors continue to struggle, the film and television production industry in Massachusetts has been a bright spot. [...]
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DeLeo, Reinstein praise job creation effort
Lynn Daily Item, March 25, 2010
"The House has again fought for our state's businesses and working people by supporting the film tax credit which stimulates local business and job growth throughout Massachusetts. As many in our state struggle to find work, we must do everything we can to attract job opportunities to our state and grow our economy," DeLeo said.[...]
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Op-Ed: Film tax credit works
Duxbury Reporter, March 25, 2010
The production of more films in the state means more revenues from hotels, restaurants, countless other Massachusetts vendors and the potential construction of permanent production lots with permanent jobs for our residents. We need to encourage businesses to come here and get people back to work. Statistics prove the film industry is breathing life back into our flagging economy.[...]
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Editorial: Parties united on benefit of film tax credit
Salem News, March 25, 2010
The bipartisan effort that succeeded in preserving the film tax credit in Massachusetts Wednesday, represented a refreshing change from the all-or-nothing approach both Democrats and Republicans have adopted on Capitol Hill.[...]
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Governor’s cap on film tax credits seems to be DOA in the Legislature
WickedLocal.com, March 25, 2010
It wasn’t that long ago that the industry was splintered and struggling to get lawmakers to pass some form of tax incentives. Today, there’s no question that the state’s rapidly-growing film industry has found its voice.[...]
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Plymouth studio to tee off slowly
Boston Globe, March 25, 2010
A more modest, phased-in approach priced at about $250 million will start with some sound stages and office space. The first phase of the studio complex will sit on about 40 acres.[...]
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State House rejects caps on film tax breaks
Associated Press, March 24, 2010
The Massachusetts House has successfully batted back proposed caps on the state’s film tax credit program. During a sometimes impassioned debate on the House floor on Wednesday, lawmakers rejected an amendment that would have limited the tax credit to $50 million dollars per year. [...]
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HOUSE PROTECTS FILM INDUSTRY TAX BREAKS
State House News Service, March 24, 2010
The film industry easily survived a challenge in the House Wednesday to tax breaks which supporters claim are necessary inducements for industry jobs in Massachusetts. Efforts to pass a pair of proposals scaling back industry tax breaks won only 10 and 15 votes in the House after lengthy debate. [...]
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Pilots ready for takeoff
Boston Globe, March 23, 2010
Yesterday, the crew of “Boston’s Finest’’ filmed scenes for its pilot at the South End Buttery. The detective show will star Katee Sackhoff of “Battlestar Galactica’’ and “24’’ fame, as well as Goran Visnjic, of “ER,’’ Nia Long, of “Third Watch,’’ and Treat Williams, who has been in just about everything. In other pilot news, “The Quinn-Tuplets,’’ a show starring Amber Tamblyn of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’’ and Anna Chlumsky of “My Girl,’’ is set to film scenes today in Lowell.[...]
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Kids beware: Dark side of Hollywood dreams
Boston Herald, March 21, 2010
Talent companies out to bilk wannabe kid stars are following Hollywood to the Bay State, according to industry watchdogs who warn of a dark side to the local film boom.[...]
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OP-ED: Investing in film credit worth it in the long run
Taunton Daily Gazette, March 16, 2010
The public policy choice remains simple: Doesn’t it make sense to keep a dollar’s worth of spending in the commonwealth for a dime’s worth of investment? Seventy-seven percent of more than 5,000 respondents to a recent WCVB-TV survey plus a unanimous vote of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue, said “YES."[...]
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States use tax incentives to draw film work from Hollywood
CNN, March 13, 2010
Hollywood studios, production companies and independent producers invested more than $521 million in Georgia in fiscal year 2008-09; the state estimates the economic impact of this investment at $929 million. Louisiana has experienced economic success, as well. Its Economic Development department's Web site says the incentives have generated thousands of jobs and more than $2 billion since the program began in 2002.[...]
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Panel gives thumbs down to cutting film tax credit
Boston Herald, March 12, 2010
A legislative panel yesterday all but killed a proposal to roll back the state’s film tax credits to 2006 levels and restore a $7 million-per-film cap. The Joint Committee on Revenue voted unanimously to give Rep. Steven D’Amico’s bill a recommendation of “ought not to pass.”[...]
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Bid to ax tax break for films rejected
Boston Globe, March 12, 2010
A legislative committee yesterday unanimously rejected a bill that would have sharply curtailed the state’s tax credit for the film industry, saying the legislation would hurt a thriving industry that is one of the few bright spots in a dour Massachusetts economy.[...]
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Panel rejects film tax credit reduction
Boston Herald, March 11, 2010
Legislation scaling back the state’s tax sweeteners for the film industry received a unanimous thumbs-down today from the Revenue Committee. Joe Maiella, president of the Mass. Production Coalition, applauded the vote saying, “The film industry is outperforming virtually every other sector of the Massachusetts economy during the worst economic recession in living memory. This kind of performance should be protected, not damaged.”
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Op Ed: Film tax credit should stay
Salem News, March 10, 2010
Why cut one of the most successful economic incentive programs we have? People are working, new jobs are being created and existing industries are being bolstered by this program.[...]
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WCVB-TV 5 Survey: 77% Favor Film Tax Credit
WCVB-TV5, March 6, 2010
WCVB-TV 5 and the BostonChannel.com conducted and online survey between March 4th and 8th. Of the more than 5,000 respondents, 77% registered their support of the Massachusetts film tax credit.[...]
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The man behind the camera on SHUTTER ISLAND
American Cinematographer, March 2010
Robert Richardson, ASC delves into darkness for Martin Scorcese's "Shutter Island" which follows a federal investigation into a sinister psychiatric facility.[...]
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Editorial: Tax Credits For Hollywood
WCVB-TV, March 4, 2010
In the last four years, 38 major motion pictures have been shot in the Bay State, including the Scorsese-DiCaprio "Shutter Island" that's currently a box office hit. The main reason for the surge in production is a 25 percent film tax credit that went into effect in 2006. It's generated a billion dollars in economic activity and added jobs in a down economy. For that reason, we believe the credit deserves to stay uncapped.
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Essex official testifies to keep state film credits
Gloucester Times, March 4, 2010
They came to the Statehouse not to shoot a movie, but to try to save tax credits in Massachusetts. Among those testifying against the bill was Essex Selectman Ray Randall. "It is likely, if we were to calculate it, that hundreds of thousands of dollars were brought into the town of Essex because of the spending on the movie 'Grown Ups' last summer," Randall said.[...]
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The Massachusetts film industry finds its voice
WickedLocal.com, March 4, 2010
Supporters swarmed the State House on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to oppose a bill sponsored by Rep. Steve D’Amico to cap the film tax credit. The industry is showing itself to be a bigger force than it was in 2005, when lawmakers first adopted the credits. That’s because the credits are working, and there are plenty of local companies that have been adding many year-round jobs during the worst depths of the recession. D’Amico once told me he hoped that the movie studios that are proposed for Massachusetts would never get built. His reasoning is that such large complexes would create a critical mass of permanent film industry workers in the state, making it politically impossible to take the tax credits away. State lawmakers are finding out that the critical mass is already here. The leaders on Beacon Hill will now need to decide if they want to chase it away.
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Tom Hanks brings ‘The Pacific’ to Boston shores
Boston Herald, March 4, 2010
Hollywood history buff Tom Hanks made a Splash at the JFK Library last night at a screening of his latest World War II epic titled “The Pacific.”
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ECONOMIC STRAITS PLAY SUPPORTING ROLE FOR FILM TAX CREDIT ARGUMENTS
State House News Service, March 3. 2010
The crowd of more than 300 in the capitol’s largest hearing venue was overwhelmingly in favor of the current tax credits.[...]
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Hollywood big ‘Fighter’ for tax breaks
Boston Herald, March 2, 2010
“You can’t opt in and then out of offering film tax credits,” said producer David Hoberman (“The Fighter” and “The Proposal”) referring to Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to cap the film tax credit at $50 million - down from around $125 million. “If you’re going to stay in the business of making movies, then stay in the business,” said the man behind Disney’s Mandeville Films, who was at Suffolk University yesterday leading a screenwriting workshop for 50 undergrads. “You need to develop infrastructure and talent. It takes time for people to feel secure enough to stay in Massachusetts if they know there’s going to be work,” he said.[...]
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Massachusetts-made ‘Shutter Island’ is top film at box office…AGAIN!
Reuters, February 28, 2010
Martin Scorsese's suspense thriller, "Shutter Island," led the North American box office for a second consecutive weekend on Sunday, fending off strong debuts from the comedy "Cop Out" and horror remake "The Crazies." Leonardo DiCaprio, who has collaborated previously with Scorsese, stars in the picture as a federal marshal stranded at a prison hospital for the criminally insane off the coast of Massachusetts in 1954.[...]
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WEIGHING THE VALUE OF BAY STATE’S FILM TAX CREDIT
Boston Globe, February 28, 2010
If Professors Fitzgerald and Enrich stepped out of their offices at Northeastern University and sauntered to where wage earners are struggling to meet mortgage payments, they might reassess the value of “transient’’ jobs. In Dorchester and South Boston during the summer production season, on the set of the “The Zookeeper,’’ just one of the movies then in production, they would have seen many employees who were happy with their transient union jobs. At the Franklin Park Zoo set, where I worked, there were more than 100 employees for a number of months. They included carpenters, plasterers, painters, greenspersons, Teamsters, dressers, electricians, and laborers, many who had been laid off from other industries.[...]
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Everything you always wanted to know about the Massachusetts film tax credit
MFO News, February 27, 2010
Our film tax credit law, a bi-partisan initiative, was originally signed by Governor Mitt Romney in 2005 and then significantly upgraded by Governor Deval Patrick in 2007. Though not nearly the most lucrative of credits available to filmmakers at 25% (Connecticut is 30%, Michigan is 40% and Canada is more than 50%), Massachusetts still manages to compete very successfully with those and other locations.[...]
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FILM TAX CREDITS DEFENDED AS REVENUE GENERATORS
State House News Service, February 25, 2010
Joe Maiella, president of the Massachusetts Production Coalition, an unexpected attendee at a State House briefing held by critics of film industry tax breaks, took on the leading opponent, Rep. Steve D’Amico, challenging his facts and offering his version of “what’s true” about film production credits.[...]
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MFO SALUTES “SHUTTER ISLAND”
MFO News, February 25, 2010
The MFO salutes SHUTTER ISLAND, the sixth Massachusetts-made movie since 2007 to win VARIETY's box office title as the NUMBER ONE MOVIE IN AMERICA.[...]
