#NYS Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development

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Phoenix FearCon X celebrates its 10th anniversary

Phoenix FearCon X celebrates its 10th anniversary

Phoenix FearCon X – celebrates its 10th anniversary with lifetime achievement awards to Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Films); Reggie Bannister (Phantasm franchise) and Pat Swinney (former Executive Director of the NY State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development and as Deputy Commissioner of Empire State Development). SAVE THE DATE! Phoenix FearCon X Sun Studios of Arizona, Tempe,…

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Film Good / Do Good Program

Film Community Pitches In To Help New Yorkers in Need

Film Good/Do Good, New York’s unique program that connects film and television productions with volunteer service opportunities in the communities where they film, held several successful outreach events in December. On Sunday, Dec. 17, crew members from Starz’s hit show Power volunteered at the Welcome Table at Xavier Mission in Manhattan and helped provide a hot dinner for 1,300 people in need of a meal. The show’s 19 volunteers included a producer, the UPM, an associate producer, a publicist, directors, grips, PA and production supervisor, and representatives from locations, stunts, costumes, construction, sound and the art department.   Xavier Mission strives for a future where all people, regardless of economic status, are treated with dignity and respect and are given the opportunity to realize their goals.

And for the second year in a row, Film Good / Do Good partnered with the Producers Guild of America (PGA East) to participate in the New York State Annual Holiday Coat/Toy Drive. In addition to donations collected at the Dec. 18 PGA holiday party, 10 productions—Bull, Deception, The Goldfinch, Madam Secretary, Marvel’s Iron Fist, Succession, Untitled Ramy Youssef Project, Pose, Sesame Street, The Americans  and The Good Cop — put donation boxes on their sets to collect coats and unwrapped new toys from their cast and crew to be distributed to New Yorkers in need throughout all regions of the state. On Dec. 19, PGA East volunteers joined forces with members of the National Guard and New York State employee volunteers to sort the donations for distribution.

Film Good/Do Good is a first-of-its-kind partnership that brings together the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development and the New York State Commission on National and Community Service in a program that connects film and television productions with volunteer service opportunities in the communities where they film. Funded in part by a grant for the Corporation for National and Community Service and administered by the PGA East, Film Good / Do Good works with productions shooting on location across NYS to encourage cast and crew members to donate their time and expertise at non-profit organizations that are fighting hunger, homelessness and other root causes of poverty in some of the state’s neediest neighborhoods.

Since its inception last year, over a dozen productions have participated in a variety of Film Good / Do Good organized events with service agencies including Habitat for Humanity, New Alternatives, Women’s Prison Association and Safe Horizons, to name just a few. In addition to the overall economic benefit the film and television industry brings to New York State, Film Good/Do Good has created a pathway for productions to find ways to show they care about the less fortunate in the communities where they film. For more information, or questions about the program, contact: filmgoodnys@esd.ny.gov.

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Film Good/Do Good Is Stronger Than Ever

As a prolific unit production manager, Tyson Bidner has worked on Film Good/Do Good service events with several New York productions.  In May, with HBO’s Succession, Bidner joined other members of the production team to conduct a green initiative at P.S. 253Q in Far Rockaway, Queens. Students, who were given lunch and received custom water bottles, learned about gardening, the importance of recycling and helped unpack and set up the trash and recycling bins the production donated to each of the school’s classrooms. Bidner, who’s worked on other Film Good/Do Good events with FX Network’s The Americans and Marvel’s Iron Fist, says he thinks “Film Good/Do Good is a rewarding and important program because it allows a show to give back [with] more than just a donation. Since projects are more hands-on and participatory, it allows for a great connection with the community and a greater understanding of the issues faced by some of our neighbors.”

