‘Iron Man 3′ Joins Movie And TV Production Exodus To North Carolina

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Well, another big studio project has decided to not shoot in Los Angeles.

I'm currently in Atlanta on a show, in very busy Georgia with so much work that they can barely fill all the key positions.

Also currently shooting here is Jeff Wexler, Bill Kaplan, Eric Pierce and Scott Smith who shoots in Savannah.

Now North Carolina, which years back had a lot of work in Wilmington, has snagged Iron Man 3.

From Deadline Hollywood:

“The rumors are true,” a North Carolina TV station announced when the governor flew to the hometown movie studio to break the news this past week. “Tony Stark and the third installment of the Iron Man movie franchise will fly into Wilmington.” Great news for North Carolina maybe but for the Los Angeles movie and TV community it felt like a punch in the gut. Thanks to the state’s generous 25% production credit, North Carolina’s EUE/Screen Gems Studios sealed the deal. Manhattan Beach-based Marvel Studios considered making the third movie in Los Angeles just like the first two, but the 25% credit proved too hard to resist. California has a 25% credit — which excludes big budget studio productions. Marvel also considered Michigan and New Mexico but North Carolina won out because of the size of the facility as well as the tax credit.

“We aggressively pursued this piece of business,” said EUE/Screen Gems Co-Owner and COO Chris Cooney. “We negotiated hard, and it paid off.” EVP Bill Vassar pointed out that in addition to Screen Gems’ 10 sound stages the area has a large local crew base with experience handling five productions simultaneously. Iron Man 3 is expected to pump about $80 million into the local economy. “This is a great day for North Carolina,” Gov. Bev Perdue boasted. Not so great for Los Angeles, though. “Five-hundred-fifty jobs, all the other sub-jobs, the construction jobs, that’s what it’s all about to us here locally.” In addition toIron Man 3, Perdue cited Hunger Games and a lot of other movies and TV workcurrently and recently all over North Carolina. “The film tax credit made a real difference.”

Too make matters worse, at a time when many other states, not just North Carolina, are aggressively pursuing location shoots, California’s tax credit program was extended after only one year because the Legislature didn’t think the financially strapped state could afford originally proposed five-year version.

L.A. wasn’t the only city that got this kind of news recently. NBC Sportsannounced that it was moving out of its longtime home at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan about 35 miles away to Stamford, Conn., to take advantage of tax incentives. Connecticut offers tax credits from 10% up to 30% depending on a production’s budget.

Iron Man 3, which North Carolina officials say will be the state’s biggest production yet, is expected to set up shop in Wilmington for about 10 months starting after the first of the year.

[Michael McQueen]

NC is pretty psyched on it. but a lot of the wilmington crew jumped ship to atl a few years ago. i'm sure there might be a few coming back. but i'm going to be applying to iatse here soon to hopefully get some love from this show.

[ProSound]

Yes Georgia is quite busy even over the coast in Savannah. We are seeing a dramatic increase in people scouting and inquiring for 2012. And I have gotten many calls from Atlanta recently seeking me for 2nd unit sound jobs however I have been quite busy myself and haven't been able to do any of them.

[Sjohns37]

It'd sure be nice if instead of going to the movies the movies came to me.

[Jeff Babb]

I'm sure they'll be bringing their sound team from LA.

[studiomprd]

" bringing their sound team from LA "

Frequently the Utility is a local hire.

[Jeff Wexler]

More and more productions are bringing ONLY the sound mixer and the rest of the crew is all local. This is happening to all departments --- many Directors of Photography are also being limited to taking only one person, usually the operator, when these projects are shooting in the current Incentive DeJour location.

[Laurence]

It's as though the L.A. hires are working not just as mixers but also as mentors to facilitate their own demise.

[johnpaul215]

Each state is different, but Pennsylvania also has 25% tax credits, and it only applies to money spent in state. I'm not a producer, but I understand it only means cast/crew that are PA residents, gear rented in state, other things bought and rented (trucks, hardware, food, hotels etc). If NC is the same, that may be why they really push for local hires as much as possible.

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

All the State Tax Film incentives are based on increasing the number of local hires and spending the dollars locally. When a particular market gets overwhelmed by production, then the local talent pool thins, resulting in inexperienced individuals being hired in key and support positions.

If the inexperienced crew member results in poor quality - then the Producer hires from L.A., New York or even Chicago at a much increased cost, negating that departments tax incentive value.

It all comes down to saving below the line expenses - until that attempt jeopardizes the shooting schedule and quality. Then they spare no expense in "fixing" it.

