More film production = More JOBS for Warren County

Sometimes government gets it right. Last July, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that offered almost $7 million in motion picture tax credits to encourage companies to make movies in Ohio. As a result, four movies are currently being filmed in the Buckeye State, and are expected to employ nearly 3,000 Ohioans as part of the production crews and extras. Even better, the films will bring about $25 million in economic activity to Ohio with production crews utilizing restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.

As your elected State Representative, I would aim to put Warren County on the map for film production. Lebanon is a prime site for movies requiring a certain historic ambiance. Hollywood realized this in 1977 when it utilized the lofty brick structure of Berry Middle School for the sitcom, Harper Valley PTA. In 1994, historic downtown Lebanon and its quaint Ice Cream Parlor came to life on the big screen in Milk Money, starring Ed Harris and Melanie Griffith.

We have so many more sites to offer film crews wanting unique, "all American" settings for their stories. Think about the authentic Civil War mansions along Cincinnati Avenue, the harness racing track on Broadway, and Fort Ancient's 18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by Ohio's Hopewell Indians, to name just a few. A city like Franklin would be a perfect site for an independent film wishing to depict a familiar blue collar world. And let's not forget the residuals of increased tourism that film production would bring to our district. People from out of state will plan their summer vacations around visiting the Glendower Museum and exploring its Greek Revival architecture, or eating at Ohio's oldest inn, The Golden Lamb, as (hypothetically) portrayed in a hit HBO mini-series the year before.

A common complaint of the unemployed is the anonymity of the job seeking process. An individual gets on the Internet, sends out hundreds if not thousands of resumes to faceless employers, and never hears anything in response. The reality is that networking for jobs is usually a face-to-face endeavor. People need to get out into their communities and connect. Local film productions would enable the unemployed of Warren County to do just that. If you read in The Western Star that a film is soon to be shot at Kings Island, hurry down to Great Wolf Lodge as the hotel will need extra staff for the summer. Granted, most film jobs are temp jobs, but these can lead to permanent jobs, and there is also something to be said for simply having ANY job that pays the bills right now.

As your State Representative, I would push for MORE tax credits for Ohio film production.