Since its April 2016 launch, Film Good/Do Good has led 34 service events by connecting film and television productions to schools and non-profit organizations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, Harlem, Queens, Far Rockaway, Utica, Syracuse and Buffalo. Several more events are in the works between now and January, including the Producers Guild of America’s (PGA East) fourth consecutive year of participating in New York State’s Annual Holiday Coat/Toy Drive to help needy New Yorkers around the state. Other productions that have participated in Film Good/Do Good include The Joker (Warner Bros.), Orange Is the New Black and The Irishman (Netflix), Godfather of Harlem (Epix), and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon). Organizations that benefit from this initiative are varied and have included The Campaign Against Hunger, New York Common Pantry, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries, City Harvest, Safe Horizon, Women’s Prison Association, Xavier Mission and Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, to name a few. Paramount’s A Quiet Place 2, which shot in Buffalo, showed its gratitude to the city on Sept. 25 by donating racks of clothing, shoes and accessories to Compass House, an organization that offers hope and services to homeless youth in Western New York.  That donation coincided with a career day the production held that inspired students from The Service Collaborative of Western New York, whose mission is to provide educational opportunities for at-risk and low-income individuals. In August, Warner Bros.’ In the Heights worked with Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) in custom-building a mahogany podium, wired for sound and adorned with a plaque featuring the movie’s name, the year and an inspiring line of dialogue from the film: “Ay, mama what do you do when your dreams come true?” Sara Chapman, NMIC’s Director of Educational & Career Services said, “we are all still marveling at the beautiful podium and have already started putting it to good use.” Filmmakers from In the Heights led a dynamic career seminar following the podium’s unveiling ceremony. “Film Good/ Do Good provided an opportunity for the production team to share their talents and skills with the next generation of storytellers,” said Karla Sayles, Warner Bros. Director, Public Affairs. “NMIC is an incredible organization and our team found the experience to be meaningful and rewarding.”  Chapman added that  “it really means a lot that the production team was willing to give their time, share their stories and offer advice to the teens/young adults and NMIC staff members, giving them the chance to hear about career opportunities that we typically don't expose them to.” A partnership between the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development, the NYS Commission on National & Community Service, and New York Cares, Film Good/Do Good is the first and only state government-organized community giveback program in the nation that is tailored specifically to the film and television industry and is dedicated to amplifying the positive impact productions bring to New York State beyond the economic footprint.  For more information or questions about Film Good/Do Good, contact filmgoodnys@esd.ny.gov.

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Amazon’s TV show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Participates in FILM GOOD/DO GOOD Program

Service event benefits students and seniors in East New York

Film Good/Do Good, founded by the New York State Commission on National and Community Service (CNCS) and the NYS Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV), has recently partnered with the Producers Guild of America (PGA) East and continues to connect film and television production crews with volunteer opportunities in New York State. With a focus on efforts that fight hunger, homelessness and other root causes of poverty, the program helps productions give back to the communities in which they film. The events are structured to build capacity at the participating service organization and to give the production a hands-on, in-person experience with the people who live in these communities.

Film Good/Do Good’s most recent service event was helmed by Amazon’s production team from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. This non-profit organization’s mission is to build a strong, sustainable Cypress Hills and East New York, where youth and adults can achieve educational and economic success, secure healthy and affordable housing and develop leadership skills to transform their lives and community.

On Aug.  15, five volunteers from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s construction crew and scenic design department visited the Abraham Lincoln Intermediate School 171 campus in East New York, bringing all the necessary equipment to build wooden planters. The crew spent an afternoon working alongside 25 student volunteers, ranging in age from 11 to 14, and built five large planters from scratch. In addition to teaching them about the craft of carpentry, the crew talked to the students individually about TV production and the future careers that were available to them in New York State. The planters will be installed in a nearby senior housing development, giving the kids a sense of accomplishment and reinforcing the messaging about the benefits of volunteering.

Emily Van Ingen, Deputy Director of the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, shared her thanks for the program. “Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to provide our young people with an amazing opportunity today. The project was a huge success! Our young people learned a lot and were super proud of what they created. The team from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was amazing - they were patient, kind and very informative.”

For more information on the FilmGood/Do Good program, please call (212) 803-2330 or e-mail filmgoodnys@esd.ny.gov.

