American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 66

Working With a Film Commission

Top: The feature Brigsby Bear was photographed on location in Utah.
Above: A scene from Wild, which was shot in Oregon.

commissions can seem removed from
the creative process of cinematography,
the commissions' efficiency can make
the difference between an acceptable
shot and a great one. James
Chressanthis, ASC, GSC was recently
behind the camera for the series Gone.
He shares, "In the opening of the pilot,
we wanted to not only introduce lead
character Kick Lannigan [Leven
Rambin] but also her home city of
Pittsburgh as a character in the drama.
With a camera mounted on her open
66

March 2018

Jeep Wrangler, she drives through the
Fort Pitt Tunnel and bursts across a
high bridge, revealing a stunning vista
of Pittsburgh. Then, without cutting,
she motored through the downtown
streets. We wanted the life and vitality
of a city going to work, so we shot this
going inbound at rush hour on a late
Friday afternoon. We could not have
done this without the advice, cooperation and support of the Pittsburgh
Film Office, which, along with Mayor
Bill Peduto, strongly supported our
American Cinematographer

efforts to film all over Pittsburgh and
surrounding counties."
Navigating film commissions'
financial offerings can be daunting.
Not all locations offer tax incentives
for motion-picture productions, and of
those that do, most have a minimum
spending threshold before a project
can qualify for those breaks. There are
further considerations in each financial
package, including minimum filming
days, performance rebate, screencredit negotiation, loan rates, and
requirements to hire residents, to
name only a few; locations also face
their own caps, meaning the incentives
they can offer aren't without limits.
Comparing possibilities is challenging,
and the rules are continually shifting
as municipal, county and state governments revise their policies.
Through its database, the AFCI
strives to make clear how its member
film commissions work. The organization also offers classes aimed at accrediting film commissioners. Good
information on film commissions can
also be found via Variety 411, and
KPM Film - which bills itself as
"CPAs and tax incentive advisors to
the entertainment and production
industry" - offers in-depth analyses
of current trends through its website.
Coordination among film
commissions themselves is important,
especially in large urban areas where
permitting and logistics may involve
various municipalities, and where the
film liaison personnel may be housed
in different governmental agencies.
The Chicago Film Office is a division
of the city's Department of Cultural
Affairs and Special Events, while the
Illinois Film Office is part of the
state's Department of Commerce. The
City of Chicago itself stretches from
Cook County into DuPage County, so
deciphering permits and public-safety
matters can require intensive work.
"Preproduction is generally
where our film office spends the most
time working with the production,"
notes Eric Preiss, the director of the
Nevada Film Office. "By working

Brigsby Bear photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Wild photo by Anne Marie Fox, courtesy of Fox Searchlight.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - March 2018

Contents
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - Cover1
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 1
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 2
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - Contents
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 4
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 5
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 6
American Cinematographer - March 2018 - 7
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