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Matt Damon in Camelot
Boston Herald, February 25, 2010
Word outta Tinseltown is that the Cambridge homey will star as Robert F. Kennedy in a biopic about the slain senator.[...]
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Production designer behind ‘Shutter’
Variety, February 23, 2010
The Dennis Lehane novel on which "Shutter Island" is based takes place in Massachusetts, and the film was shot almost entirely in the Bay State. "We looked at Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island -- searching for incentives so we would get a bang for the buck," says location manager Robin Citrin. "Massachusetts had good ones, plus a lot of abandoned mental hospitals, some of them with incredible architecture."[...]
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The Scenic Route: Harvard filmmaking flourishes despite industry troubles
Harvard Crimson, February 23, 2010
This film presence can offer a myriad of options to VES graduates like Horovitz who decide to remain in the area. Upon graduating, Horovitz became the first Teaching Fellow of VES 50: Fundamentals of Filmmaking. But due to the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit luring major studios to shoot in Boston, he also has had the opportunity to work on commercial film. “It’s great,” said Horowitz. “I’ve TA-ed here, and on Fridays I’ll PA [work as a Production Assistant] on a hundred-million-dollar movie.”[...]
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‘Shutter Island’ on top
Associated Press, February 22, 2010
Massachusetts-made SHUTTER ISLAND is the number one movie in America.[...]
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Editorial: Tax credit for films should be preserved
Newburyport Daily News, February 22, 2010
The growth of the film industry here ought to prompt a wider discussion about general tax policy. It is the film industry that is in focus right now. But it is actually about every industry. It is the private sector that creates the jobs that produce the tax revenue that is the lifeblood of government. If government keeps raising the price of doing business here, it will ultimately collect less and less.[...]
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DeLeo: Film industry tax credit sensible for tough times
Lynn Daily Item, February 22, 2010
It’s nice to spot Leonardo DiCaprio in Nahant or Bruce Willis in Lynn, but Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo said business is the biggest reason to bring Hollywood to the Bay State. His view is underscored by a recent University of Massachusetts study concluding the state’s efforts to lure Hollywood stars has transformed Massachusetts into one of the nation’s fastest-growing locations for film and television production with a 117 percent growth in motion picture and video production jobs in the state between 2005 and 2008.[...]
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MPC rebuts op-ed by Fitzgerald & Enrich
Massachusetts Production Coalition, February 20, 2010
Oddly, Professor Enrich makes no reference to UMass’ recently published, independent, 18 month study on the local economic impact of the MA film industry since 2006. According to that study, nearly 7,000 jobs were created in 2008 alone. Even if you attribute only 75% of those jobs to the credit, the cost-per-job is just $18,000. The professor was correct about one thing, film jobs pay an average annual salary of $68,000. Hardly a “losing bargain.”
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Editorial: Film tax credit boosts state economy
Salem News, February 19, 2010
Just in the past couple of years, the local area has hosted several movie projects. Scenes from "Bride Wars," starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, were filmed in Salem. Parts of "The Proposal," starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White, were filmed in Beverly and Manchester. "The Company Men," starring Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones, features scenes shot in Marblehead. Capping the film tax credit isn't so much about making those in the film industry angry. It's about a short-term gain that will very likely create a long-term loss.[...]
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Editorial: State should keep film industry tax credits in place
Gloucester Daily Times, February 19, 2010
This incentive is not just about actors, directors, producers or studio owners who benefit from the program. It's about local businesses and workers, some in sectors that have been particularly hard hit by the recession, such as construction and transportation. Jobs and private-sector economic activity are what produce the long-term, sustainable tax revenue that the state desperately needs. So while Essex reaped $150,000 as a town from "Grown Ups" using Centennial Grove, it's more notable that the summer-long film work injected an estimated $1 million or more into the Essex private-sector economy. It would be foolish, not to mention expensive, to drive that activity to other states.
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Editorial: Film tax credit boosts state’s economy
Lawrence Eagle Tribune, February 18, 2010
A new study from the University of Massachusetts at Boston confirms what local residents have been noticing in recent years: The state is one of the fastest-growing locations for film and television production. So the worst thing government could do is discourage that growth.[...]
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Weymouth officials write script for movie tax credit
WickedLocal.com, February 18, 2010
Local officials fear that Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to scale back a tax credit for movie producers to make films in Massachusetts would set back plans for the construction of a $300 million motion picture studio complex at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station.[...]
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Massachusetts movies fill up Rolling Stone’s review section this week
WickedLocal.com, February 17, 2010
Here’s a Massachusetts movie sweep that’s probably the first of its kind: I picked up this week’s Rolling Stone (the one with a heavily-tattooed Lil Wayne on the cover), and all of the movie reviews inside were of Massachusetts-set films.[...]
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Rep. deMacedo opposes plan to cap film tax incentives
WickedLocal.com, February 17, 2010
“Just two years ago, the governor expanded the movie tax credit,” deMacedo said. “It’s the inconsistency in tax policy that is most frustrating to business. It sends a terrible message to any industry that we offer tax incentives to.” A UMass Boston study released last week confirms that Massachusetts has one of the fastest growing film industries in the nation. The study notes that jobs in the film industry have increased from 536 in 2006 to 1,807 in 2008.[...]
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Robert DeLeo: Film tax credit plays role in job growth
Boston Herald, February 17, 2010
Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo said it may not be the right time to edit the film-industry tax credit. “I’m very concerned that we’re sending mixed signals to businesses,” he said. “We are talking about increasing jobs, and here we have a credit that puts our residents to work.” DeLeo said lots of folks would be unemployed if it weren’t for the tax break. " I will tell you that the film tax credit is a good investment,” he said.
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Study cites film gains amid tax-break battle
Gloucester Times, February 16, 2010
Massachusetts ranks high among the fastest-growing locations, according to a new study from the University of Massachusetts Boston.[...]
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Editorial: Film tax credit boosts state, shouldn’t be subject to cap
Boston Globe, February 14, 2010
A whopping 38 major films have been shot in Massachusetts, compared to 10 in first seven years of the decade. There should be no question about the value of the film industry to Massachusetts. Among the millions of international moviegoers watching Boston-based films are people looking to locate their businesses, plan major conventions, and book vacations. The people of the Bay State are justly proud of their image. The film credit conveys that image to the world. It gives Boston, in particular, the world-class status it needs and deserves. The film credit has been a success and deserves to continue without a cap. It is plainly worth the money.
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Does the film industry benefit our state?
MFO News, February 13, 2010
In 2010, the University of Massachusetts published the most comprehensive study yet, on the local economic impact of the film industry in the Commonwealth. Here is a representative sample of some editorial commentary on that report, its findings and the industry.[...]
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Hollywood Gives Its Heart to Massachusetts
i-newswire, February 12, 2010
Some lucky youth from The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester and Alternative Learning Program of Harwich High School, will be participating in the movie-making experience with Hollywood HEART, a Los Angeles, CA-based nonprofit organization that serves at-risk youth. The Dorchester Movie Team project will run February 16-19, 2010 at the Paul R. McLaughlin Youth Center and the Cape Cod Movie Team project will run February 22-26, 2010 at the Cape Cod Cultural Center in South Yarmouth.[...]
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Film-industry backers say study shows folly of slashing tax credit
Lowell Sun, February 12, 2010
Since the Legislature adopted a film tax credit in 2005, employment in the film industry has risen 33 percent, from 4,530 jobs to 6,048. That is the largest percentage growth of any state during that time period, according to the study. Deb Belanger, executive director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates that Gervais' movie generated $2 million in revenue for Lowell from hotel stays, supplies and food, and local jobs for hairdressers and extras. The city also benefited because the film paid for police details and parking permits.[...]
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Study says films bring jobs, money
MetroWest Daily News, February 12, 2010
The tax credits have drawn a steady stream of film projects to Boston, with some scenes being shot is suburban communities like Sudbury, Southborough, Hopedale and Waltham in recent years. "The filmmakers gave the town $30,000 for being in town for a week. That's not bad," said Southborough selectmen Chairman Sal Giorlandino. In May 2009, Columbia Pictures filmed portions of "Grown Ups," an Adam Sandler film, at a church in Southborough. The shooting lasted six days and the church was paid over $25,000, in addition to the money paid to the town.[...]
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Editorial: Hub’s box office gold
Boston Herald, February 12, 2010
Any way you slice it the effort to boost film production in Massachusetts has been a win for businesses and taxpayers. Critics who question the value of the state’s film tax incentives really ought to read a new study out of UMass-Boston which finds that the Bay State is one of the fastest growing locations for film and TV production in the country. And all of that activity during this recent period of economic decline has meant one thing: Jobs. Now is not the time to walk away.
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Mass. film industry pushes back on proposed cuts
Associated Press, February 11, 2010
The University of Massachusetts study released Thursday found a 117 percent growth in motion picture and video production jobs in the state between 2005 and 2008. Post-production jobs jumped 126 percent. Those new jobs have helped fill an employment gap at a time when the state's jobless numbers climbed steadily.[...]
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STUDY: BAY STATE GROWING AS FILM INDUSTRY LOCATION, ADDING CONSTRUCTION JOBS
State House News Service, February 11, 2010
Massachusetts ranks high among the fastest growing locations, according to a UMass-Boston study released Thursday. “There is also evidence that some of this job growth has helped to offset job losses in particularly hard hit trades like construction and transportation, as workers from these sectors have found work in film and television production.” the report said.
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Study: Massachusetts movie biz generates jobs, boosts local companies.
Boston Herald, February 11, 2010
The new report suggests that making movies in Massachusetts is a significant boon for local businesses. Even cities, towns and zoos are getting in on the act. When “The Zookeeper” with Kevin James was filmed in the Franklin Park Zoo last year, the production company reportedly gave an undisclosed sum of money to the struggling zoo and an additional $20,000 to the city.[...]
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Film projection
Boston Globe, February 11, 2010
Massachusetts has become one of the nation’s fastest-growing locations for film and television production since 2005, with employment in the industry jumping about 30 percent, according to the UMass study, which estimated that the film industry in 2008 created about $1 billion in economic activity in Massachusetts, as every dollar spent directly generated nearly another dollar in activity.[...]
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MPC lauds UMass report on film industry
Massachusetts Production Coalition, February 11, 2010
The Massachusetts Production Coalition (MPC) today lauded a new report by the University of Massachusetts Boston that finds that the film and television industry is not only growing in Massachusetts, but is having a positive effect on the Commonwealth’s economy, creating jobs during the economic downturn.[...]