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Film and Television Soundstage Projects Awarded $3.9 Million in REDC Grants

Regional Economic Development Council Grants Support Film/TV Industry Across the State

On Dec. 19, Governor Cuomo announced New York State’s Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) awards which include $3.9 million in grants awarded to five production-related projects around the state. Recipients are:

Buffalo Film Works (Western NY)                              

o   $600,000 to build out a major motion picture film studio in the City of Buffalo

Columbia Basilica Industries LLC (Capital Region)

o   $950,139 to renovate and improve existing Qualified Production Facility Basilica Hudson

Orange County Arts Council and PS 6 Liberty Street LLC (Mid-Hudson)

o   Two awards totaling $955,000 for renovation of a building and creation of PS 6 Center for Film and Television, a one-stop shop film/TV facility including soundstages and offices

Ulster Stockade Works (Mid-Hudson)

o   $145,000 for purchase of post-production and production equipment to provide film/TV training in Kingston

101 Channel Dr, LLC (Long Island)

o   $1,250,000 for conversion of a vacant building in Port Washington into a six-stage television and movie production studio

In addition, several arts organizations and economic development agencies received grants for film/TV- related training programs, including:

Hook Arts Media (New York City)

o   $30,000 for advanced media and media education training to young people from underrepresented communities

Firelight Media (New York City)

o   $56,250 to increase capacity to better serve Harlem filmmakers

To learn more about New York State’s REDC grants click here. These grants help support New York State’s thriving film and television production industry and the many thousands of jobs the industry generates. In 2019, film and television production represented an estimated $4.8 billion in spend and more than 250,000 hires in New York State.

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MPTV Participates in Post New York Alliance Quarterly Meeting

The Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV) participated earlier this month in Post New York Alliance (PNYA)’s quarterly meeting to discuss the state of the post-production industry in New York. Twenty-four PNYA members attended the Dec. 5 meeting, hosted by Trevanna Post in their Manhattan office.

MPTV discussed the success of New York State’s post-production tax incentive, highlighting the program’s growth since Governor Cuomo enhanced it in 2012 – 511 applications resulting in approximately $602,756,161 in New York spend and more than 5,900 direct New York hires. The post-production tax credit is also making strides in animation - fully animated/VFX-only films are now eligible for the program with a low, 20% qualified cost threshold requirement. Other discussion topics included: diversity in employment; attracting more homegrown talent through training programs; and hiring students and recent grads from the newly opened MAGIC Spell Studios at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). 

PNYA members attending were from various facets of the industry and included representatives from Trevanna Post, Workforce Innovations, Sim Studios, Mechanism Digital, Technicolor PostWorks NY, Phosphene, Molecule, a CPA firm, a music editor, and a composer/producer. A few had recently relocated to New York, including Al Lopez, President of Stargate Studios, Baha Inozu, Partner at Glue Editing Design, and Michael Lebensfeld, Producer and Managing Director of Ingenuity Studios.  MPTV spoke with Lebensfeld about his move to New York.

MPTV: What is the history of Ingenuity Studios?

LEBENSFELD: Ingenuity grew out of a college dorm room in 2003 as a response to friends’ and students’ need for VFX. My brother, David, Founder and Creative Director, spent his final semester in Los Angeles where he jumpstarted the operation, ultimately expanding to a 10,000 square foot facility with over 100 employees. I joined the company in 2007.

MPTV: What made you decide to move to New York?

LEBENSFELD: In 2014, we started to notice a trend with our feature film clients. The first thing they would ask before starting a project is “Do you have an office in New York,” rather than “Can you do the work and for how much?” That was because the project was being shot in New York and they wanted to spend as much as possible within the state to take advantage of the tax credit. At first, we found a temporary space to take on projects in New York, and would immediately fold up shop when post was over and head back to L.A. However, we kept receiving more and more requests and we got tired of saying “no”. This prompted me to move back to New York along with a VFX Supervisor to open a permanent office in Soho in Sept. of 2017. At first, we were just two people, but as of this month, we have grown to eight full-time employees.

MPTV: How has the impact of the NYS tax credits affected your business?

LEBENSFELD: It has provided an incredible opportunity to do visual effects in Manhattan and the rest of New York State. Prior to this tax credit, it was prohibitively expensive to do visual effects in NYC without spending an arm and a leg. However, with this new subsidy, productions are incentivized to do as much production and post-production here as possible. We are seeing a real push from studios based in Los Angeles to do more work in New York. Not only have we participated in film and television, but our permanent presence here has allowed us to go after local commercial work as well.

Since opening our doors, some of the projects we’ve worked on include: Dietland (AMC Series); Vulture Club (Feature for YouTubeRed); Isn't It Romantic (Feature Film); A Million Little Things (ABC TV Series); The Walking Dead (AMC Series – a VFX-only project participating in the NYS Post production tax credit program); The Runaways (HULU Series); and Motherless Brooklyn (Feature Film). 

