There is more to a movie than the actors and actresses and directors. There are the people in lighting, the production assistants, grips, transportation, catering, and on and on. A project is like a small business in a way. And for it to be successful there needs to be trained workers. And for Michigan to be successful in the film industry it needs trained workers. That's where local colleges are coming into play by developing film industry courses to train would-be Michigan film workers.
Excerpt:
While the incentives lure filmmakers to the state, Michigan needs to
develop a strong film infrastructure and work force to keep Hollywood
coming back, said Jeff Spilman, co-founder and managing partner of S3
Entertainment Group, which teamed up with Oakland Community College to
offer training in behind-the-scenes jobs.
"I can't stress the
importance of sustaining the incentives to provide jobs for the people
of the state of Michigan," Wenson said. "It's a true opportunity for us
to diversify the economy."
As the state began offering incentives to filmmakers, OCC formed a film advisory board to identify training opportunities.
"After
talking to people in the industry, we were convinced there were good
career opportunities for people, whether they were recently laid off or
were looking for a long-term career," said Rochelle Kaye, program
manager at OCC for economic and work force development.
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