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UMASS: Film industry boosts local jobs and businesses
University of Massachusetts, February 11, 2010
A study released today by the University of Massachusetts Boston tracking the growth of the state’s film industry finds that Massachusetts is among the fastest growing locations for film and television production in the United States, experiencing greater growth than some states with more generous tax credit programs. The study also finds that the film industry has created new jobs, while the state and national job base is shrinking, and that it provides new career paths for graduates in this college-rich state.[...]
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Patrick Yells ‘Cut’ To Successful State Film Credits Programs
Banker and Tradesman, February 7, 2010
The Bay State is poised to finally hit the big-time, from a potential Boston-based TV series to budding plans for a studio complex in South Boston. In an era where state and federal governments are desperately shelling out cash to create jobs, one pothole at a time, this relatively low-cost industry incentive looks like a bargain. In fact, it’s a whole lot more justifiable than many. The film tax credit was meant to bring in spending and jobs. On that front, it has succeeded admirably. Spending by film productions in the state soared from $71 million in 2006 to nearly $400 million in 2009. That’s a huge infusion into the local economy over four years, and does not count hundreds of millions in additional indirect spending as well. Over the same period, these productions have also created thousands of jobs. [...]
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Tax-credit cap new studio hurdle
Boston Globe, February 7, 2010
According to the Massachusetts Production Coalition, that tax incentive has helped to generate more than $1 billion in new economic activity. People connected to the film industry say they fear the proposed cap on credits would affect decisions by West Coast producers to work in Massachusetts - and discourage potential investors from the Plymouth studio project.[...]
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Scorsese, DiCaprio and Lehane navigate ‘Shutter Island’s’ rocky shoals
Los Angeles Times, February 7, 2010
"Shutter Island" takes place off the coast of Massachusetts in the 1950s, in and around a hospital for the criminally insane run by an eccentric and possibly dangerous doctor (Ben Kingsley). Shot mostly in and around Boston Harbor, including Peddocks Island) may most closely resemble Scorsese's 1991 "Cape Fear" remake. [...]
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New Mexico Governor slams cap on film credits
New Mexico Independent, February 4, 2010
Needless to say, the governor is not in favor of the film credit cap, writing, "Fewer productions coming here means fewer jobs, less money spent at New Mexico businesses, and less revenue for the state during economic conditions when we can least afford it.”[...]
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Anne Hathaway makes a tasty Hasty gal
Boston Herald, January 29, 2010
Hollywood honey Anne Hathaway took her hazing by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatrical troupe yesterday with humor, some bad poetry and a great set of pipes![...]
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Anne Hathaway riding high at Harvard
Boston Globe, January 29, 2010
A snowy motorcade through Harvard Square. A bawdy drag queen show. A brass pot to put on the mantel. It all added up to one memorable afternoon for actress Anne Hathaway as she received the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 60th Woman of the Year. In time-honored Pudding tradition, Hathaway, 27, was brought onstage at Harvard’s New College theater for a 30-minute roast hosted by Pudding pooh-bahs Clifford Murray and Derek Mueller.[...]
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Governor’s budget could jeopardize the local film industry
WickedLocal.com, January 28, 2010
A Department of Revenue report that was released last year on this issue has been widely mischaracterized as a scathing assessment of the tax credit. In fact, that report shows that the credit has been a success, conservatively sparking more than $300 million in direct economic activity in Massachusetts in just its first three years (that’s excluding the salaries for out-of-state actors and other crew members).[...]
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Film biz blasts move to cut tax break
Boston Herald, January 28, 2010
The Bay State film industry is giving a thumbs down to Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to slash the tax credit that helped create more than $1 billion in economic activity. “The film tax credit costs only one dime for every $1 it creates in jobs and economic growth,” said Mary Fifield, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Production Coalition, a group of companies that make films in the region.[...]
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Film Tax Credit: Fact vs Fiction
Massachusetts Production Coalition, January 27, 2010
The Massachusetts Production Coalition answers critics of the film tax credit.[...]
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Newton Fashionistas Wow Esquire
Esquire, January 22, 2010
Newton natives Eli Roth and John Krasinski impressed Esquire's fashion police on the Red Carpet at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.[...]
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10 Best Cities To Live, Work & Make Movies in 2010
MovieMaker Magazine, January 21, 2010
For the past decade, MovieMaker’s editors have paid careful attention to location trends. From recent financial incentives to new soundstages, we have tracked these developments. Here, then, is MM’s 10th annual ranking of the country’s best cities in which to be an independent moviemaker: Albuquerque, NM; Los Angeles, CA; Shreveport, LA; New York, NY; Austin, TX; Stamford, CT; Boston, MA
; Detroit, MI; Philadelphia, PA; Seattle, WA
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Filled with glee
Boston Globe, January 20, 2010
The Globe caught up with Newton-bred “Glee’’ creator Brad Falchuk on the West Coast the other day, shortly after he picked up the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical series. “To be totally honest with you, you don’t think you care until you get there and then it’s like, I kind of care, I kind of want to win.’’ [...]
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Hogwarts on the Charles!
Museum of Science, January 19, 2010
Harry Potter comes to the Museum of Science! Exhibition departs on February 21st.[...]
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Tax Incentives: Commonwealth to spend $1.7B on luring, retaining businesses
Worcester Business Journal, January 18, 2010
Industries, individual firms, neighborhoods and low income residents are benefitting from the state’s tax incentive programs. And in some cases, the state benefits as well. Both State Senator Ben Downing and Boston Fed policy analyst Jennifer Weiner point to the film tax credit as a success. “A strong argument can be made that were it not for that credit, none of those movies would have been filmed here,” Downing said. Those movies include “Gone Baby Gone” as well as films such as Bruce Willis’ “The Surrogates,” which filmed in part in Worcester. And Weiner noted that states like Connecticut and Michigan have jumped into the film tax credit pool, as well. Michigan’s film credit is even more generous than Massachusetts’, she said.[...]
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Officials say film incentives are working for Bay State
Boston Business Journal, January 15, 2010
According to the DOR report, between 2006 and 2009, direct new spending in the state as a result of movie production topped an estimated $1 billion and led to more than 3,000 new direct and indirect jobs.[...]
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Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway named Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
Associated Press, January 14, 2010
Oscar-nominated actress Anne Hathaway can add another honor to her list: a Hasty Pudding award.
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‘American Idol’ Boston Premiere Opens To Huge Ratings
Access Hollywood, January 13, 2010
The ninth season of “American Idol,” the final of the series’ star judge Simon Cowell, debuted last night on FOX to boffo ratings. The show opened its first half hour of its Boston auditions with Victoria Beckham serving as a guest judge for the departed Paula Abdul with 26 million viewers and grew through the 9 PM half-hour. It peaked at 9 PM with 32 million viewers. [...]
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Massachusetts-made movies and their release dates for 2009 and 2010
MFO NEWS, December 31, 2009
Here is a list of movies that have been made in Massachusetts since 2007, along with their 2009-2010 release dates. [...]
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CONGRATULATIONS BUBS!
MFO News, December 22, 2009
THE BEELZEBUBS of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts were edged out last night by Puerto Rico’s NOTA for NBC’s Sing-Off Championship. While the BUBS didn’t take home the prize money ($100K) or the Sony Music recording contract, they won the hearts and votes of millions of new fans across America who chose them as one of the two best a cappella groups in the country. NBC’s The Sing-Off was Executive Produced by Newton filmmaker Sam Weisman.
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Oscar buzz for Cape-made flick
Boston Herald, December 20, 2009
“The Lightkeepers,” the made-on-Cape Cod flick about a pair of women-hating old salts, is a dark-horse candidate for Oscar bling. So says none other than the Hollywood Reporter, which declares that Cape director Dan Adams’ flick gives Richard Dreyfuss his “showiest lead performance since 1995’s ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus.’ ”[...]
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Hollywood is booming in Berkshires
Berkshire Eagle, December 20, 2009
For more than 30 years, Berkshire County has been a favored location for an impressive list of big-screen movies. Our Gilded Age mansions and bucolic scenery are likely to be even more attractive now that the state dangles tax-credit carrots and other incentives.[...]
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Hollywood glamor, at thrift store price
Boston Globe, December 19, 2009
Headed to the movies anytime soon? If the film was shot in Massachusetts, take a closer look at the armoire in that one bedroom scene or maybe the desk in the main character’s office. Either may soon appear at a neighborhood Goodwill - a bit of Hollywood glam for a thrift store price.[...]
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Editorial: Waffling hurts state’s ability to woo employers
Patriot Ledger, December 19, 2009
As long as the tax incentives debate continues--If the state isn’t careful--whether it’s Plymouth or the group planning to come to SouthField in Weymouth, Massachusetts will seem like a less-than-reliable partner not only in the eyes of film executives but in the eyes of other industries, which are being wooed in hopes they will bring the jobs Massachusetts needs to thrive.
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Bullock nomination spurs interest in Rockport
Gloucester Times, December 19, 2009
"We had many visitors who came to Rockport this past season, at least in part, because of the movie," said Rockport Chamber of Commerce manager Peter Webber. "Several visitors with whom I spoke at the information booth mentioned seeing Sandra Bullock on either the (David) Letterman Show or Regis (Philbin) and Kelly (Ripa) speak in glowing terms about Rockport and with her experience here while filming the movie."
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Two Golden Globe nominees have Mass appeal
MFO News, December 17, 2009
Bay State entries at the 2009 Golden Globes: Matt Damon & Sandra Bullock.[...]
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Star crazy
Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, December 13, 2009
Take a lesson, people, and toughen up. If we want Hollywood to respect us in the morning, we need to treat the movie biz with casual disdain, just like the folks in LA.[...]
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COMPANY MEN premieres at Coolidge in January
Boston Herald, December 11, 2009
The Sundance Film Festival takes its show on the road.[...]
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Domestic box office up 8% in 2009
Variety, December 1, 2009
Domestic ticket sales are up a healthy 8% over 2008, with the box office only days away from eclipsing 2008's record-breaking haul of $9.64 billion in ticket sales.[...]
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Damon to shoot in Massachusetts again?
Boston Herald, November 23, 2009
Matt Damon wishes he could work in Boston again. Ben Affleck has just made two back-to-back flicks in Boston: “The Company Men” with Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones and “The Town” with Jon Hamm and Blake Lively, which he is directing and taking the lead role. “I’m very jealous and I’m planning my countermeasures as we speak,” Damon declared, adding that the Massachusetts tax incentives that have lured lots of big-budget flicks to the Bay State will help make his countermeasures a reality. "You ask the Teamsters in New York and that’s what they tell you, everything’s happening in Boston.” Damon said he believes the incentives are a no-brainer for the state. “The movie business is a light-footprint industry,” he said. “It doesn’t pollute. We don’t knock down trees. We just turn on our cameras and leave behind piles of cash.”[...]