To be completely honest, there is no way we would have ended up working on any of these projects had we not relocated and become eligible for the NYS tax credit. It has opened up a world of new opportunities and within the first year created seven additional jobs. We've since scaled up from a 190 square foot office in FIDI to a 2,000 square foot office in Soho.

MPTV: Do you anticipate further growth?

LEBENSFELD: Yes! There’s a content war that exists right now between conventional networks and streaming platforms and all those projects have to be shot and completed somewhere. So, if New York State continues to offer better and competitive tax credits, I expect even more productions to come.

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2018 Pitch NY: Year 3 is the Biggest Ever

Largest student group in the program’s history

Fifty student writers and filmmakers from 26 schools around New York State attended this year’s 3rd annual Pitch NY program on Nov. 16 in Manhattan, where they met with film and television industry professionals to network and learn how to effectively pitch their creative ideas.  Hosted by NBCUniversal in partnership with New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, this year’s event drew the program’s biggest class to-date, from an applicant pool of 200, up nearly 20 percent from last year.  

Originally conceived to highlight and promote diverse storytelling, Pitch NY is also dedicated to encouraging the next generation of New York-based filmmakers and writers and has worked with a total of almost 120 students since its launch.

This year’s class included current students, recent graduates and three military veterans. The two-day event kicked off on Nov. 15 with an evening reception at NBCUniversal’s 30 Rockefeller headquarters in Midtown, where participants were able to mingle with industry professionals, Pitch NY alumni, and government representatives.  The program opened the next morning with welcoming remarks from event partners: Linda Sun, New York State’s Deputy Chief Diversity Officer; Felix Sanchez, Chairman & Co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts; and Craig Robinson, NBCUniversal’s Executive Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer.  

“Pitch NY shares NBCUniversal’s longstanding mission to nurture and showcase diverse and emerging talent,” Robinson said. “By attracting, developing and retaining the best and the brightest writers, directors and actors, we will remain a leader in providing content to an increasingly diverse and global audience.”   

The panel that followed, “How to Get Your Story Heard and Produced, “offered insights from Brooke Kennedy,  Executive Producer and Director, The Good Wife and The Good Fight; Samantha Thomas ,Vice President, Development  at Marvel TV; and Santiago Quinones, Producer, Blue Bloods.

The day’s other highlights included “speed pitching” sessions – one-on-one meetings giving students the chance to pitch their ideas directly to the industry professionals and hear feedback on their presentation.  The participants were matched with executives from major studios (CBS, HBO, NBC and Sony), independent production companies (James Schamus’ Symbolic Exchange and Jake Gyllenhall’s Nine Stories Productions) and industry organizations including the New York Women In Film (NYWIFT), and the Yonkers and Bushwick Film Festivals.  Some participants were pitching their ideas for the first time. “This has been a great opportunity to exercise my ‘pitching muscles,’” said Fordham student and aspiring writer/producer, Rachel Jarvis.  “I’m learning how to structure my loglines and effectively tell my story. But I’ve also learned that I’m not just pitching my story, I’m pitching myself.”

Keynotes from two creative producers— actor/writer/director, Otoja Abit (Jitters, Stonewall) and veteran producer Nina Noble (The Wire, The Deuce)—also offered insightful perspectives on the creative journey and the often tough road to seeing a project through.  

“Now is the time to think about activating your career,” Noble said in her closing remarks. “You have to be really passionate about your ideas and speak with conviction about them. I guarantee that everyone has something in their background they can bring to make their project stronger. Do excellent work. In the end, that is what gets you noticed. That’s what will get you the job.”  

To learn more about Pitch NY, click here. 

