Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2006

BY LETICIA THEODORE

Keeping true to his promise Mayor Michael Bloomberg is bringing the movie industry back to New York. The Mayor announced the expansion of the Made in NY tax credit initiative for film and television productions. According to the Administration the program has had a $1.5 billion impact on New York City. The expansion of the program means local businesses have an even greater avenue to market themselves to New York’s expanding television and film industry.

The Made in NY initiative, which offers a five percent tax credit for qualified television and film productions shot in New York City and a marketing credit that provides productions with free outdoor media to support their releases, includes a Made in NY discount card. The cards are issued to all productions for the duration of their shooting schedules. It gives productions access to vendors across the five boroughs, lowers production costs and steers production business to local communities.

"Through the 'Made in NY' discount card program, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is connecting local businesses throughout the five boroughs with valuable revenue from our City's entertainment industry, with contributes $5 billion to our local economy annually," Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting said. “Already, we are promoting more than 500 vendors on our Web site, who have agreed to offer discounts of at least ten percent to productions currently shooting in New York.”

Earlier this year, the Brooklyn Chamber’s delegation to Albany lobbied for the expansion of the program. Volunteers on the Chamber's Government Affairs Committee presented Brooklyn’s 31 New York State representatives with the 2006 Brooklyn Agenda for Growth (to see this year’s Agenda visit http://www.ibrooklyn.com/) in early March and stressed the importance of extending the tax credit program and the need for expansion.

“Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been a big success,” explained Kenneth Adams, President, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “Steiner enables Brooklyn to play a major role in the City’s film industry. And fundamental to its success is this tax credit program because it helps us compete with lower cost City’s and State’s as well as Canada.”

A number of Brooklyn businesses have signed up to participate in the program including Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Members like Roger Desmond who has owned and operated Palmira’s Restaurant in Brooklyn Heights for the last three years. He’s been a part of the Made in NY discount program for just under six months.

“In the back of your mind you hope they’ll come to your restaurant and your place will be planted in their minds for a future project,” said Mr. Desmond who speculated that a group who patronized the restaurant a few times might be part of a local film shoot.  “That’s more than the discount program to me; it’s trying to get discovered.”

For the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge the benefits are slowly materializing. Judy Tang, Senior Account Representative with the hotel says she’s begun receiving phone calls from film and television producers.

“Overall the ‘Made in NY’ tax incentive is great for the city and beneficial for hotels.  It boosts our economy and encourages filmmakers to come here,” said Judy Tang, senior sales account executive for Marriott International’s New York City Hotels. “This program is still young, and we look forward to welcoming more production companies as the program expands.”

The Made in NY initiative has helped to create jobs and expand the City’s $5 billion film and TV sector, which supports employment for more than 100,000 New Yorkers.

The Made in NY program began in Jan. 2005 when Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a 5% City tax credit for qualified film and television productions. The program was so successful that in Mar. 2006 it reached its $50 million allocation. Last year, there were more than 250 independent and studio films shot in New York City (compared to 200 in 2004) and 100 television productions. The numbers of shooting days increased 35% to 31,570 over 2004.

New York State’s 2007 Executive Budget means the $25 million allocated annually by the State and $12.5 million allocated by the City will increase to $60 million and $30 million respectively. The Bloomberg Administration is working with the City Council to ensure the full funding of the “Made in NY” program. What was a $175 million program has been increased to a total of $600 million.

For information about how local businesses can participate visit www.nyc.gov/film. To learn more about the Made in NY program visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/discounts/discounts_home.shtml