Oregon Film Responds: Without Incentives, Say Goodbye to Film Production in Oregon

Portland Mercury:

Yesterday I reported on a new study that shows Oregon's film incentive program wastes tens of thousands of dollars a year and says we could more efficiently fund film productions straight from the state rather than via tax credits. The current tax credit incentive program is up for renewal—the governor wants to expand it from $15 million to $40 million every two years—and Oregon Film Executive Director Vince Porter was in Salem yesterday testifying (along with people in the industry) that Oregon should expand the tax credit subsidies.

I talked with Vince about the program, but first! A map of film incentives across the US. Oregon is in the minority of states that give the most desired incentive: a cash rebate covering production costs. Click the map to make it big. <div class="blogImageCenter"><img src="http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2011/02/10/thumb-1297368677-film_incentive_map.jpg" alt="film_incentive_map.jpg" title="" width="200" height="154"/></div>

MERC: So why fund film incentives through a tax credit that gives some money away rather than directly through the state budget?
VINCE PORTER: If it went to a lottery or general fund situation, then basically what we would be stuck with is six months out of 24, we wouldn't be able to represent any sort of certainty to producers looking to come to Oregon. If a producer was to call me right now, I'd have to tell him, "I don't know what funding we'll get, call me in July." Sometimes it takes us a year to recruit certain projects and if in the middle of that process they ask, 'Where are you at with incentives?' and we say, 'We don't know,' they'll pick up the phone and go to another state.

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