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New York Comic Con Panel:  Producing It Across New York

How to Make Your Film or TV Project in the Empire State

Trekkies, techies, and fans of Sci-Fi, comics, gaming, horror and superheroes – many dressed as their favorite characters from Star Wars, Venom, Deadpool, Game of Thrones and other film and TV shows—   swarmed Manhattan’s  Javits Center  earlier this month for the 13th annual New York Comic Con (NYCC), one of the premier pop culture events in North America. More than 250,000 tickets were sold this year, up from 10 percent over last year, bringing an estimated $100 million to the NYC economy. This year’s NYCC events extended to Shop Studios on 39th Street, where additional programming included a panel on film and TV production in New York State. Young content creators and emerging talent were in attendance on Oct. 5 at the “Producing It Across New York:  How To Make Your Film or TV Project in the Empire State” panel at Shop Studios, one of the NYCC’s expanded venues used to accommodate the growing attendance at the convention and part of NYCC producer ReedPOP’s  new event series - The Studio @ NYCC.  The series, including master classes, workshops and exclusive conversations with top-tiered industry talent and creators, was developed in collaboration with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

The NYS film panel was moderated by Patricia Bayley, Vice President, Digital & New Media Development at Empire State Development and included Gigi Semone, Executive Director the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV), producer Scott Ferguson (The Night Of, The Normal Heart, Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, Brokeback Mountain), location manager Lauri Pitkus (The Post, Ocean’s 8, Orange Is The New Black, The Bourne Ultimatum) and Yana Collins Lehman, President and COO of Trevanna Post, Inc. (Mozart in the Jungle, Landline, Mary Poppins Returns, On the Basis of Sex).  

The panel discussion covered the ins and outs of television and film production, location scouting and post-production in New York.  “There is a unique filming infrastructure in New York State,” said Lauri Pitkus, “which exists because the production industry is seen as an engine for job creation and economic activity.”  In addition to the New York State Film Tax Credit Program, MPTV offers location assistance  and a network of film-friendly state agencies and regional film offices and Pitkus said she relies on those services. “We know we have partners and advocates throughout New York State ready to assist with challenges or complications, whether it's in pre-production or on shoot day.” Emmy-award winning producer Scott Ferguson noted that, while he began his career in New York, it wasn’t  until New York’s film tax credit program was established that he found continuous work here.  ”Coming out of film school at Columbia, the foundation of my professional career has always been based out of New York, starting with people I met at Columbia, including my mentor, the legendary producer Michael Hausman and filmmakers like James Mangold, Lisa Cholodenko and Milos Forman. But until the New York State incentive was passed, I rarely worked here,” Ferguson said.  

“For the last 10 years though, New York has happily become the main location where I work - between the world class filmmakers, the wonderful crew and facilities, and the amazing storytelling potential, New York is a producer’s dream as a place to live and work.”

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MPTV’s Fall Upstate Outreach

Supporting Upstate’s Production Boom

More films with bigger budgets are headed Upstate and staying longer – thanks to an Upstate tax credit bump to 40 percent on qualified labor costs. More shoot days means more spending, and that’s had a significant impact on local spending in hotels and restaurants, with merchants, vendors, car rental companies and local hires. So far this year, productions traveling to those regions have spent an estimated $138+ million in New York from just over $10 million in 2014; while that spend includes production dollars spent anywhere in New York State, and not just in the tax credit “bump” counties, the dramatic increase is a clear indicator that productions with much larger budgets are having a bigger economic impact wherever they shoot.  

Central New York, for example, went from one “pre-bump” film with six days of filming in 2014  to four films with 50 shoot days so far this year. The Capital Region went from hosting  four films with 47 days of filming in 2014, to 10 films with 104 shoot days already this year. Last year, 10 films spent 119 shoot days in Western New York, compared to five  productions with 90 days in the area in 2014. And so far this year, nine films in Western New York have already added 151 shoot days with an estimated area spend of more than  $40 million.

All together, the seven regions (Western, Central, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Finger Lakes, and Capital) north and west of the Hudson Valley hosted 16 productions with a total of 233 shoot days in the area in 2014; in 2017 the number of productions travelling there has risen 53 percent to 24 productions, with an almost 75 percent  increase to 406 shoot days.

To help support the growing number of productions Upstate, and to keep them “film friendly and camera ready”, the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV) has been reaching out to the local filmmaking communities and hosting industry information sessions--“Location 101 Seminars” and “New York Film Production Roundtables”—at colleges, universities and film festivals throughout New York State.

