Reel News
Hawaii no ka oi for films
With war with Iraq a possibility, Hollywood executives are growing increasingly nervous about filming in foreign locations.
It's a good time to remind Hollywood of Hawaii's location diversity, safety and financial incentives, especially since Canada, a favored location for runaway productions, has eliminated some tax shelters that last year caused as much as a 50 percent drop in Hollywood productions -- 30 percent in British Columbia alone.
Los Angeles continues to try to keep productions there, though one exec admits if a project is driven by dollars rather than talent, producers always go where the best price is. The worldwide battle for production money is fierce. "Every week, some place publicizes their new sound stages and financial incentives," a studio production executive said.
Hawaii's main competition is Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Eastern Europe and South Africa. New Mexico last year developed an innovative co-investment program, resulting in the state actually owning a stake in two movies, "Blind Horizon" and "Suspect Zero." North Carolina is doing the same.
Australia's 12.5 percent offset program covers production costs on films with budgets of more than 8.9 million in U.S. dollars. But some producers complain of a lack of crew depth Down Under, and say actors don't want to travel so far from home, especially now. Neither is an issue for Hawaii.
If war breaks out, Hollywood execs say they want to know how to get where they need to be and stay safe. Score a point in favor of Hawaii -- Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines have become major film supporters in assisting productions' transportation and shipping needs.
Another point that favors the islands is that some locales, such as Vancouver, suffer location fatigue, lacking variety. Vancouver has one look, gray, and its locations have appeared so often, they're "shot out."
Hawaii film revenues last year should exceed $100 million and 2003 is off to a great start.
But to remain competitive, Hawaii's financial incentives must remain in place, including Act 221 (currently under review by both the Legislature and Gov. Linda Lingle) and tax rebates. Hawaii may want to review the success of New Mexico and South Carolina incentives.
If there's ever been a good time to tout Hawaii's financial incentives, locations, safety and experienced crews, it's now.
Reel News unspools every Wednesday.
Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.