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Hollywood casts wide shadow on Bay State
Boston Herald, November 22, 2009
“It’s an explosion of work and the future is incredibly bright,” said Dona Sommers, executive director of the New England office of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild, which manages more than 2,500 union actors within the region. Local movie studio development may be struggling, but for those in the casting business, the story of film in Beantown remains a feel-good blockbuster. “The local acting community has never had so many opportunities for work before, and I can only see that growing with every passing year,” said Sommers.[...]
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Editorial: State was wise to avoid Hollywood dream in Plymouth
Boston Globe, November 22, 2009
The backers of Plymouth Rock sincerely want to build a studio in Massachusetts. And in a better economy, they might have an easier time lining up investors. But while proponents of the studio deserve credit for their imagination, they should build their dream with private money. [...]
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Tom Cruise thanks Hub for royal treatment
Boston Herald, November 21, 2009
“Knight & Day” leading man Tom Cruise took to his Web page yesterday to thank the “wonderful people of Boston” for rolling out the red carpet for his cast and crew. “My family and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your warmth and hospitality during our incredible stay here,” wrote Cruise, who began filming “Knight & Day” (then called ‘Wichita’) with Cameron Diaz on Sept. 15 in Worcester. “We absolutely love Boston and will treasure our memories of the Freedom Trail, the Duck Tours, the museums, restaurants, and gorgeous parks. It was an autumn to remember!”[...]
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Melrose staffers shine at cutting-edge TV production biz
WickedLocal.com, November 19, 2009
Now in its 15th year, Powderhouse Productions, located in Somerville’s Davis Square, develops and creates “dazzlingly original, award-winning factual and alternative entertainment for television and emerging media,” according to the company’s tagline, shown on cable channels such as PBS, TLC, Discovery, History, National Geographic and Animal Planet across the country and around the world.[...]
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Weymouth’s SouthField project still stuck on the runway
Quincy Patriot Ledger, November 16, 2009
State Rep. Ronald Mariano said the current situation is regrettable, but he’s optimistic. “Tri-Town is doing as well now as it’s ever done,” the Quincy Democrat said. “Have we had missteps and setbacks? Absolutely. It was trial-and-error for a while there. But I think we’re on the right track."[...]
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A grand studio dream runs headlong into reality
Boston Globe, November 15, 2009
“It’s certainly a bump in the road,’’ said David Kirkpatrick about the Prosperity debacle. And then Kirkpatrick returned his attention to the most critical remaining task. He’s trying once again to find the money to build his studio. “We’re going to try to persist and drive through this,’’ he said. “We do have some alternatives that we’re looking at right now. And we are hopeful and optimistic that those might emerge.’’[...]
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Editorial: Find a new script
Boston Herald, November 14, 2009
It’s a pity the developers of a major film soundstage project planned for Plymouth have lost their financing, just as the commonwealth’s profile as a go-to state for movie productions is on the rise. But neither the developers nor their supporters on Beacon Hill ought to get any ideas about taxpayers stepping into the breach. This project has terrific potential and we wish the developers well in putting a deal together. But by heavily subsidizing film production costs, the taxpayers are already doing their fair share.[...]
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Ads reap tax credit benefits, too
METRO - Boston, November 12, 2009
"You’d be amazed at the number of people who are involved in the production of a 30 second commercial. We hire dozens of people, and there are also the local services that we purchase, such as transportation and supplies. Not to mention all the restaurants, hotels, and tourist destinations that get extra business." said Jim Bacharach of John Hancock. "I think that looking ahead we will always think of Massachusetts first for shooting our commercials.
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SENATE PREZ CALLS STUDIO TROUBLES ‘DISAPPOINTING,’ REITERATES SUPPORT
State House News Service, November 12, 2009
“Like any development project, it is a difficult process,” Murray said. “And it is up to the studio now to go out and find other financing. With the possibility of the economy improving, and the project’s ability to generate short-term and long-term jobs, the community remains hopeful that there are other lenders who will see the great value of this project.”[...]
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‘Hollywood East’ nixes loan deal
Boston Herald, November 12, 2009
“It definitely slows the project down a bit,” said Kevin O’Reilly, a spokesman for the project. “One of the good things is that the principals have been talking to other lenders and they’re hoping that something will materialize.”[...]
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Plymouth studios project on hold
Boston Globe, November 11, 2009
The studio said it is now attempting to arrange alternate funding and suggested that the improving economy might enable them to make a better deal. “With the current economic indicators showing improvement, our decision is in the long-term interest of the project, our shareholders, our strategic partners, and our many other constituents, including the town of Plymouth and the Commonwealth,’’ [...]
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Film studio executives making progress
The Boston Globe, October 31, 2009
State Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles notified Plymouth Rock officials yesterday that their exhaustive Environmental Impact Report for the studio project - a required permitting step - has been approved. Bowles also noted “the studio would represent a major step forward for the growing film industry in Massachusetts,’’ and added “the project has the potential to create a major economic engine for the southeast region,’’ generating more than 3,000 jobs.[...]
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Gov. Deval Patrick won’t cut films’ tax credit
Boston Herald, October 28, 2009
Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Bob Deleo also signaled strong support for the film tax credit. Murray, speaking at Patrick’s economic summit yesterday in downtown Boston, said the credit has brought scores of movie productions to Massachusetts over the past few years - and it’s on the verge of paying huge dividends if new studios are built here.[...]
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He’s set on Boston
Boston Globe, October 28, 2009
Producer Todd Garner said big-budget movies are undoubtedly good for the local economy. “A lot of people come in and there’s work on a lot of different levels, from hotels and restaurants to dry cleaners to nanny services,’’ he said. [...]
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Essex still reaping benefits from filming of ‘Grown Ups’
Gloucester Daily Times, October 27, 2009
The production crew built two new basketball courts; the parking lot has been fixed up, and the local Field of Dreams has been reseeded. Beyond the $150,000 the town received, many local officials and business owners say the movie has pumped close to $1 million into the local economy during this recession. Antique stores, restaurants, local builders and saw mills all benefitted from having the production company's presence in town. Manchester Essex Little League was given $25,000; the Essex Musical Festival took in $6,000; and the Essex Youth Commission got a $3,000 donation. "It wasn't just the frosting on the cake," said local businessman Bob Coviello, "it was the cake."
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TRAFFIC UPDATES FOR CRUISE/DIAZ FILMING
MFO News, October 25, 2009
20th Century Fox is paying $199,000 in location fees to the Pike and Massport to cover the cost of closing the roads and paying staff and police details at the movie shoots, officials said. Massport collected another $145,000 to cover costs for filming at Hanscom Field, Worcester Regional Airport and at the Tobin Bridge maintenance garage in Chelsea."[...]
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City Council eyes Boston studio
Boston Herald, October 25, 2009
Councilors Stephen Murphy and Bill Linehan want the city to reap more benefits from the state’s growing movie industry business that’s so far generated an estimated $700 million in spending since state tax incentives took effect in 2006.[...]
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CGI Studio: Film Credit Change Could Generate Jobs
iBerkshires.com, October 23, 2009
The tax credits have been a rousing success, bringing in $3.6 million more in revenue than they cost and generating from $500 million to $900 million in ancillary revenue and thousands of jobs, according to the state Department of Revenue.[...]
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John Hancock signs its name to the state’s film industry tax credits
WickedLocal.com, October 15, 2009
Long time Boston institution John Hancock Insurance Co. recently decided to shoot its TV commercials here, partly because of the tax credit and partly because the company wants to support other local businesses, according to Jim Bacharach, vice president of brand communications and creative services.[...]
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House speaker: Jobs from gambling, movies are key to helping state
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 14, 2009
The answer to the state’s budget woes is job creation according to House Speaker Robert DeLeo. He said the film tax credit is a “good investment” for the state. He recalled visiting a TV shoot at the State House earlier this year and learning that most workers on the film crew were from Massachusetts. When asked what else they would be doing, he said many told him they would otherwise be unemployed.[...]
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Film industry gives local businesses a boost
The Huntington News, October 8, 2009
Dave Talamas, owner of Talamas Broadcast Equipment Inc. in Newton, said his business has nearly quadrupled since the tax credit went into effect by supplying two-way radios, monitors, props, and other audio and visual equipment to films.
“We’ve become the go-to people for two-way radios,” Talamas said. “It’s also increased our business in general production because word gets around.”
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Brigham Road in Waltham the scene of Cameron Diaz movie
Waltham Daily News Tribune, October 7, 2009
Officer Joseph Guigno, who is also a neighbor, said the production is good for the neighborhood, the city, and the economy in general.
Crew members, who all hit up D’Angelo’s for lunch yesterday, have been using a lot of the local facilities and restaurants, he noted. Tom Keene, who lives across the street at 110 Main St., opined that the production would likely be good for future home sales as well. [...]
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Tom Cruises into lecture at Harvard Law
Boston Herald, October 7, 2009
Tom Cruise isn’t an attorney, but he’s played one on the big screen and the other day the Hollywood heavy was in Cambridge auditing a class at Harvard Law School!
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Editorial: Roll film
The Berkshire Eagle, October 6, 2009
According to the state Department of Revenue, productions of film, and also television, have tangible financial benefits. Since 2006, that production has generated $676 million in revenue, with another $200 million generated in spin-offs, such as the purchase of state goods and services by film crews. The report found that the state collected $3.6 million more in taxes than it paid out in tax credits to the industry, with that money paying immediate dividends because filmmakers must spend the money first before they can receive credits. Film production also generates publicity for a locale, a benefit that is difficult to measure in dollars and cents but is real nonetheless.[...]
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Support for film industry still strong on Beacon Hill
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 5, 2009
Senate President Therese Murray has been a strong supporter of the industry and the program remains a popular one, with a recent poll showing that about two-thirds of Massachusetts residents support it.[...]
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Film panel names leader
The Berkshire Eagle, October 5, 2009
The Board of Directors of the Berkshire Film and Media Commission announced that they have appointed Diane Pearlman as its new executive director.[...]
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Surrogates Step by Step
Millimeter, September 25, 2009
Massachusetts effects company shares a SURROGATES secret. "They look human on the outside, but are mechanical underneath," says Synthespian Visual Effects Supervisor Jeff Kleiser. "Our goal was to get the audience to believe that these surrogates are actually robots and not just actors pretending to be robots."[...]