The Location 101 seminars,  recently presented to film students at SUNY Orange County in Newburgh and at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) in Dryden, introduce  them to location managing and scouting and  help train them to become a part of their local production communities.   After attending the seminar at TC3, Communications and Media Arts student Collin Horak said he considered location scouting “an exciting and adventurous part of film production that we as young professionals should consider as an opportunity.” The New York Film Production Roundtables are primarily scheduled as part of film festivals, where filmmakers and festival attendees can meet members of the MPTV team during an informal discussion of all things related to producing in New York State – tax credits, location scouting, finding stages and crew and more. Four roundtables were held this fall, accommodating approximately 100 filmmakers and festival attendees, during October’s Buffalo International Film Festival (BIFF) and  Syracuse International Film Festival, and during November’s High Falls Film Festival in Rochester and the Ithaca Fantastic Film Festival.  The seminars and roundtables offered insights into all  New York State has to offer both young and experienced filmmakers, while at the same time educating local residents on how they can make their communities attractive as a destination for more film and television productions.

(Note: Production data for this article was provided by the film production companies in their applications to the NYS Film Tax Credit Program and has been compiled and analyzed by MPTV staff to calculate the estimated spending by region.)   

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Pitch NY Returns to Promote Diverse Voices in the Entertainment Industry

Pitch NY, a daylong event that allows aspiring filmmakers from New York State colleges to pitch and network with film industry professionals, returned to Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan on Oct. 11, following its successful launch last fall. The working session, once again hosted by NBCUniversal (NBCU) in partnership with the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Development (MPTV) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, drew a total of 41 students and 26 industry representatives.        

Pitch NY was designed to provide aspiring filmmakers, producers and writers from colleges across New York State with input and advice from industry leaders on how to hone their story ideas and make successful pitches.  The  event, the most recent state initiative promoting the inclusion of diverse voices in the entertainment industry, was expanded this year and grew by 20 additional participants —10 students and 10 industry representatives. This year’s pitch listeners included executives from major studios and independent production companies as well as successful screenwriters and playwrights and representatives from New York State colleges.

“NBCU takes a leading role in developing an industry workforce that reflects our audience and the world,” Craig Robinson, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer at NBCUniversal, said during the day’s opening session. “We’re proud to continue our sponsorship of the Pitch NY program and thank Governor Cuomo for his shared commitment to fostering diverse talent.”

Felix Sanchez, Chairman and Co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, said the organization "is proud to partner with Governor Cuomo and NBCUniversal” on Pitch NY and congratulated “the 41 future filmmakers, writers, directors and actors from colleges and universities across New York State who were competitively selected to participate.”

Mary Stuart Masterson, an actor, filmmaker and founder of Stockade Works in Kingston, added her thanks, saying “programs like Pitch NY are opening doors and helping to facilitate access for those who have been historically underrepresented in the film and TV industry.”  

Participating Pitch NY students were also offered the opportunity to work with Empire State Development’s marketing team as part of a statewide marketing campaign. The students will be able to present story ideas for promotional New York State videos with the goal of encouraging college students and young professionals to choose New York as the place to build their careers and futures. If their pitch is successful, students will be awarded $1,000 to produce a social media short and have their content published on New York State websites. The top winners will also receive a $4,000 grand prize for their work.

Click here to learn more about this exciting event. 

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Produced By: New York 2017

The Produced By: New York conference, created for producers by producers to showcase the best of New York’s film, television and new media community, celebrated its fourth year at the Time Warner Center in Manhattan on Oct. 28 with panels and programming offering attendees unparalleled opportunities to network and learn from each other.  

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) initiated this popular event – held in LA and New York—as an educational forum conducted by both acclaimed producers, including numerous Oscar and Emmy award-winners and the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.  This year’s New York workshops and presentations featured top storytellers and decision-makers from across the entertainment industry.  

Session highlights included: Content is King: Meet the Buyers, led by producing partners Lydia Tenaglia and Anthony Bourdain and sponsored by CNN Films and CNN Original Series; Scripted Series Content: From Pitch to Post sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter; and The Power To Shake It Up, sponsored by Deadline and featuring Jessica Chastain and Sarah Jessica Parker.  A two-part series, Producers’ Masterclass: The Power of Creative Collaboration, was a conference favorite, along with Mentoring Roundtables, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice from the mentor of their choice.  Other session sponsors included Panasonic, Delta Air Lines, PBS and Entertainment Partners.

The Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & TV Development (MPTV) partnered with I Love NY at this year’s event to highlight the benefits of filming in New York State.  The Buffalo Niagara Film Office, Suffolk County Film Commission and Film Albany were also on hand to highlight the benefits of filming in each of their regions.

