January News
SB1170 Latest Attempt at New Tax Incentive Program
SB1170, Multimedia Production Incentives, was introduced on January 19 to the Legislature. Sponsored by Senator John Nelson, if passed the new program would be made effective retroactively back to January 1 and would not expire until January of 2041. The Bill has had its first two readings in the Senate and passed the Commerce and Energy Committee on January 25 by a vote of 4-2 with minor amendments. It is scheduled to be reviewed by the Rules Committee on January 30.
For a complete description of the Bill, visit: www.azleg.gov
Annual Meeting Recap
The Annual Membership Meeting was held on Thursday, January 26, at Encore Creative in Tempe. A big THANK YOU to our host for the use of their facility, for all of the wonderful Arizona/Western decor both inside and leading up to the building, and for supplying us with tables, chairs and space heaters. Upon arriving, members were able to pick up their copies of the 2012 Arizona Production Guide. Great BBQ was provided by Waldo's (located in Mesa), and a short presentation was made to Dani and Bill Green of Dani's Agency in honor of the agency's 25th anniversary of being in business. Guests were then introducted to APA leadership and got to hear brief reports from some of the committee chairs, as well as an update from the Phoenix Film Office given by Phil Bradstock. Phil also gave everyone an overview of the new tax incentive bill that was just introduced in the current legislative session. A Q&A and announcements ended the formal meeting, which was followed by networking and socializing, and tours of the facility were conducted by Encore personnel.
Members who were not able to attend will receive their copies of the 2012 Production Guide by mail in a few weeks.
2012 APA Board of Directors
APA is pleased to announce the results of last month's elections to our Board of Directors: Re-elected were incumbents Stephen Harrison of The Audio Suite, Donald T. Woodard of Dynamic Productions, LLC and Darlene Wyatt of Darlene Wyatt Casting and newly elected were Christine Boisen, Duncan Harvey of Dinosaur Media, Stephen Wade Nebgen, Esq., and Michael Ohrling of Cox Media.
Officers for 2012 are Lee Ann Cone, President; Jill Ormond, President-Elect; Pat Powers, Secretary; Darlene Wyatt, Treasurer and Kyle Hanlon, Past President. The Member-at-Large is Ozzie Oslund of Broadcast Rentals. Committee Chairs include Traci Langston, Membership; James Phillips, Internet; Paula Rogers, Southern Arizona; Larry Niemi, Directory; Duncan Harvey, Events and Christine Boisen, Marketing.
Contact info for all board members and committee chairs can be found on the Contact APA Board page of this site.
2012 Arizona Production Guide
APA is in the process of cleaning up its distribution list prior to the mass mailing of this year's issue. All members who are not able to pick up their copies in person at the Annual Meeting will receive one in the mass mailing slated for mid February.
Non-members who live in Arizona can pick up copies at designated distribution centers throughout the Valley. An updated list of distribution centers will be posted to this site by the end of February.
If you work in the film, television or theater industries and reside outside of Arizona, you may obtain a copy of the 2012 Guide by sending your name, company name (if applicable) and complete mailing address to: sales@azproduction.com. The Guide is free to all production professionals.
December 2011 News
APA Elections
It’s election time for APA, and if you're an APA member, then you'll find information on this year’s candidates as well as the ballot inside the Nov/Dec issue of our printed newsletter, On the Arizona Set, which was mailed out on December 5. We have nine volunteers running for seven open positions. Members are asked to please take a few moments to read over the bios on page 3, then make your selections on page 2, detach it from the newsletter, and mail or fax it back to APA. Ballots must be received by December 31, 2011, in order to be counted.
Volunteers make this organization a vital tool for its members to promote themselves and for outreach to other industry groups and our local community. Please do your part by voting for next year’s leaders.
Thanks to All of Our Fall Volunteers
Speaking of volunteers, a big THANK YOU to all of the folks who helped proof the printed version of the 2012 Guide, which is now in its final stage of design and proofing before heading off to the printer. Thanks to Directory Chair Larry Niemi, Lee Ann Cone, Judith Moore, Carol Mauriello and Faith Hibbs-Clark, and a very special thank you to Traci Langston for extra proofing and helping to update the Useful Information section. Files will go to the printer by December 14, so we should have copies of the book in time for our annual meeting on January 26 (see Events page)!
