What you're about to read is a serious request. I've been considering writing a (kind, of course!) letter to the governor of Florida describing my horrific experiences dealing with the Pinellas and Hillsboro county film commissions here in the state.
First of all, the Pinellas County film commissioner has been nothing more than a (I'm re-wording this, I assure you!) manipulative, selfish, greedy bitch (I'll retool the detailed explanation later).
The Hillsboro County film commissioner was very pleasant to work with, however. She wanted to help me in my future production, a full length thriller, but she let me in on a little secret: The city that I want to film in has an archaic 1920's law still on the books that doesn't allow me to shoot within the city limits. Not only that, but it's ILLEGAL to shoot after dusk in the county. WTF? Don't they seek the possible dollars that this could bring in? Why is a state like Florida banning possible business?
I'm shooting a thriller that takes place at night. Am I supposed to suck it up and shoot out of state? Is our cash not as green as some multi-billion dollar production company?
Also, I wanted to mention that Florida is the last state that offers no incentives (hell, there's no cooperation either) for low budget or independent film at all. I'll cite a few examples in my letter.
I want to make valid points WITHOUT getting personal. I DO NOT want to seem angry or piss off the man at all, I'd like to offer CONSTRUCTIVE advice backed up with verifiable evidence that Florida doesn't want my -- or other indie's business.
Suggestions??
First of all, the Pinellas County film commissioner has been nothing more than a (I'm re-wording this, I assure you!) manipulative, selfish, greedy bitch (I'll retool the detailed explanation later).
The Hillsboro County film commissioner was very pleasant to work with, however. She wanted to help me in my future production, a full length thriller, but she let me in on a little secret: The city that I want to film in has an archaic 1920's law still on the books that doesn't allow me to shoot within the city limits. Not only that, but it's ILLEGAL to shoot after dusk in the county. WTF? Don't they seek the possible dollars that this could bring in? Why is a state like Florida banning possible business?
I'm shooting a thriller that takes place at night. Am I supposed to suck it up and shoot out of state? Is our cash not as green as some multi-billion dollar production company?
Also, I wanted to mention that Florida is the last state that offers no incentives (hell, there's no cooperation either) for low budget or independent film at all. I'll cite a few examples in my letter.
I want to make valid points WITHOUT getting personal. I DO NOT want to seem angry or piss off the man at all, I'd like to offer CONSTRUCTIVE advice backed up with verifiable evidence that Florida doesn't want my -- or other indie's business.
Suggestions??