“Producers tend to become islands unto themselves and Produced By: New York provides such a great fellowship opportunity for producers to come together to share ideas, stories and resources and to learn about all the great things happening in the film industry in New York,” said Lori McCreary, President of PGA, CEO Revelations Entertainment, and Executive Producer of Madam Secretary. “Since Madam Secretary takes our viewers to a different country every episode, it is very valuable that New York has such a wide variety of locations.  In fact there is no country that we have not been able to duplicate in this State.  Plus we all agree that the New York crews are among the best on the planet.”

Produced By: New York participants were able to take advantage of networking and learning opportunities all day long, wrapping up the day with a networking reception in the Time Warner Center’s Park Café.

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Pitch NY Students Complete Video Project

Student Videos Present Diverse Narratives on How NYS’s Diversity is an Asset to Economic Growth

Last November, NBCUniversal Studios, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts  and the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV) hosted Pitch NY, a workshop bringing together more than 30 aspiring student filmmakers, producers and writers from across New York with film industry leaders for advice, networking and resource-sharing.

The day-long interactive workshop, featured two informational panels, a breakout "speed dating" pitch session, and an opportunity to participate in a film challenge with the State of New York.  MPTV challenged the students to present a narrative that highlighted the ways in which New York State’s diversity serves as an asset to the state’s economy.

Participants pitched their video proposals to a panel of film and marketing experts. Once their projects were green lit, they produced short commercials. All of the students who submitted complete videos were awarded $1,000 and the winning videos were awarded an additional $5,000 grand prize. The resulting compilation of select winning videos demonstrates the breadth and creativity of New York’s student talent.

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Inaugural New York State Multicultural Creativity Summit

Convenes Industry and Thought Leaders On May 9, the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and Urbanworld Film Festival co-sponsored the first Multicultural Creativity Summit -- designed to encourage and empower content creators of all backgrounds and promote the inclusion of diverse voices in New York State’s film and television industry.

Hosted at HBO’s New York City headquarters, the event attracted a diverse audience of more than 100 filmmakers, producers, directors, writers and students from across the state seeking advice on how to break into the industry. They were joined by representatives from the film and television studios, including 21st Century Fox, CBS Corporation, HBO, Paramount Pictures, Viacom, Disney, Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal.  Studio representatives participated in panels and also spoke with attendees, lending their support.  

Photo Credit: Kris Connor

Senator Chris Dodd, MPAA Chairman and CEO, emphasized the industry’s dedication to diversity in his opening remarks. “The state of New York provides both a supportive environment for motion pictures and television programs and an incredible cultural and ethnic diversity,” he said. “The MPAA is proud to host today’s summit and support inclusive storytelling in the Empire State and across our industry.”

Alphonso David, Counsel to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, underscored the important role studios play in the diversification of content in the industry. “We must ensure that everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation or gender identity, has a chance to break into the industry,” he said. “We as the state of New York invest in the film industry, and we expect that the film industry will reflect the demographics of New York State.”

A variety of panel discussions targeted the advancement of young content producers, including:

 A conversation with Vanessa Morrison, President of 20th Century Fox Animation, who discussed her multi-faceted career trajectory.

 A talent development initiatives panel with Warner Bros., HBO and CBS, featuring programs their studios host to nurture and develop diverse young talent. Dennis Williams, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility at HBO, highlighted his studio’s history and commitment to diverse content stating, “This idea of diverse inclusion is just a part of the DNA of the brand; it’s how we got our start, it’s why we did Def Comedy Jam years ago, it’s why we were talking about LGBT issues through Angels in America and If These Walls Could Talk and all of these things decades ago.”

A panel discussion on navigating film festivals moderated by Gabrielle Glore, Executive Producer of the Urbanworld Film Festival;  an audience member shared her experience of submitting her film to more than 100 festivals over the past year.

 A panel on financing productions, moderated by Gigi Semone, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development (MPTV), included corporate tax representatives Chiquita Banks and Brian O’Leary from Viacom and NBCUniversal respectively, and independent film director Erin Bagwell, who was able to use crowdfunding for her feature “Dream Girl.” Panelist Tamir Muhammad, Executive Director, Content & Artist Development with Time Warner Inc., added that “diversity initiatives are great, but I think some of the challenges are that it casts sometimes people of color and women as someone ‘in need’ as opposed to someone who is out there working and just needs an opportunity.”