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Lining up for Ricky
Boston Globe, September 27, 2009
Rob Lowe, one of the stars of “The Invention of Lying,’’ which opens Friday, couldn’t say enough in favor of Gervais during the filming in Lowell. “Ricky has a distinct philosophy on how he wants to shoot. It’s quick, it’s short. He’s got some of the best people in the world who just knock the ball out of the park. No one’s out there finding their character or struggling.’’[...]
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Tax credit critic: Voters are “uninformed people”
Boston Herald, September 27, 2009
64 percent of Bay Staters think tax breaks for movie producers are good for the economy. But state Rep. Matthew Patrick isn’t a huge fan. “If this was a sampling of the public,” Patrick sniped. “it is based on opinions of uninformed people.”[...]
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Bridgewater watched lights, camera, and explosive action
Boston Globe, September 27, 2009
Anyone who was awake near dawn in Bridgewater yesterday may have noticed a boom, followed by a giant shooting fireball over one of the town’s cornfields. Not to worry. The dismantled 727 aircraft had not crashed or blown up, despite the 200-foot-tall mushroom cloud that rose above it.[...]
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Lights, camera, boom!
Boston Herald, September 27, 2009
Yesterday morning’s staged aircraft explosion in Bridgewater attracted its share of eager would-be spectators hoping for a show of Hollywood magic. By 5am, the few bystanders with star-powered stamina were jarred out of semiconsciousness with a glowing fireball and thunderclap followed by a mushroom cloud of smoke, all highly visible from a field off Summer Street. “Awesome,” said John Falvey, 39, of West Bridgewater, who had just gotten off work as a trucker. “I expected it to be more of a cheesy gasoline fireball. It was a legitimate explosion. Very intense.”
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Stoughton, Brockton businessmen go Hollywood
Brockton Enterprise, September 25, 2009
It isn't just a Bridgewater cornfield that's been transformed for the new movie starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. A garage in Chelsea, an elderly housing complex in Boston and a kiosk in Woburn have been made over as well, thanks to businessmen Michael Cohen of Stoughton and Steve Fishman of Brockton.[...]
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Studio project secures big loan
Boston Globe, September 25, 2009
A team of California film executives who came to Plymouth two years ago with a plan to build the first full-fledged production studio on the East Coast announced yesterday that they have secured a $550 million loan to begin construction on Plymouth Rock Studios later this year.[...]
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Studio scores $550M loan
Boston Herald, September 25, 2009
Plymouth Rock Studios reached a milestone yesterday with a $550 million construction loan for its proposed $1 billion film, television and digital studio campus in Plymouth.[...]
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Hollywood action to roll in Bridgewater cornfield
Boston Globe, September 25, 2009
Cranberry farmer Stan Kravitz, chairman of the Bridgewater Board of Selectmen, said he expects the town to take in as much as $150,000 in exchange for its participation, including $40,000 to compensate the Fire Department, additional payments for police details, and a donation to the town’s senior center, which was used as a base camp away from the set.[...]
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SUFFOLK POLL: Voters support film tax credit by wide margin
State House News Service, September 24, 2009
The STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE reported yesterday that Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approve of the film tax credit---which, since 2006, has resulted in a dramatic increase in film and television production in the state. The poll, conducted by Suffolk University, showed that 64% favored the film tax credit, 20% opposed it, and 16% were undecided.[...]
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Columbia casts trio in Facebook film
Variety, September 22, 2009
Columbia Pictures and director David Fincher have set the core cast for "The Social Network," a new film about the formation of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg will play Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg; Justin Timberlake will play Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook's founding president; and Andrew Garfield will play Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg over money. Production will begin next month in Boston.[...]
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Tom Cruise-ing in the South End
Boston Herald, September 20, 2009
Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise gave Hub fans an unexpected treat yesterday by turning up in the South End to film scenes for his latest flick at Gaslight restaurant alongside A-list hottie Cameron Diaz.
[...]
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Movie is a boon for biz
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, September 19, 2009
When set designer Jay R. Hart walked into the Putnam Hallmark store in Webster Square Plaza last week, the store's marketing director--Daniel B. LeBlanc--learned first-hand that a big budget film can deliver a blockbuster economic spinoff for local businesses.
[...]
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Playhouse to reopen as theater for foreign films
Boston Globe, September 18, 2009
Forget the Sundance Channel. Those who love watching independent and foreign films on a big screen in a real movie house are going to have a new venue right in Boston’s Theatre District.[...]
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Brush with celebrity
Boston Globe, September 17, 2009
As the film industry booms in Massachusetts, it’s creating a ripple effect across many businesses. [...]
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SLIDESHOW: Are the tax credits working?
MFO News, September 11, 2009
A step by step analysis of the first four years of the Massachusetts film tax credit---contrasting the cost to the state vs. the benefit to the state's economy.[...]
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Cameron Diaz joins 9/11 remembrance at Mattapan school
Boston Herald, September 11, 2009
Hollywood honey Cameron Diaz surprised the Boston Celtics this morning when she turned up to get her hands dirty at the team’s beautifying project at the Young Achievers Pilot School in Mattapan.[...]
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South Shore region turning into Hollywood hotbed
Brockton Enterprise, September 5, 2009
Having famous people come to town is fun...and it’s good for business, too, according to the state Department of Revenue - which estimates that 13 movie projects filmed in 2008 resulted in $452 million in direct spending in Massachusetts.[...]
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Former resident to shoot film inside Next Page Cafe
WickedLocal.com, September 4, 2009
It will be lights, camera, and action in The Next Page when an independent filmmaker shoots “Minutes to Live, The Hitman,” inside the cafe on Saturday, Sept. 12. The movie theme centers on several groups of people who discover the end of the world is coming while meeting in common settings like a bar or restaurant.[...]
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Public safety on officials’ minds as movie makers come to Bridgewater
Brockton Enterprise, September 3, 2009
Local businesses will likely see a bump in sales because of the influx of 100 to 150 employees and 44 extras (plus spectators) in town for the filming.
[...]
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Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz to film movie in Bridgewater
WickedLocal.com, September 2, 2009
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will be shooting scenes from a Twentieth Century Fox movie in a cornfield off Curve Street in Bridgewater later this month. And some of the town’s police and firefighters will be tapped as extras in the film, which does not yet have a name, Twentieth Century Fox Assistant Location Manager Hyunsoo Moon said. “It’s exciting. It puts Bridgewater on the map,” Selectman Mike Demos said.
[...]
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Boston’s got game
Boston Globe, September 2, 2009
“Wheel of Fortune’’ has rolled into Boston this week to tape 15 shows. “Boston essentially gets free commercial time as a destination,’’ said James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center, “That has huge value. The “Wheel’’ is also expected to give Boston’s economy a bump: The show is hiring 200 workers in Boston for security and police support for the production. Overall, city officials estimate that “Wheel of Fortune’’ will spend at least $1 million here directly this week, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.[...]
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Movie to land at airport
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, September 2, 2009
The construction phase in Worcester employs about 80 people, said Larry Clark, a scenic painter for 20th Century Fox. The crews are building a bar, a Transportation Security Administration inspection area, a gift shop and a coffee shop.[...]
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Star rising on state’s film tax credit
Boston Business Journal, August 31, 2009
Revenue for Powderhouse, which has created TV series for cable channels including the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC, is expected to nearly triple to $12 million this year, from $3.7 million in 2006. Its ranks have swelled to its current 60 people, up from 35 three years ago. And Powderhouse recently tripled its office space to 14,000 square feet.
[...]
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Boston site set for silver screen
Boston Herald, August 30, 2009
A Los Angeles company that represents high-rise owners interested in seeing their buildings on the big and small screens has set up shop in the Hub. Skyline Locations was lured by the growing Massachusetts film industry that’s sapped business from the West Coast thanks to the state’s new tax incentives that took effect three years ago. [...]
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Movie-making takes personal turn
Boston Herald, August 30, 2009
Al Ward of Award Productions Inc. has launched a new business venture, turning the camera on less-known but still important subjects. Reel Profiles will make personal documentaries for individuals or companies. [...]
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Movie industry boom shapes local dreams
Quincy Patriot Ledger, August 28, 2009
Moviemaking is a financial windfall to Massachusetts. Thanks to legislation signed into law in 2007, locally produced movie and television business is booming. According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue at the end of fiscal year 2008 moviemakers spent $676 million. Direct employment of state residents in film production rose by 537 percent since 2006.[...]
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Lights, camera — city props supplier has that and more
New Bedford Standard-Times, August 26, 2009
When a character was electrocuted in a bathtub in a recent "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" episode, viewers probably weren't focused on the bathroom's sink, radiator or lights.
Still, background props can lend authenticity to a scene and, in this case, the items came from a New Bedford company.[...]
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Paramount to open ‘Shutter’ in 2010
Variety, August 21, 2009
Moviegoers won't be going to "Shutter Island" this fall, as Paramount has moved the Martin Scorsese-directed thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, from Oct. 2nd 2009, to Feb. 19th 2010.[...]
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Powderhouse Productions explodes on to the scene
Somerville News, August 21, 2009
One of the most successful television production companies in the country was started, has grown and still remains in the city of Somerville. Powderhouse Productions, whose headquarters is located on Elm Street, is behind some of the most popular shows on TV.
[...]
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Local boy lands part in Grown Ups
WickedLocal.com, August 19, 2009
Dillingham said he and his son are happy to be able to do work they love and get paid for it. He shakes his head over recent news reports that some state legislators are questioning the 25 percent film tax credit program in Massachusetts. “It’s new money to the state,” he added. “This is new money and new revenue that we didn’t have before the incentive. The revenue is in excess of $600 million the state has gotten since the tax incentive went into effect.” Movie production boosts local economies as movie crews rent hotels, eat at restaurants and use local caterers and other businesses, Dillingham said, and that can only be a good thing for the state economy.
[...]
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Workers take action to launch film careers
The Boston Globe, August 19, 2009
Two proposed studios, tax incentives for in-state productions, and a booming film industry are combining to create more opportunities for local workers who can edit and help in post-production aspects of the film, television, and digital media industries. As a result, local businesses and schools such as Future Media Concepts and Powderhouse Productions in Somerville are expanding their facilities or programs to help folks fill those jobs.[...]
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Charting the Costs and Benefits of Film Tax Credits in Massachusetts
MFO News, August 18, 2009
A picture is worth a thousand words.[...]