[old school]

It all comes down to saving below the line expenses - until that attempt jeopardizes the shooting schedule and quality. Then they spare no expense in "fixing" it.

Is it just me RL or do you think there is more money to be saved above the line than below? I personally don't begrudge talent n directors their fair share, it is the featherbedding of producers n agents n managers that seems way out of whack in the equation.

CrewC

[RPSharman]

A good friend of mine, a Line Producer, talked to me once about the actual cost of bringing someone in from Los Angeles to mix in Michigan, Louisiana, etc. He says even if the wage is the same (IATSE Low Budget Agreement, for example), the cost of transportation of the crew member and gear (in our case), and per diem and idle days, etc. is simply too high to ignore. Then add on incentives, or the $31/hr area standard rate, and it takes a total lack of local availability, or a catastrophic failure, to make it worth brining someone in. As the budgets increase, the risk increase, and more producers will bring in more experienced crew members who might not slow down production. But typically, sound is now seen as a "fix it later" department. Post budgets always include "fixing" sound. If we do a great job in production, that money gets moved into another area of post production. We aren't credited for saving money. If the sound is bad, it is often "fixed" and usually goes unnoticed above the line. Only once have I had a director quantify my contribution on his last film in order to convince producers to cough up extra money to bring me in over a less expensive hire. Unfortunately that movie failed to shoot, but I was honored to have been stood up for.

Production budgets and post budgets are not intermingled, so it is rarely seen as "spend more on a mixer in production and save in post." They just want to save in production.

The movies I have mixed out of town were never given to me until all local options had been exhausted.

This is why we see people with very few credits being given projects far bigger than their experience justifies. Some will pull it off, and will carve out a good career in a local market. Some will not, and often will not get another chance.

[Marc Wielage]

Is it just me RL or do you think there is more money to be saved above the line than below? I personally don't begrudge talent n directors their fair share, it is the featherbedding of producers n agents n managers that seems way out of whack in the equation.

It's disconcerting to see the number of A-list summer movies that have at least 14 credited producers in the main titles. Four or five, I can understand. A couple of the biggest $200 million bombs of the year had above-the-line credits like this.

--Marc W.

[studiomprd]

" at least 14 credited producers in the main titles. "

So I guess the question it begs is:

How many producers does it take to F^#% up a $200 million movie ??

[Colin Heath]

In VA (Tax incentive is OK, not as good as GA or NC), Steven Spielberg is filming his next film "Lincoln" around Richmond. They bought in the sound mixer, boom opt and utility from LA. So i have been wedged out of utility work, but maybe some second unit if they are doing one, or just some day play at best.

Sometimes when a big big movie comes to town, the rules will bend. Hope that doesn't happen for NC.

[Rob Lewis]

Avengers just shot in Cleveland, and Batman just shot in Pittsburgh, and both mix positions were L.A. mixers. There are several qualified mixers in both markets, yet they continue to bring L.A. mixers and boom ops to these jobs. Its a matter of comfort with the studio, and has nothing to do with the cost of traveling from L.A. They just dont know, or trust local mixers, which is why Local unions aren't that strong. Locals cant get the key positions because of this. Just the way it is.

[Richard Lightstone, CAS]

Big budget shows will always hire the most qualified people with long track records who generally live in either Los Angeles or New York.

"Experienced" Mixers in the markets Rob refers to can always relocate to L.A or NY and prove that they have the chops.

There are many mixers (I will not name them) who have made a name for themselves first, in places like Florida, Texas, North Carolina etc., who eventually moved to Los Angeles or made themselves available and are now the top names when it comes to hiring for these big budget shows.

[Jeff Wexler]

Avengers just shot in Cleveland, and Batman just shot in Pittsburgh, and both mix positions were L.A. mixers. There are several qualified mixers in both markets, yet they continue to bring L.A. mixers and boom ops to these jobs. Its a matter of comfort with the studio, and has nothing to do with the cost of traveling from L.A. They just dont know, or trust local mixers, which is why Local unions aren't that strong. Locals cant get the key positions because of this. Just the way it is.

It's not so much the "comfort with the studios" as it relates to who the Director and/or Producer want to work with in Sound. In the not so distant past, the consideration for who would be hired in key positions (like the Sound Mixer) was NEVER determined by where the movie was being shot. Directors want to hire the people that they are comfortable with and more often than not it is someone they have already done a lot of work with in possibly lots of different locations all around the world. Just because a movie decides to shoot in North Carolina or wherever should not dictate who gets the job as Sound Mixer (but of course it does now in today's world because every crew person that they can hire locally will save them money on travel, hourly rates and conditions, per diem and of course the incentives, etc.).