The summit concluded with the announcement of the Celebrate Equality NY Student Film Challenge, calling for ideas for short films (one-to-two minutes) that highlight the history of equal rights in New York State. The top ideas will be awarded up to $5,000 and the opportunity to have those film ideas produced by New York State. To read the full press release, click here.

[nyslovesfilm]

Supplier Diversity Showcase Comes to New York

NYS Participates in Industry Initiative to Increase Vendor Diversity 

In an effort to encourage participation from minority and women-owned businesses in New York’s burgeoning film and television industry, a first-ever Supplier Diversity Showcase was held in New York at the Time Warner Center on Feb. 22. Hosted by Time Warner, the showcase was collaboratively sponsored by Time Warner, NBCUniversal, the CBS Corp., Sony, Viacom-Paramount Pictures and the Walt Disney Co, in partnership with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA), and the New York State Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development. The goal of the event was to broaden the connection between the major film and television studios and the diverse supplier/vendor community and create a digital directory containing information on the exhibitors to be distributed to all attendees in the coming weeks. 

Film and television productions working in New York State rely upon a wide range of small businesses and individuals to provide goods and services for their productions. From caterers to construction suppliers, animal handlers to antique dealers, weather forecasters to walkie-talkie rentals, the list of vendors for just one television series like HBO’s The Divorce can run over 50 pages. With the success of the New York State film production tax credits in attracting record breaking numbers of productions to New York, the major studios working are reaching out to expand opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses communities to benefit from that increased activity.

More than 33 exhibitors participated and more than 250 vendors and industry professionals attended the showcase.  Executives from 21st Century Fox, Comcast NBCUniversal, CBS, Sony, Viacom-Paramount Pictures and The Walt Disney Company also were in attendance. Additionally, select NYC-based suppliers  exhibited their services, including: Cutter Productions, a full-service production company; Bajibot, an interactive digital and  mobile production agency;  and Mighty Oak,  a brand strategy, communications and animation company.

Clint Grimes, Executive Director of Procurement and Supplier Diversity for Time Warner, opened the event and introduced speakers Angela Guzman, Director of Supplier Diversity at NBCUniversal, Jeffrey Pfefferle, Manager of Supplier Diversity/Global Diversity and Inclusion with Paramount Pictures, and Lourdes Zapata, Executive Director of New York State’s Division of Minority and  Women’s Business Development, among others.  Also on the agenda was a panel on  Supplier Diversity Certification with representatives from several supplier certification bodies, including: the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the New York State Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development (DMWBD). Ten vendors from Upstate New York and Long Island attended the showcase  to network with this dynamic group of industry professionals. "I found that I received the most value connecting with other minority-owned businesses to team up with, “said Andrea Bloome from Alchemy Post Sound in Peekskill . “I also met key industry people from major studios and received great advice on the certification process and the value of being certified as a minority-owned business."

[nyslovesfilm]

Pitch NY Students Make Their Pitch

Aspiring Filmmakers Given Opportunity to Create Video for New York State On Jan. 18, 20 aspiring filmmakers participated in Pitch NY and shared their ideas for demonstrating how New York State’s diversity is both an asset and driver of economic growth and vitality.

Film students and recent graduates presented a jury with their proposals for a one-to-two-minute video showing the connection between  diversity, job creation and economic growth.  Students were encouraged to think outside the box and work from their personal experiences.  

The pitch session was announced at a Nov. 29 workshop that provided aspiring filmmakers, producers and writers with resources, advice and the chance to connect with industry leaders to advance their careers.  The November event was hosted by the Governor’s Office of Motion Picture & Television Development and NBCUniversal Studios, in collaboration with the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.  During that event, Empire State Development offered participating students the opportunity to work with ESD’s marketing team as part of a statewide marketing campaign. The workshop was a huge success, connecting 31 participants with industry resources and talent and offering them the opportunity to create a video to highlight the connection between New York’s diversity and economic growth.  Twenty of the participants returned this month to make their pitches.

The winning Pitch NY entrants will be awarded $1,000 to produce a social media short and have their content displayed on state websites as part of the marketing campaign. The top winners will receive up to an additional $5,000 grand prize for their work.