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The fighter
The Boston Globe, August 18, 2009
A former heroin addict, Farrell has put his grim experiences to good use, directing an award-winning documentary, “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell,’’ and writing a gritty new memoir. Farrell plays a small role in “The Fighter,’’ which stars Mark Wahlberg as boxer “Irish’’ Micky Ward and Christian Bale as Ward’s half-brother Dicky Eklund. Farrell is a character in the film because Eklund, a recovering addict and onetime boxer, was featured in Farrell’s documentary.[...]
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Film tax credit means business
Boston Business Journal, August 7, 2009
For evidence of the success of the program, one need only look to the most recent report from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. DOR calculated economic output generated by the film tax credit to be $870 million over just the first three years. And the cost to taxpayers for all that economic activity--as of the end of FY 2008? Zero. [...]
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When Hollywood Moved In
New York Times, July 30, 2009
The Hollywood producers who had converged on Diane and Gary Kaneb’s house on the north shore of Boston in snowy February were starting to panic. It was the beginning of April. They were three weeks from the start of filming for Sandra Bullock’s romantic comedy, “The Proposal.” They needed leaves. Lots of leaves....[...]
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Movie gives Lowell economy a fighting chance
Lowell Sun, July 19, 2009
Show business is big business for local companies. Restaurants, security firms, parking garages, rental outfits and hotels are just some reaping the benefits of Hollywood. "The money is well needed during this economy, with it being in a slump that is. It's keeping people employed right now," said Deb Belanger.
[...]
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Topsfield Fairgrounds playing host to ‘Furry’ cast and crew
Salem News, July 19, 2009
"It's great. They are very nice people," said James O'Brien, general manager of the Topsfield Fair. "It's nice to see the people have more jobs."
[...]
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Investor wants Mass. role in film funding
Boston Business Journal, July 17, 2009
Michael Bassick is attempting to raise a $100 million fund through his independent feature film investment firm MJB Ventures in Boston. The plan is to invest in films that will be shot in Boston, taking advantage of local talent — and the film tax credit.[...]
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Louisiana ups credits to 30%
Variety, July 16, 2009
To date in 2009, New Orleans has seen more than $100 million in direct economic impact. "These numbers speak powerfully for themselves," said Haley. "Our program works, it's reliable ... (and the) turnaround time is as soon as two to three months," he said. [...]
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State has actually doubled its investment in film industry tax credits
WickedLocal.com, July 9, 2009
A closer read of the report shows that the state has actually doubled its investment with these tax credits. What are we getting for that money? Actually, quite a lot. The tax credits helped create the equivalent of as many as 1,800 full-time jobs here in 2008, according to the DOR report, and we’ve seen at least eight feature films arrive with Massachusetts production budgets that exceed $30 million.
[...]
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Still the reel deal
Boston Herald, July 9, 2009
Production companies have to spend big in order to qualify for any credits - and over the last three years that has translated to a whopping $676 million, DOR estimates.[...]
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Hollywood or Needhamwood: local company produces ads for tv
Boston Globe, July 6, 2009
Viewpoint Creative, a locally-owned advertising agency, has been producing ads for channels like HBO and ABC in Needham for more than 20 years.[...]
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DOR: MOVIE SPENDING IN MA IS $676 MILLION
MFO News, July 6, 2009
When DOR’s “ripple effect” multiplier is factored in, the total economic output topped $870 million, which--as of the end of FY 2008--came at no cost to Massachusetts taxpayers.[...]
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Welcome to Hollywood East (aka Massachusetts)
Lowell Sun, July 6, 2009
Deb Belanger, executive director of the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the Ricky Gervais romantic comedy, The Invention of Lying, due out in September, alone generated $2 million worth of economic impact in the region last summer. This time around, the major motion picture The Fighter is set in the Mill City, bringing not only the stars but also a crew of hundreds to Lowell, working on the day-to-day operations. "I was talking to the producers and they expect to spend at least $3 million," Belanger said of the Ward and Eklund biopic. "That's including location fees, security, meals, hotel rooms -- all that kind of stuff. It's huge spending."
[...]
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A fighting shot; Filmmaker’s story of Lowell boxing greats garners star power on way to big screen
Newburyport Daily News, July 3, 2009
Keith Dorrington, who runs the production company Edgartown Ventures with his partner and girlfriend, Leslie Varrelman, out of her Newburyport home, crafted a documentary about the boxing brothers Micky Ward and Dick Ecklund, "Not Over Till The Count of 10."[...]
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No Lie: Mill City Shines in Gervais Movie Trailer
Lowell Sun, June 28, 2009
The movie's trailer was officially released Friday. It is only two minutes and sixteen seconds long, but it is all there: La Boniche, The Dubliner, Market Street, Central Street, the Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank, the unmistakable sign of the Athenian Corner restaurant. Lowell on film.[...]
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THE PROPOSAL IS NUMBER ONE!
Weekly Variety, July 28, 2009
THE PROPOSAL (made in Massachusetts in 2008) is the number one movie in America for the week ending June 21, 2009.[...]
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Zoo’ lands stars
Boston Herald, June 24, 2009
Word from the Left Coast is that Adam Sandler, Cher, Sly Stallone, Jon Favreau and Judd Apatow will voice animals in Kevin James’ “The Zookeeper,” which will shoot at the Franklin Park Zoo in October.[...]
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Hollywood comes to Canton: Actress stays close to home
The Patriot Ledger, June 23, 2009
Cindy Lentol represents the new era in filmmaking. The goal isn’t always to become a star. Sometimes it’s simply to enjoy what you’re doing. “I love making movies,” she says.[...]
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Film studios don’t see rivalry, yet
Boston Globe, June 21, 2009
David Kirkpatrick, cofounder of Plymouth Rock Studios, said the two projects in close proximity could create a critical mass that would help both. “There are a lot of good Italian restaurants in the North End, and together they make a great dining destination,’’ he added. “We’re still hopeful that together we can create an ecosystem. . . . We’re staying positive moving forward.’’[...]
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Cruise, Diaz, and more may be heading to Hub
Boston Globe, June 19, 2009
A slew of screen idols are about to descend on Boston to shoot new movies, including, we’re told, Tom Cruise. That’s right, the world’s most famous movie star is in serious talks to shoot his latest flick here starting in September.[...]
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Paul Giamatti could warm up to ‘Stooges’ role
Boston Herald, June 19, 2009
Would Paul Giamatti consider replacing Sean Penn as Larry Fine in the Farrelly Brothers upcoming “Three Stooges” flick? Soitenly![...]
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Film complex plans taking shape
Boston Globe, June 19, 2009
A California studio developer yesterday launched plans to build a $147 million motion-picture complex on 30 acres at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. [...]
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Essex gains from filming ‘Grown Ups’ seen at $1 million
Gloucester Daily Times, June 19, 2009
"The statistics are pretty astounding," said Bob Coviello, owner of Main Street Antiques and member of the Essex Merchants Group. "The numbers are far more impressive than just the $150,000 paid to the town." Coviello estimates the movie will bring in close to $1 million locally by the time it's finished, and Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki said that he has already seen a wide variety of benefits stemming from the movie.[...]
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Work on Weymouth filmmaking studio nears action
Boston Herald, June 18, 2009
International Studio Group is moving ahead with plans to build a 12-stage motion picture studio at SouthField at the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. [...]
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SouthField Studios Boston ready to start accepting tenants at Weymouth site
Patriot Ledger, June 18, 2009
The developers of a proposed movie studio complex in South Weymouth are ready for the spotlight.[...]
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Flickfest heralds Harold Ramis’ genius
Boston Herald, June 18, 2009
Big screen funnymen Ben Stiller, Harold Ramis, Peter Farrelly and Paul Giamatti are bound for the 14th annual Nantucket Film Festival, which kicks off tonight at the ’Sconset Casino.
[...]
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Bullock on Rockport
Boston Globe, June 17, 2009
Sandra Bullock is good for tourism. The actress gave a national TV shout-out this morning to Rockport, which is where she filmed her new movie "The Proposal".[...]
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Finding FAME
WickedLocal.com, June 16, 2009
The Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce aims to accelerate the growth of the film industry in all South Shore towns, not just the nine communities the organization serves, according to Executive Director Denis Hanks.[...]
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A movie boom’s special effect
Boston Globe, June 12, 2009
Brickyard VFX--up a flight of creaky stairs in an old brick building near the intersection of Newbury Street and Massachusetts Avenue--handled most of the effects work on "The Proposal." That great opportunity is the result of an ongoing boom in local filmmaking that followed the 2006 implementation of tax incentives for in-state film productions.[...]
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Plymouth studios won’t get $50m in state bond funds
Boston Globe, June 11, 2009
Plymouth Rock officials, however, plan to forge ahead with private money that has been committed to the project. Heavy machinery should be digging the road to the studio site on the 240-acre Waverly Golf Course within a month or two. The studio is projected to open in late 2010.[...]
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GenArts links with Lucasfilm
Variety, June 8, 2009
Massachusetts software maker and "Star Wars" studio form strategic bond.[...]
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‘Proposal’ movie a hit with Cape Ann previewers
Gloucester Times, June 8, 2009
A good chunk of the film was shot in Rockport, where the downtown was transformed into the town of Sitka, Alaska. Large totem poles stood tall in Dock Square and the usual storefronts and street pole banners became signs or symbols from Sitka.[...]
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Legislative report suggests that film tax credits work
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 3, 2009
Study says film tax credit more than pays for itself with jobs and spin-off economic benefits.[...]
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Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner keeping it Light
Boston Herald, May 22, 2009
The cast and crew have shot scenes at the two lighthouses in Provincetown and currently are filming at Cook’s Camp, a 100-plus-year-old cottage colony overlooking the ocean at LeCount’s Hollow Beach in Wellfleet.
[...]
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‘Zookeeper’ locks up Rosario Dawson
Variety, May 20, 2009
Shooting is set to start in late summer in Boston with a July 23, 2010, release date.[...]
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2009 “MAKING MEDIA NOW” CONFERENCE SET FOR JUNE 5th
MFO News, May 15, 2009
Filmmakers Collaborative is proud to present Making Media Now 2009, a full-day conference for film and media makers of every skill level. Held at Waltham’s Bentley University, Making Media Now 2009 will continue its tradition of providing the New England film and video community with the latest information and workshops around media making.[...]
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EDITORIAL: Film tax credit proving its worth
New Haven Register, May 14, 2009
The film production and infrastructure credits have created jobs Connecticut cannot afford to lose.[...]
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‘Fighter’ star Christian Bale tours Lowell for film locations
Lowell Sun, May 12, 2009
Tuesday morning, actor Christian Bale got into character by shadow boxing Dicky Eklund on the streets of the Highlands section of Lowell. Bale, who recently played Bruce Wayne in the blockbuster the Dark Knight, will portray the fallen Lowell boxer in the feature film The Fighter.[...]