Let’s also give a round of applause to the folks who participated in this year’s community service project at St. Vincent de Paul’s family facility in October. Volunteers helped serve food, bus tables and perform other tasks needed to help feed hungry families. Thanks to Events Chair Duncan Harvey of Dinosaur Media for facilitating the event and for participating along with Rami Kalla of Point in Time Studios and his sons, Noah and Jaden; Pamela Young, President/CEO of The Young Agency and her husband, Edgar Thomas, who retired from U.S. Airways; Dani Green of Dani’s Agency; Bill Green of Honaleia Communications; Harry Tate of Dinosaur Media and his wife, Jane; Traci Langston and her husband, Tom Schmidt and George Rosnick.
Rave Reviews for “Mitchell 20”
Congratulations to Randy Murray and the folks at Randy Murray Productions on the completion of an enlightening documentary on the quality of education in our state and in our country.
Three years in the making, the original objective was to follow a group of teachers in Arizona endeavoring to reach National Board Certification and spotlight the inspirational events of a journey toward quality teaching. However, through the course of production, the documentary turned into a testimonial about the state of education in America. The film captures the story of teachers as heroes in an urban school that serves primarily under-privileged minority students. This group of 20 elementary school teachers faced adversity every step of the way, yet they charged forward to meet the needs of their students. Mitchell 20: Teacher Quality is the Answer is a dramatic story that shows teachers are the key to improving education in America.
The film had its first public screening in October and has since received press on a national level, from film reviews to online articles, blogs and television.
For more info, visit: www.mitchell20.com.
September 2011 News
Hanlon Media Featured in "Shoot" Magazine
The online version of "Shoot" recently featured a great article on a comedic piece produced by Kyle Hanlon. Other APA members who worked on the spot included Marilyn Anderson, Howie Meyer, Jackie Niemi and Ben Sharffbillig, and audio was done by Abbott Miller of Amp Studios with post completed at Postal.
To check out the article, which is being reprinted with permission, CLICK HERE.
APA Continues 2-4-1 Web Advertising Specials
Now that ad sales for the printed version of the 2012 Arizona Production Guide have stopped, are you looking for a way to get your message out? Try advertising on this site! For a limited time, purchase either size ad in the online production guide and get a FREE tile-size ad (free ads will be placed where space is available). For full details, check out the rate card or contact sales@azproduction.com.
2012 Arizona Production Guide Status
All of the member listings have been turned over to APA's graphic designer, and the design phase of the next book has begun. We're in the process of rounding up missing artwork for display ads purchased so that all artwork files can be given to our designer as well. We should have our first proof back by the end of the month so that proofing can commence.
Volunteers Needed: If you can devote a few hours in late September and October to help proof the 2012 Guide, please contact Directory Chair Larry Niemi at larryniemi@cox.net.
Photos Needed: APA is now accepting still photos for consideration of publication in the upcoming Guide. Needed are scenic location shots of Arizona and on-set photos from productions shot in Arizona in last year or two. Please submit all photos on disks and drop off or mail to APA's office.
July 2011 News
2012 Production Guide Closed for Listings; ADS STILL AVAILABLE
The deadline has passed to be listed in the 2012 printed issue of the Arizona Production Guide. However, you CAN still purchase DISPLAY ADVERTISING. There are some great spots and great deals still available, so contact APA Sales Manager Traci Langston at 602-488-3153 or sales@azproduction.com now! We're only taking ads for a few more weeks, and you must have artwork ready to submit with your contracts and payments. Act now to make sure you don't miss out on having a presence in the state's ONLY printed production guide.
State Film Office Closes
As many of you know, the Arizona Film Office has had the ongoing challenge for years of decreasing budgets and staff cuts. Approximately five years ago, the state legislature removed the separate line item from the overall budget that was specifically slated for the film office. When that happened, the film office ceased to exist as a separate state entity and was moved under the Department of Commerce. That allowed the film office to continue to operate as part of Commerce’s budget.
Over the next several years, the film staff was cut until only Ken Chapa remained. Last year, Commerce no longer had funds to allocate for film office duties, so Chapa was reassigned to a new position within Commerce. Fortunately for the local film community, he was still permitted to spend some of his time handling the permitting and other duties of the film office, and the phone numbers, web site, and email contacts remained intact.
At the end of the current fiscal year, however, the Department of Commerce itself ceased to exist in its present form. Instead, it has transitioned into a new public/private entity called the “Arizona Commerce Authority” (ACA). The primary function of this new agency is to target, recruit, and help expand businesses into Arizona that offer high wage, full-time employment opportunities. As of June 30, 2011, Arizona no longer has a state sanctioned/funded film office in any form. The phone and fax numbers have been disconnected; however, there will be an “information page” on the new ACA website dedicated to directing inquiries to the proper local film offices, state agencies, etc.
