Film Commissions

All around the world, governments and their agencies have recognised the opportunities presented by the film industry and have created special purpose vehicles with which to deliver their goals. These are typically called Film Commissions or Film Offices.

The first film commissions were formed in the United States during the late 1940′s, in response to the need for film companies to have a local government liaison who could coordinate local services such as police, state troopers and highway patrols, road and highway departments, fire departments, park rangers and all of the other essential municipal and government services for shooting a production on location.

The term “Film Commission” came about because these offices emerged from a form of municipal government that was once common in the United States known as “City Commission Government.” In a city commission government, voters elected a small team of Commissioners who, as a group, were responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions. As individuals, the same Commissioners were also assigned responsibility for a specific aspect of municipal affairs, such as public works, finance, or public safety (remember Police Commissioner Gordon in Batman?) Once Film was accepted as a Municipal responsibility, one of the Commissioners became the Film Commissioner, and the relative department became the Film Commission. That term has subsequently become the standard operating name of the vehicle worldwide.

However, for non-City Commission Governments, the term Film Office was utilized and the terms Film Office and Film Commission have become increasingly interchangeable over the last few years. Internationally, Commissions / Offices have been created by cities, counties, states / provinces or federal governments and countries. They are usually funded by various agencies of government but they are housed in a variety of models, for example, the governor’s office, the mayor’s office, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors’ bureaus, tourism offices and business and economic development departments. There are now some 300 registered film commissions and film offices from more than 30 countries on every continent.

Results from a 2005 survey of the Association of Film Commissioners International showed:

• 75% of Film Offices are Government Agencies
• 24% are Non-Profit Organisations
• (In the USA the split is closer – 51% to 45%)

• 45% of all commissions are managed by Boards of Directors
• 30% are direct government offices.

• 74% of film commissions are small one person offices with operations budgets of less than $50000 per annum.
• 8-10% of all film commissions conduct their own fundraising programmes.

In other words, there is no set structure locally or international for a government-driven film vehicle. Rather the potential exists for the adoption and adaptation of a variety of international models at a local level. Instead, it is better to define government-sponsored film programmes by their standard roles and responsibilities.

All Film Commissions/Offices proactively contribute to the development of buoyant, competitive, sustainable local economies through the development of the film industry and of film-related activities in a specific region. Most Film Office therefore undertake a standard set of activities for production including:

• Marketing of Locations
• Marketing of Local Crew, Equipment & Expertise
• Location and Scouting Support Services
• Assisting Inbound Productions / Troubleshooting Production Problems
• Assembling and/or Building a Film-Ready Workforce & Community
• Creating and managing incentive programmes

The primary goal is to attract film and video production to an area in order to accrue locally-realized benefits from hiring local crews and talent, renting local equipment, using hotel rooms, rental cars, catering services, or any number of goods and services supplied on location. In response to the growth of on-location filming however, the services provided by film commissions have expanded dramatically and they now provide a gamut of free services, from scouting locations within their area to trouble-shooting with local officials and helping cut through paperwork and bureaucratic red tape. Some also provide hard economic incentives, such as tax rebates and hotel discounts for location scouts. Others offer a variety of essential free services like research for screenwriters or liaison work with local government agencies.

More recently, more progressive Film Offices around the world have begun developing an even broader scope for their activities – not merely addressing the Commercial Model of Production, but by becoming the hub and thrust of ALL film related activity within a jurisdiction. The role of this new generation of Offices often includes encouraging the development and distribution of local productions, increasing audiences for film product particularly via film festivals, encouraging the study of film and the acquisition of film related skills, supporting a climate of entrepreneurship.

As the services of Film Offices have grown, so have their marketing efforts. From advertising to direct mail to participation at the well-produced Locations Global Expo trade show, Film Offices attempt to inform producers of their vast array of services.

Internationally, a Film Commission or Office typically offers its jurisdiction:

Leadership
The absence of a central office to coordinate film and television related activities results in a fragmented industry without clear goals, direction or deliverables. Film Offices provide this leadership.

Vision
Without central coordination, there is additionally no commonly held vision of what the Film industry could be, and how it could impact on the economy of the jurisdiction. A Film Office should deliver this.

Professionalism
In the absence of a central office, there is no concerted effort to raise the bar and improve standards in all aspects of the business. A Film Commission encourages greater professionalism and a drive towards Best Practice.

Integrity
A central tenet of any Film Office is that it operates with integrity and impartiality. Without a Film Office, NO stakeholder is able to access impartial information about the industry, and that is very bad for business.

Facilitation
A Film Office’s most important role is to facilitate collaborative solutions from the entire industry. Generally speaking, Film Offices have no power but exert an awful lot of influence. This way they are able to bring together like-minded groups and individuals, and create practical and pragmatic solutions where (hopefully) everybody wins.

Opportunity Cost
The costs of setting up and running a Film Office are sometimes seen as being prohibitive. This need not be the case. Furthermore, the opportunity cost of NOT having a film Office can have a negative impact on economic sustainability for an entire economy.