[RPSharman]

Avengers just shot in Cleveland, and Batman just shot in Pittsburgh, and both mix positions were L.A. mixers. There are several qualified mixers in both markets, yet they continue to bring L.A. mixers and boom ops to these jobs. Its Ia matter of comfort with the studio, and has nothing to do with the cost of traveling from L.A. They just dont know, or trust local mixers, which is why Local unions aren't that strong. Locals cant get the key positions because of this. Just the way it is.

The expense of bringing in key crew on big studio pictures is a drop in the bucket. Sensible producers will bring people they know to be reliable. It is not worth the risk of any possible minutes here or there lost by hiring any department head locally. It doesn't matter if the perception is accurate or not.

But since there are fewer bigger movies these days, that would have gone to the mixers they are going to regardless of geography anyway, local mixers shouldn't feel left out. There are still ample opportunities in the under $20m arena, where I used to play, who only fly out mixers/boom when local resources have been explored.

I would bet that all but a few hire a local utility. It would be a spectacular opportunity for a local mixer, who has never held any other other position, to utility for the likes of Jeff Wexler, Bill Kaplan or Richard Lightstone, and get a good look at how the big boys play.

[RadoStefanov]

A little of topic but bare with me.

I recently worked with a big TV production where 75% of the crew were south Americans with work visas.

A lot of people from Venezuela, some from Columbia, Argentina and Peru.

When I asked why the answer was: There is not enough specialist in the USA.

BS!!!

Later I found they made way less $$$ then me.

Who gives work visas for TV Crews?

When I started this profession I was sure my job can not be outsourced.

Now I am not sure......

[Omar Milano]

When I started this profession I was sure my job can not be outsourced.

Now I am not sure......

A la Senator: let's see, there's Canada, Czech Republic, Romania, Mexico...it's sad, and maybe unfair, but the numbers run everything.

[RadoStefanov]

A la Senator: let's see, there's Canada, Czech Republic, Romania, Mexico...it's sad, and maybe unfair, but the numbers run everything.

Do not forget Bulgaria...

Well TV shows will still be produced in the USA. Maybe not the fiction....

[studiomprd]

" Local unions aren't that strong "

There is no cause and effect here...

Another part of the equation is that many of these productions are under the Hollywood contract, and the local unions fight to get the utility person hired locally...

[RPSharman]

" Local unions aren't that strong "

There is no cause and effect here...

Another part of the equation is that many of these productions are under the Hollywood contract, and the local unions fight to get the utility person hired locally...

There is also no minimum staffing requirement on most Area Standard agreements. So the utility job might be a bonus for a local guy if the project is shot under a Hollywood contract.

[taylormadeaudio]

I would bet that all but a few hire a local utility. It would be a spectacular opportunity for a local mixer, who has never held any other other position, to utility for the likes of Jeff Wexler, Bill Kaplan or Richard Lightstone, and get a good look at how the big boys play.

Robert is right -- I've done this a few times now, and the experience one gains is invaluable. I started as a Boom Op, and within a few years was primarily mixing. I never disregard the possibility to take a different position though. It steps up my game as a mixer in a way that could not come about any other way. Veteran mixers get hired because they have a proven track record of getting the desired results. If anyone gives a rats ass about their production sound, the extra expense far outweighs the unknown variables of a less-experienced crew (or dept. head)

In any case, life isn't fair -- good people get crappy jobs, crappy people get good jobs... too many variables to analyze. If we keep our lights on and read the signs, hopefully we can stay out of the eddies and off the sand bars, navigate that "middle path" where the good current is, and keep working our way toward the ocean -- ["cue the music... eFans!"]...where good people work on good jobs...

(sorry, I couldn't resist carrying that one out... the set-up was too perfect)

Anyhow,

I just 'Utilitied' on a 6-week gig for a Mixer that's been mixing about as long as I've been alive. Sure, I think I have the chops to have mixed it (and in a lot of cases, when he was feeling like taking a break, and trusting that I would do him justice, he let me mix while he ran to Crafty or 10-1...) ...not the point though... If I was all bent on not getting the mixer position myself, and not willing to take the Boom (or even Sound Utility position in this case) I would have lost the opportunity to work alongside an amazing mixer and watch him do it his way. To think I got paid for it as well -- hell yeah -- I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

It was a really hard show -- "not very sound-friendly" would be putting it mildly. We got through it though -- we all brought our A-game every day, and I know I'm a better mixer for taking the gig. Another mixer once told me it's a war of attrition -- you just have to keep moving, hopefully forward, and eventually (if you're good) it will pay off.

~tt