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Filming is rolling again on Hollywood productions in Massachusetts
Quincy Patriot Ledger, May 8, 2009
The state’s film office expects a busy year for movie production in Massachusetts now that the Screen Actors Guild board has approved a contract with the major studios.[...]
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Plymouth planners green light studio bid
Cape Cod Times, May 5, 2009
The future of the proposed Plymouth Rock Studios came into sharper focus last night as the town planning board voted unanimously to approve the master plan for the project. [...]
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MPAA Study: MASSACHUSETTS IN TOP TEN!
MFO News, April 22, 2009
The Motion Picture Association of America today issued an economic impact report ranking Massachusetts among the top ten production states outside of California and NY---and the only New England state to make the list.[...]
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MPAA study: Showbiz is big business
The Hollywood Reporter, April 22, 2009
The movie and TV industry contributed 2.5 million jobs and $41.1 billion in wages to the U.S. economy in 2007, according to an MPAA report.
That’s up from more than 1.3 million jobs and $30.2 billion in 2005 as reported by the trade group in its inaugural report a couple of years ago.
[...]
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Hollywood East Or Beacon Hill Bust?
Banker & Tradesman, April 20, 2009
Clearly, when it comes to the film business, New York officials are nervously watching Massachusetts and hoping we decide to throw in the towel.[...]
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Coming attractions
Boston Sunday Globe, April 19, 2009
Ambitious studio projects could make Massachusetts a center for the film industry.[...]
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Ben Affleck & Kevin Costner in good company
Boston Herald, April 14, 2009
Yesterday, Ben Affleck and co-star Kevin Costner were on location in Roxbury shooting scenes for the upcoming “The Company Men.” The flick, by “ER” producer John Wells, is about corporate downsizing.[...]
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Fight over flicks turns mudbath
Boston Herald, Op-Ed, March 31, 2009
By all accounts the film tax credit passed in Massachusetts in 2005 and expanded in 2007 seems to be working well in an otherwise down economy. The two production companies filming here now - and the competing plans for soundstage capacity - are on-going testament to that.
[...]
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‘Blart’ Part 2 scouts in Mass.
Boston Herald, March 26, 2009
Word is, location scouts already have scoped out car czar Ernie Boch Jr .’s Ferrari dealership for the flick, which has Paul Blart being fired from his mall cop gig and being forced to find work as a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo.[...]
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Op-Ed: The show must go on
Boston Herald Op-Ed, March 21, 2009
“Hollywood East” isn’t just a clever sales pitch. It means getting our fair share of a $60 billion industry that every year enjoys a balance of trade surplus of $10 billion - even in bad times.[...]
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Costner, Jones are ‘Company Men’
Variety, March 19, 2009
Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Affleck are set to star in "The Company Men," an independently financed drama about the impact that a corporate downsizing has on both its casualties and survivors, starting April in Boston.[...]
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Disney’s Iger to Speak at Harvard Business School
MFO News, March 17, 2009
Bob Iger, CEO and President of the Walt Disney Company, is the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Entertainment & Media Club at Harvard's Business School on March 19, 2009.[...]
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TV biz flees California
Variety, March 16, 2009
Overall, ABC Studios has been among the most active in exploring its options outside of Gotham and Canada. Beantown is home to ABC Studios' ABC hour "See Cate Run".[...]
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Hollywood shoot to bring $150,000-plus to Essex
Gloucester Daily Times, March 10, 2009
Adam Sandler's next movie, to be filmed this summer in Essex, has already brought smiles to the faces of residents. The movie will bring the town $150,000 in property use and parking fees. "It could not come at a better time for us," said Finance Committee Chairman Jeff Soulard. Beyond the "financial boon to the town" said Bob Coviello, owner of Main Street Antiques and member of the Essex Merchant group, "there will be considerable spill-off to local businesses, restaurants and antique shops."[...]
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In Downturn, Americans Flock to the Movies
New York Times, March 1, 2009
While much of the economy is teetering between bust and bailout, the movie industry has been startled by a box-office surge that has little precedent in the modern era.[...]
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Plymouth movie studio on track, executives say
Boston Globe, February 25, 2009
Details of the $422 million facility are becoming more concrete.
[...]
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This state’s got star quality
Salem News, February 25, 2009
Film work has pumped hundreds of millions directly into the Massachusetts economy.[...]
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Film office exec describes state as Hollywood East
Lynn Daily Item, February 25, 2009
"We're extremely well positioned for the next 3-4 years," said Paleologos, explaining that if the ongoing labor dispute between the major studios and the Screen Actors Guild is settled by mid-March, anywhere from eight to 12 movies will likely be made in Massachusetts in 2009.
[...]
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Film crews may be back in Silver City
Wicked Local.com, February 7, 2009
Parts of Taunton and North Dighton are being considered as location sites for a major cinematic production about the Civil War and the 16th president of the United States.[...]
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2009 OSCAR PARTY TO BENEFIT THE ELLIE FUND
MFO News, February 3, 2009
2009 Oscar Night Boston at the Langham Hotel to benefit the Ellie Fund on February 22nd.[...]
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#1 MOVIES IN AMERICA, BRIDE WARS & MALL COP
Weekly Variety, Jan 26th to February 1st, 2009
Two Massachusetts productions, BRIDE WARS (#1 Comedy in America) and MALL COP (#1 Movie in America) catapult to the top of the national box-office.[...]
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MFO ANNOUNCES 2008 ALL STAR TEAM
MFO News, January 31, 2009
Mass. Film Office honors Boston Mayor Tom Menino, former Film Office Director Mary Lou Crane, Walt Disney Pictures VP Mary Ann Hughes, Columbia Pictures VP Andy Given and the most film-friendly cities & towns of 2008.[...]
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Movie Production Incentives Are Said to Help New York
New York Times, January 28, 2009
State incentives to lure film production and jobs may be paying off.[...]
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Hub films could be ready to roll
Boston Herald, January 28, 2009
The buzz in the Massachusetts movie biz is that yesterday’s ouster of Screen Actors Guild prez Doug Allen is good news for the locals.[...]
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A cast of hundreds
Boston Globe, January 26, 2009
There's no shortage of Hollywood hopefuls in the Hub.[...]
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Lights, action, Boston jobs
Boston Herald, January 25, 2009
A sell-out crowd of 700 people dreaming of a Hollywood ending for their recession job search yesterday got a close-up with film industry professionals hoping to create 3,000 to 5,000 jobs in the Bay State in the coming years.[...]
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Media Services Acquires Crewstar
MFO NEWS, January 14, 2009
Media Services’ investment in Massachusetts through this acquisition is another vote of confidence in the future of our state as the New England center for film, television and digital media production.[...]
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Lights, camera, action: Deal in place for Weymouth air base movie studio
The Patriot Ledger, December 20, 2008
The parties looking to build movie and television production studios on the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station have signed a deal they say clears the way for construction to begin in August.
[...]
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Behind-scenes film ‘stars’ sought
Boston Herald, December 18, 2008
If you have seen the Hollywood movie crews shooting around Boston and want to get in on the action, the Massachusetts Film Office will host a Jan. 24 career fair to explain just what it takes.[...]
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MFO jobs conference set for January 24, 2009
MFO NEWS, December 2008
The Massachusetts Film Office announces "Jobs, Camera, Action" -- a workshop designed to educate attendees on how to build a career in the Massachusetts film industry. [...]
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PGA lands Plymouth Rock deal
Variety, December 11, 2008
The Producers Guild of America has formed a two-year strategic relationship with Massachusetts-based Plymouth Rock Studios.[...]
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Producing a hit
Medfield Magazine, Winter 2008
Born in Westwood, Chris Bingham has worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest films since 1983.[...]
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Costumes make the movie
Medfield Magazine, Winter 2008
Behind the scenes at ASHECLIFFE, where local residents earned the trust of the movie business’ elite.[...]
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The Economics of Ashecliffe
Medfield Magazine, Winter 2008
So who exactly is benefitting from ASHECLIFFE? The people that deserve the business the most, the Medfield shop and land owners---the heart and soul of the local economy.[...]
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TREC: The Rock Educational Cooperative
Plymouth County Business Review, Fall 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios' non-profit educational dynamo.[...]
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Plymouth goes Hollywood
Associated Press, November 29, 2008
The staid and historic image of Plymouth could soon be tempered by a decidedly modern attraction: a $488 million film and television studio with 14 sound stages, a 10-acre back lot, a theater, a 300-room upscale hotel, a spa and 500,000 square feet of office space.[...]
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Hollywood East goes to MIT
Boston Herald, November 19, 2008
The school’s Media Laboratory has launched the Center for Future Storytelling with a 7-year, $25-million commitment from Plymouth Rock Studios, better known as “Hollywood East” in Plymouth.[...]
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Saving the Story (the Film Version)
New York Times, November 18, 2008
In league with a handful of former Hollywood executives, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory plans to do something about that on Tuesday, with the creation of a new Center for Future Storytelling.[...]
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Southie gets a stand-in
Boston Globe, November 15, 2008
For the latest mob drama set in South Boston, billed as an "Irish Sopranos," producers of a SpikeTV pilot program knew exactly the look they wanted. Dark and dingy. Hopeless streets. Think "Mystic River" or "Gone Baby Gone."[...]
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Good vibes of ‘Woodstock’
Berkshire Eagle, November 11, 2008
Government incentives to bring film companies
to the state is money well spent.[...]
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Buzz from Hollywood
Boston Globe, November 10, 2008
Two made-in-Massachusetts films attracted a lot of attention, namely the South Boston-based "What Doesn't Kill You" and "The Maiden Heist," starring Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman, and William H. Macy. And the benefits of filming in Boston were touted at a sold-out seminar dealing with tax credits.[...]
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Projected Benefits
Harvard Crimson, November 6, 2008
With a national economic recession well underway and a Bostonian tradition of documentaries and independent films rather than blockbuster thrillers and romantic comedies, the question remains: does Massachusetts have what it takes to become a big star in the film industry? [...]
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Location, Location, Location
Backstage.com, November 3, 2008
Actor Roy Souza, a Boston native and a SAG member since 1995, is jubilant about the recent boom. He notes that it is not just high-profile projects that have flocked to Massachusetts but also small-scale indies. He recently completed significant roles in the low-budget We Got the Beat, shot in Worcester, and Lasse Hallström's Hachiko: A Dog's Story, starring Richard Gere. [...]
