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WF hosted Town Hall events in Seattle and Spokane last weekend. In case you weren't able to attend, here's a quick recap. 

 

Executive Director Amy Lillard first presented results from the Second Annual Jobs and Vendor Survey. The survey results clearly indicate that film is an important economic engine in Washington State that creates many jobs and brings in a significant amount of money to our local economy. With $6M in annual income reported from cast and crew and over $32M in film / video revenue for Washington businesses that support the film industry, the economic impact of film is felt statewide. There was also strong evidence indicating that film upholds the larger creative economy and supports a diversity in creative industries such as video games, theater, music and advertising. 

 

Lance Rosen and James Keblas, Co-Chairs of the WF Advocacy Committee, also spoke at the Town Hall meetings about the action items for the committee in 2014. Knowing that the production incentive program is the best tool that we have to win business, Rosen, Keblas and Lillard have been meeting with elected officials and state leaders to talk about the feasibility of additional funding for the program. During these discussions, there has been recognition of the important economic impact that the film industry has had in the state. These discussions have also sparked creative thinking about how to make the production incentive program more competitive. Rosen and Keblas suggested that community engagement will be imperative, should there be legislative action in January 2015 and Lillard recommended that the community follow the WF newsletter and blog to get the most up-to-date information about how to support the efforts.

 

At the conclusion of the meetings, several industry leaders spoke about the ways in which the community can get involved at this early date. In Seattle, Douglas Horn spoke about a social media campaign to elevate awareness about the film, television, and commercial industries in Washington. The goal is to educate elected officials and the public about the true scope and importance of the statewide film industry. Using the hashtag #filminWA, Douglas encouraged the community to post images of all kinds of filmmaking moments - from writing a script to auditioning, to buying props or even booking hotel rooms and working on post-production. This will create a visual representation of the scope of work in the film industry. Lacey Leavitt and Krk Nordenstrom in Seattle and Mischa Jakupcak in Spokane spoke about the WA Film PAC, a political action committee working to promote growth in Washington State filmmaking. Several events for WA Film PAC are in the planning stages, but you can find out more on the Film PAC website. 

 

To keep up-to-date on the work of the Advocacy Committee and WF activities make sure to follow the WF newsletter and WF Blog.