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The Anatomy of a Film Commission the newLy appointed president of the association of fiLm commissioners internationaL reveaLs what fiLm commissions reaLLy do behind the scenes
aving worked in production for many years, I thought I knew what film commissions did – until 2013 when I became the deputy director of the California Film Commission and quickly learned the extent of what I didn’t know. When asked about my new position, a few friends asked if I had been given a badge (because all deputies should have badges, right?). But by far, the most asked question was “What does a film commission do?” Now that I represent film commissions all over the world, I’m still asked that question as if it might be a secret.
Many film commissioners and members of their staff come from film/TV production backgrounds, which provide them with a good understanding of filmmakers’ needs. Some have government backgrounds and are skilled at navigating the politics of their region and adept at cutting through bureaucratic red tape. And others are knowledgeable about everything related to their jurisdictions, especially the locations. The ideal is a staff with shared expertise that covers all these bases. Film commissions come in all shapes and sizes. They may represent a nation, state, province, county or city, an economic development office, a CVB (convention and visitor’s bureau) or a chamber of commerce. They may be regulated by government code or by a county or city film ordinance, and their staff sizes vary depending on their location and budget. Film commissions provide any or all of the following functions. They: l Help productions of all sizes find locations (including ones they may have not thought of ). Some will even take you location scouting. l Issue film permits; and if they aren’t the issuing authority, connect filmmakers with the appropriate permitting offices.
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Promote their jurisdiction (by marketing in trade publications, attending industry trade shows, creating events and conferences to showcase their territory). l Work with local government entities that oversee beaches, parks, forests, utilities, roadways, airports, courts, museums, universities, etc. to create reasonable guidelines and accommodations for filming. l
Work with local districts/neighbourhoods to promote film-friendly policies (a process often called “community outreach”).
l Help filmmakers solve problems.
Solving problems was my favourite part of the job. It’s often as simple as making one phone call to the right person who’s amenable to listening, understanding and acquiescing (or working with the production to find an alternate solution). Sometimes, it could take days to secure a resolution and may require the assistance of a sympathetic government official. Whether a production has only one day to gain all the permissions necessary to land a plane on a municipal golf course, discovers that their location has fallen through the night before it was to be filmed, has to expedite the transport of a 204 ft long, 21 ton Airbus fuselage over 100 miles through Los Angeles or close-down a major highway – these are all challenges they had trouble accomplishing on their own. Our ability to solve these types of issues is why a location manager I often worked with called us his secret weapon. Film Commissions worldwide function as unsung heroes because the invaluable assistance they provide is totally free and gladly offered. What film commissions do shouldn’t be such a secret. Instead, their work should be known and understood as a filmmaker’s secret weapon.
l Administer incentive programmes. l Provide resources for filmmakers (ie, hotel and other vendor deals, equipment rentals, crew, supplies). l Get involved with legislation and issues that could affect the film industry.
Eve Honthaner was appointed as president of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) in August 2021, having previously been deputy director of the California Film Commission. Founded in 1975, the AFCI is the only global non-profit professional organization representing city, state, regional, provincial and national film commission members on six continents. AFCI is based in Los Angeles and produces two signature events each year – AFCI Week and Cineposium. For more information, visit AFCI.org.
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