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Plymouth town meeting approves $400 million studio project
The Patriot Ledger, October 28, 2008
Town meeting members listen attentively during the special town meeting at Memorial Hall on Monday night. They approved the tax break and zoning changes that will allow the $400 million Plymouth Rock Studios project to go forward.
[...]
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Welcome to Hollywood East!
Brockton Enterprise, October 28, 2008
It took a couple of years to get the question to Town Meeting but only a few minutes for Town Meeting to answer.[...]
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Hundreds cheer yes votes for Plymouth film studio
Boston Globe, October 28, 2008
Town Meeting easily passed two articles last night that will allow Plymouth Rock Studios to move forward with the construction of a $400 million film studio on a 240-acre golf course, after months of negotiation between local officials and studio executives.[...]
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MASS. MARKET: Film industry infrastructure is key to attracting TV productions to the state.
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 26, 2008
Massachusetts has enjoyed a renaissance in movie production in the last two years because of aggressive tax incentives that the Legislature created. [...]
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As Massachusetts Development Begins to Fold, Hollywood and Casinos are Next Safe Bet
Banker & Tradesman, October 13, 2008
As the office tower builders pack it in, another crop of developers is waiting in the wings. One group wants to make Massachusetts Hollywood East.[...]
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Plymouth studio consultants predict millions in taxes, wages and fees
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 8, 2008
Thousands of jobs, millions in tax revenue and few demands on town services. That’s what Plymouth’s financial consultants say the town can expect from the proposed Plymouth Rock Studios project.[...]
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Mass. movie studio could generate millions
Associated Press, October 8, 2008
The project includes 14 sound stages, a back lot, a hotel and an education center.
Consultants say the project would likely generate more than 3,000 jobs and $168 million in wages.[...]
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No vacancy: Plymouth Rock Studio’s Oct. 15 jobs forum is filled
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 8, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios says an Oct. 15 jobs forum for people interested in working at the proposed film studio is booked to capacity.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios spotlights jobs
Cape Cod Times, September 26, 2008
Hollywood hasn't come to town quite yet, but the hundreds of people who flocked to Plymouth South High School last night are ready and waiting for its arrival.[...]
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Mass Film Office bringing the stars to the area
Newburyport Daily News, September 22, 2008
It's not every day that a major Hollywood production is filmed on the North Shore. But with Matthew McConaughey, Michael Douglas and Mel Gibson in our midst this summer, it becomes clear those days are becoming more common.[...]
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Planning board unanimously recommends movie studio bylaw
Quincy Patriot Ledger, September 16, 2008
Unanimous planning board support for a movie and television production zone on the Waverly Oaks golf course property surprised many of the more than 100 residents who have followed the process for months.[...]
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Metal band films video at Orpheum
New Bedford Standard-Times, September 15, 2008
The Orpheum Theater stage saw a lot of acts during its heyday from 1912 to 1958, when it closed its doors, but none like the band that took the stage on Sunday.[...]
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MASS VOTERS SUPPORT FILM CREDITS
Boston Globe, September 14, 2008
Almost two thirds of state voters polled last month say the tax credits for production companies are a good thing.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios scores hit with townspeople
Brockton Enterprise, August 26, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios officials wowed planners and residents and did it without special effects, stunts, song or dance.[...]
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Hub of the film industry: ‘Big Screen Boston’ chronicles city’s starring roles
Waltham Daily News Tribune, August 18, 2008
The folks in the movie business aren’t kidding when they refer to Boston and its environs as Hollywood East. But this is hardly a new phenomenon. As pointed out in Paul Sherman’s new book “Big Screen Boston”.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios’ future hinges on zoning change
Patriot Ledger, August 16, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios intends to build a major movie and television production studio at the site of the Waverly Oaks Golf Club, but the plan hinges on town meeting’s approval of a zoning change in October. Studio founder David Kirkpatrick said. “We’d like to start construction next spring and be open for business in September of 2010.”[...]
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Trio Join Gibson and De Niro in DARKNESS
Hollywood Reporter, August 15, 2008
Leading stars Mel Gibson and Robert De Niro have some new cast members to welcome on board in their upcoming thriller Edge of Darkness.[...]
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Newburyport’s River Merrimac Bar and Grille goes Hollywood
WickedLocal.com, August 15, 2008
Tuesday night the restaurant, which opened this past April, played host to the cast and crew of Bjort Productions’ new feature film “The Joneses,” which wrapped shooting with one of the movie’s most climactic scenes set in The River Merrimac’s second-floor dining room.[...]
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Get in on the action
Boston Globe, August 11, 2008
Eight movies already have been at least partly filmed here in 2008. So maybe now, instead of simply charting celebs' every move in the entertainment news, you want a firsthand peek at them.[...]
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The next act: a film studio for Stoneham?
Boston Globe, August 10, 2008
A Hollywood-type movie studio in Stoneham? It's possible, says Gary DeCicco, a Nahant-based developer who says he wants to buy the dormant Boston Regional Medical Center in Stoneham and convert the 40-plus-acre property into a studio and soundstage for movie productions.[...]
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Developer wants to build South Boston soundstage
Boston Herald, August 7, 2008
Welcome to Southie-wood. Developer Tim Pappas is floating plans to build an L.A.-style movie production complex on a vacant lot he owns at the corner of West First and E streets.[...]
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Boston’s Tinseltown Walk
Hartford Courant, July 24, 2008
Boston has been home to more than 400 movies and television shows. Add to that the seven major movies that have been shot in Massachusetts just this year alone — and suddenly it doesn't seem so crazy that Boston fancies itself Hollywood East.
[...]
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Lights, camera, shop! Boston boutiques wrapped up in movie boom
Boston Herald, July 23, 2008
“It’s been wonderful for the city and it’s great for us,” said Lisse Grullemans, who, as assistant to the vice president at Barneys, has coordinated pulls for about eight costume designers for everything from Ricky Gervais’ “This Side of the Truth” to the Kate Hudson/Anne Hathaway comedy “Bride Wars.”[...]
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Editorial: Roll film in Berkshires
The Berkshire Eagle, July 9, 2008
With the region's talent, low costs and natural beauty, the Berkshires should be attractive to directors, producers and studios, and it is encouraging that a concerted effort is in place to make them welcome here.[...]
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Patrick: Let cameras roll for Hollywood East
The Patriot Ledger, July 8, 2008
Gov. Deval Patrick said he believes Hollywood East will help boost Massachusetts’ place in the national spotlight.[...]
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Lights, camera, Berkshires …
The Berkshire Eagle, July 8, 2008
The Berkshire Film and Media Arts Commission, a nonprofit coalition seeking to connect the Berkshires to the Hollywood film community, is looking to market the Berkshires--in part by creating a Berkshire Production Guide.[...]
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Plymouth golf course eyed for $300M studio project
Boston Globe, July 3, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios has picked a golf course in Plymouth as the site of its $300 million "Hollywood East" project.[...]
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Film boom’s special effect: Production crews and related firms see more work
Boston Globe, June 29, 2008
At the halfway mark in 2008, business for the Massachusetts film industry is, in a word, booming.[...]
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The final cut: DiCaprio decamps after filming wraps
The Hull Times, June 26, 2008
Scorsese and the film’s star, Leonardo DiCaprio, arrived at Pemberton Point early Monday morning to prepare for filming on Peddocks Island, which has been transformed into the set of “Ashecliffe,” a movie based on Lehane’s 2003 novel “Shutter Island.” [...]
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Boston called ‘the new Toronto of the film industry’
Lynn Daily Item, June 21, 2008
Massachusetts is fast assuming a new image as a place where Hollywood-style motion pictures are made.[...]
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Scorsese shooting film in area
Walpole Times and Daily News Transcript, June 20, 2008
Hollywood has invaded Walpole’s neighbors over the last few months as Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese begins to wrap up shooting for his new movie “Ashecliffe.”[...]
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Actors’ strike could hurt Mass. movie biz
Boston Herald, June 20, 2008
After escaping fallout from the three-month writers’ strike that ended in February, Massachusetts’ growing motion picture economy faces another potential setback in a looming strike by the Screen Actors Guild.[...]
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Lynn’s true grit used as backdrop to reel violence
Boston Globe, June 19, 2008
Bruce Willis was on hand for filming in Lynn on May 30th, but stunt doubles took over yesterday for car and helicopter chases. "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller starring Willis and Ving Rhames, is also being filmed in Worcester, Lawrence, Wayland, Taunton, Hopedale, and Boston. [...]
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Next on Mass. filmmaking checklist: Soundstage
Associated Press, June 18, 2008
With Massachusetts experiencing a mini-boom in filmmaking, the push is on to build a full-scale studio.
[...]
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Boston Movie Mania Boosts Retail
Women's Wear Daily, June 18, 2008
Actress Jayma Mays spent March through May shooting the comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," in Burlington Mass. Mays' co-workers splurged at Marc Jacobs, Envi, Calypso and Gretta Luxe, and the movie's costume designer, Ellen Lutter, spent more than $100,000 locally.
[...]
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Film tax break helps Massachusetts go Hollywood
Springfield Republican, June 13, 2008
Seven films have wrapped up production so far this year - and while Boston has most often been the location for filming, this year moviemakers have moved outside the city to Beverly, Gloucester, Rockport, Woburn, Lowell, Worcester and other communities.
[...]
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Lights, Camera, Tax Credit: Massachusetts Lures Filmmakers With Generous Rebate
New York Times, June 5, 2008
Since last July, when Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed into law a 25 percent film tax credit, a wave of major film projects has landed in Massachusetts.[...]
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Great race heats up for Mass. movie Hub
Boston Herald, June 4, 2008
A local developer who owns land on South Boston’s waterfront is drawing up plans for a movie production complex, state Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) said yesterday.
[...]
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Bruce Willis to film action scene in Hopedale
Milford Daily News, June 4, 2008
Scenes for Willis' new movie, "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller, will be filmed at the Draper mill complex later this month.[...]
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Editorial: Lights, camera, economic action
Boston Herald Editorial, June 2, 2008
The film tax credit has proven its worth.[...]
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Keeping the cameras rolling in Mass.
MetroWest, June 2, 2008
"Making movies is a recession-proof, clean growth industry. The benefits of bringing more movie business to Massachusetts could touch virtually everyone." ---Joe Maiella, President - Massachusetts Production Coalition[...]
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Patte Papa, Boston’s Movie Permit Czar
Boston Globe, June 1, 2008
For years, while Boston had no formal film liaison, Patte Papa stockpiled knowledge as she oversaw events from the Boston Marathon to the gay pride parade. Now her experience is enabling the city to juggle multiple films at once.[...]
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Lucent building brings starpower to North Andover