MAINE, USA — When people hear that a movie is going to be shot in their town, they almost always get excited. The Maine Film Association wants that emotion to be felt more often, not just because it’s fun but because it generates money that can ripple across the state.
How much money? That’s the question that a new report from the Maine Film Association addresses. Compiled by Todd Gabe, a professor of economics at the University of Maine, the study “found that the Maine film and video production industry has a direct [annual] economic impact of $29.25 million in revenue, supports 312 full- and part-time jobs, and generates $16.1 million in direct labor income,” an MFA news release says.
The Maine Film Association believes that if the state government were to provide some modest financial incentives, movie and video production would grow briskly. Imagine, for instance, if some movies based on the works of Stephen King that are set in Maine were actually shot in Maine.
We talked to two people who are enthusiastically supporting this effort, Louise Rosen and Erik Van Wyck, both veterans of the film business.
They’re realists, and they know that Maine is not going to be the new Hollywood. But they think the state has substantial potential and they want to tap it.
Watch our conversation to see how they think that might happen.