December 28, 2005 - The introduction of the first-of-its-kind "Made in NY" incentive program led to a banner year for film and television production in New York City -- bringing $600 million worth of new production business to the City and creating jobs for more than 6,000 New Yorkers. As a direct result of the "Made in NY" incentive program, over 250 independent and studio films and a lineup of over 100 new and returning television productions shot in New York City's streets and studios in 2005. The "Made in NY" tax credit was signed into law by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on January 3, 2005, offering a five percent tax credit from the City on top of the State's 10 percent tax credit for qualified film and television productions. The New York City program was so successful in 2005 that the credits will soon reach the total $50 million allocated for this initiative. The City has retained the Boston Consulting Group to evaluate the program's effectiveness in terms of job creation and economic benefit and will develop recommendations to refine and strengthen the program. As an additional component of the incentive program, New York City continues to offer free advertising on City-owned media to film and television productions which do at least 75 percent of their shooting throughout the five boroughs. In 2005, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting initiated this original advertising program -- unique to NYC productions -- generating extraordinary exposure for "Made in NY" productions throughout the largest market in the country. The productions which have thus far benefited from the program include The Apprentice, As the World Turns, Carlito's Way: The Rise to Power, Guiding Light, Hope & Faith, The Interpreter, Jonny Zero, King of the Corner, Law & Order: Trial By Jury, Little Manhattan, Mad Hot Ballroom, Rescue Me, The Squid and the Whale, Starved and Stay. The advertisements have run on properties including bus shelter posters, NYC TV, Kodak's Times Square Gallery, the NASDAQ Marketsite Tower and the Reuters sign in Times Square. "The 'Made in NY' incentive program made it an incredible year for production in New York," Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting said. "Not only has the City been successful in retaining the films set in New York, but we have also lured productions such as The Departed, which is set in Boston, and Fast Track, in which Staten Island doubles for Ohio. New York City's production industry employs 100,000 New Yorkers, contributes $5 billion to our local economy on an annual basis and brings our City to audiences around the world, and we are committed to building off of the successes of 2005 to continue to strengthen and grow the City's media and entertainment sector." On June 7, 2005, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting launched an additional component of the incentive program, the "Made in NY" discount card, which has grown to include over 400 vendors offering discounts to the production industry. The card lowers the cost of production in New York City and connects local businesses to the revenue generated by our $5 billion entertainment industry. Discounts are now available in 27 categories, including: Banking Services, Camera, Grip & Lighting, Casting, Electronics, Construction & Set Design, Digital Effects, Flowers & Gifts, Restaurants, Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe, Hotels, Rental Space, Music, Office Supplies, Post Production & Training, Production Crew, Props, Scenic Supplies, Stock Footage & Photography and Travel & Transportation. Well over 100 productions took advantage of the "Made in NY" discount card from June-December 2005. "With the 'Made In NY' incentive program, Mayor Bloomberg and Katherine Oliver have effectuated the single most important change in New York City's viability as a film and television destination," Dick Wolf, Creator and Executive Producer of Law & Order said. "New York City has always been a magical place to make movies," Patrick Palmer, Executive Producer of the film Little Children, which shot in New York City in 2005, said. "Now more than ever, all the elements are in line to allow producers like myself to shoot films in the city we love. The 'Made In NY' program made the experience of filming Little Children not only pleasurable, but also possible." "As one of the first companies to sign up to participate in the 'Made In NY' card program, we’ve seen production companies take advantage of the discount at all of our New York area Applebee’s and Chevys restaurants," Stephen Ekstrom, Director of Groups and Tourism at Apple-Metro Restaurants said. "This includes upwards of $15,000 in sales within the card’s first 3 months. We’re proud to display the 'Made In NY' sticker at each of our locations." Additional Accomplishments In March 2005, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting produced a free one-day training seminar for Production Assistants (PA's). The seminar was part of the agency's new outreach initiative, addressing strategies for career advancement and providing guidance on how production crews can form strong relationships with the communities in which they work. In 2006, the agency will offer free, full-time, one-month training programs to help New Yorkers break into the industry and further strengthen the City's crews. In July 2005, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting assumed responsibility for issuing permits for all red carpet premieres in New York City, furthering its mission to be a one-stop-shop for all production needs. As part of its enhanced customer service, the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting offers a world-class concierge service to assist productions with all aspects of the production cycle, from script to screen. In September 2005, the City launched a workforce training program to support independent film productions and strengthen the City's indigenous crew and talent base. The Independent Film Training Grant Initiative provides eligible NYC-based production companies with grants to offset the costs associated with training eligible crew members to assume greater on-set responsibilities. Film production companies are able to access the program for one film project and can receive a maximum of $25,000 per film production budgeted under $3 million. The City's Department of Small Business Services has allocated $150,000 in federal workforce training funds for this pilot program that will be administered by the Independent Feature Project, in conjunction with its affiliated Producers Group and the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. New York City productions continue to give back to the City in myriad ways. In December 2005, Heidi Klum, host of the "Made in NY" reality television show Project Runway, joined with Mayor Bloomberg to announce that the winning dress from each episode of the show will be auctioned off, with half of the proceeds donated to the Garment Industry Development Corporation (GIDC) to support employment in the City's garment industry. Over 250 films shot in New York City in 2005, including Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, Awake starring Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen; Martin Scorsese's film The Departed, starring Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson; The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway; Fast Track, starring Zach Braff and Amanda Peet; Freedomland, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore and Edie Falco; Fur, starring Robert Downey Jr and Nicole Kidman; Robert DeNiro's The Good Shepherd, starring Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Angelina Jolie, Joe Pesci, Billy Crudup and John Turturro; The Groomsmen, starring Ed Burns, Brittany Murphy and John Leguizamo; Hoax, starring Richard Gere and Alfred Molina; Spike Lee's Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster; Little Children, starring Jennifer Connelly and Kate Winslet; Margaret, starring Matt Damon, Anna Paquin and Mark Ruffalo; Night Listener, starring Robin Williams, Toni Collette and Sandra Oh; One Last Thing, starring Cynthia Nixon, Ethan Hawke and Wyclef Jean; Mel Brooks' film The Producers: The Movie Musical, starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell; Spinning into Butter, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and Super Ex-Girlfriend, starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. New York City's new television shows in 2005 included The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, Book of Daniel, Love Monkey, Martha, Starved and Stella. Over 1,050 commercials shot in New York City in 2005, for clients including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, Campbell’s, Chanel, Clairol, Coca-Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, Ford, Goldman, Sachs & Co, Honda, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Starbucks, Hershey’s, Mastercard, Maybelline, McDonald’s, Porsche, Pricewater House Coopers, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sprint, Starbucks and Victoria’s Secret. design by    The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film Theatre & Broadcasting 1697 Broadway Suite 602, New York, New York 10019.
Copyright 2008 The City of New York Contact Us | FAQs | Privacy Statement | Site Map