[NEohioPAL] Ohio Film Tax Credit - Boon or Band-Aid?

[Bill]

Looking closer at the Ohio Film Incentive recently passed, there are a few details that beg discussion:
 
1. Not even an average budget film can shoot in Ohio and take advantage of the credit.
According to the MPAA, the average negative costs of a member film is $64 million. Since the incentive is capped at $5 million, only one $20 million dollar film can shoot here and get the full credit.
 
2. None of us on the Indie scene, who sent letters and emails, will ever see a benefit.
The bill also has a low-cap of $300,000.00 so if you can't spend more than that much, you don't qualify for the credit. 
 
3. The only productions will be large commercials and very small films.
None of which will create the numbers of jobs they forecast, and in the end, the idea will fail and the Governor will pull the program citing that it didn't work like it's supporters said it would.
 
4. When most other states offer no caps, why does Ohio have a cap?
Yes, it'll take money out of the tax coffers, but for every dollar credited, four were spent right here. If no money is spent in Ohio, no money goes out... Am I missing something?
 
5. Finally why is the Cleveland Film Commission touting this as a great victory?
Clearly it's a band-aid on a corpse, but why isn't anyone saying so? I guess The commission's silence is the deal they made with the devil to even get this passed.
 
I have a film I can produce for well under $20 million... anyone interested?
 
Bill Johns
www.cinevidproductions.com


      
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