Ken Chapa has worked diligently to try to distribute the main duties of the film office (i.e. permitting) to other state employees and to put together contact sheets for us. Some of this information has already been published on our web site (Resources section), and additional info will be added as it becomes available.
While APA itself cannot assume the duties of the film office, a few months ago we began looking into whether or not those duties can be handled by another private sector entity. We will keep you posted and disseminate info as it becomes available.
June 2011 News
Entries Still Being Taken for the 2012 Production Guide
Existing Members: You can still renew your Directory Memberships and listings. Please note that a LATE FEE OF $25 went into effect on June 1. To renew, please add $25 to your invoice. Make any needed changes on your proof sheet(s). Return your invoice, payment and proof(s) to APA as soon as possible. If you are paying by credit card, you may fax your renewal materials to 480-941-2557 if you prefer. If you are paying by check, please mail in your renewal.
The FINAL DEADLINE for all renewal materials to be received in APA's office is FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011. No renewals will be accepted after that date, even with the late fee.
DISPLAY ADS are also still being accepted. Ad rates start at just $350 for a 1/3-page, black-and-white ad for new advertisers, and just $300 for returning advertisers. Contact Sales Manager Traci Langston at sales@azproduction.com or 602-488-3153 if you want more info on advertising in the book or on APA's web site.
April 2011 News
2012 Arizona Production Guide
We're gearing up to start production on the next issue of our printed production guide! ADVERTISING is now open, and there are some great discounts and specials on display ads, including a 5% Early Bird Discount for advertisers who sign up and pay by May 27, 2011. For information on purchasing display ads, visit the ADVERTISE page.
DIRECTORY MEMBERS - Renewal packets were mailed on Tuesday, April 19. The deadline to renew your membership (listings) for the 2012 Guide without incurring a late fee is FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2011. Renewals received after that date will be assessed a $25 late fee, and NO renewals will be accepted after the final deadline of July 15, 2011, even with a late fee.
WEB MEMBERS - Upgrade offers were mailed on April 21. The same deadlines apply to upgrade: Friday, May 27, 2011 (regular deadline); $25 late fee after that until the final deadline of July 15, 2011.
SB1159 Outcome
While the new bill proposed in the 2011 legislative session to provide tax credits for motion pictures and other productions made in Arizona made it all the way through the Senate, it was once again derailed by the Speaker of the House, Kirk Adams. Initially, Mr. Adams refused to assign the bill to any committees. When he finally did, the head of the committee he assigned it to refused to have his committee read the bill. So the bill is dead, and unfortunately Arizona no longer has any motion picture tax credits.
February 2011 News
NEW Ad Spaces Available!
APA is now offering advertising within the individual categories of the online production guide on this web site. 2-4-1 SPECIAL: For a limited time, purchase either size ad in the online directory and get a FREE tile-size ad (free ads will be placed where space is available). For full details, check out the rate card or contact sales@azproduction.com.
SB1159: Multimedia Production Tax Credits
A NEW Bill was introduced at the start of the 2011 legislative session to provide tax credits for motion pictures and other productions filmed in Arizona. Senate Bill 1159 is not intended to “fix” the former MOPIC program, which expired on December 31, 2010. It is a completely new piece of legislation that incorporates the best parts of the old law, eliminates the problems it had and generates real incentives for investments in the Arizona Film Industry.
The Bill has had its first two readings and successfully passed through its first assigned committee, Economic Development and Jobs Creation. The Bill passed through the EDJC Committee with each member voting in favor except for Leah Landrum Taylor, who did not cast a vote.
Next it must pass through the Rules Committee to make sure the language complies with all known laws. This step is a review process, so no public input is needed. If it passes through Rules, the hope is that it will move to the Floor for a vote of the entire Senate.
This Bill is moving very quickly, largely due to the fact that it was entered as an “emergency measure.” If it passes through the entire legislative process, it will become operative immediately as provided by law. We will try to keep you updated as it progresses.
To read a summary of the Bill as provided by the AFMC (Arizona Film & Media Coalition), CLICK HERE.
To read the Senate’s summary of the Bill, CLICK HERE.
To read SB1159 in its entirety, CLICK HERE.
You can register to receive legislative updates by visiting: http://www.azleg.gov
