CINCINNATI RETURNS TO LIST OF BEST CITIES TO MAKE A MOVIE
Cincinnati– For the fourth straight year, Cincinnati is on the list as one of the best cities in North America to make a movie, according to MovieMaker Magazine. The list, unveiled Tuesday leading up to this week’s Sundance Film Festival, ranks Greater Cincinnati as 13th in the country among big cities for best locations for film producers to make movies, up one position from last year. Cincinnati is also the top movie making city in Ohio, ranked one spot ahead of Cleveland, and is ranked above such cities as San Diego, Washington DC, San Antonio and Seattle.
MovieMaker determined the winners using surveys, research on tax incentives and recent productions, and personal visits to most of the locations on the list, as well as the best available information on how they’re coping with the pandemic.
“We are incredibly honored to again make this list of best places to live and work for moviemakers,” said Kristen Schlotman, executive director of Film Cincinnati. “The listing is a tribute not only to the talented cast and crewmembers who already make Cincinnati their home, but to our community partners, sponsors and volunteers who work hard to make sure every production that comes to greater Cincinnati is a success.
"This was obviously a very different year for our annual list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker — it’s a time of incredible upheaval, but also opportunity,” said Tim Molloy, editor-in-chief of MovieMaker. “Many in the film and TV industry are looking to change their way of life, and many cities and towns across the country are welcoming these storytellers with open arms.
Albuquerque returns this year as number one of the MovieMaker list, followed by Atlanta, Austin, Chicago and Vancouver. The rest of the Top 25 includes: 6) Philadelphia, 7) Montreal, 8) Miami, 9) Boston, 10) Calgary, 11) Toronto, 12) Dallas, 13) Cincinnati, 14) Cleveland, 15) Oklahoma City, 16) Memphis, 17) San Diego, 18) Baltimore, 19) Portland, 20) Washington, DC, 21) Kansas City, MO, 22) San Antonio, 23) Seattle, 24) Milwaukee and 25) St. Petersburg. The entire list of large and small market cities is in the Winter 2020 issue of MovieMaker magazine, available on newsstands February 2.
About MovieMaker Magazine
MovieMaker Magazine is the nation’s leading resource on the art and business of making movies and the world’s most widely read independent film magazine. Read more at moviemaker.com
FILM CINCINNATI IN THE NEWS
On January 16, Film Cincinnati's Kristen Schlotman was front-page news.
The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote about our executive director's start in film production, and the abundance of success she's found in the industry.
So much so, in fact, during her tenure, Kristen Schlotman has serviced over 50 movies in the Cincinnati area.
A shining moment in her career was being instrumental in the implementation of the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit- pivotal legislation solidifying Ohio as a competitive location for filming. Since its implementation in 2009, film productions have spent $572 million in the state of Ohio, and 6,192 full-time equivalent jobs have been created thanks to projects attracted to the state.
"It is great to be recognized by the Enquirer, and our Cincinnati community as a whole, but I still believe this is just the beginning," says Schlotman. "We want to be No.1 worldwide for film production, and we are on our way because of our board, partners and the unbeatable crew and talent in this market.
To get a peek inside Schlotman's world and the work of Film Cincinnati visit the Enquirer's website.
WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING BY DONATING TO FILM CINCINNATI- 2020 VIDEO RECAP
By donating to Film Cincinnati, you are contributing capital used to lay the foundation for a sustainable production ecosystem in Cincinnati. Movies make a powerful economic impact and provide mass workforce development.
Because of the pandemic, filming halted for months, but Film Cincinnati did not stop. We pivoted and kicked into overdrive, making it our mission to keep our Cincinnati neighbors who work in production afloat. We are asking for help, so we can keep bringing movies to Cincinnati, but it's so much more than that.
We are asking our Cincinnati neighbors for help, so we can keep paying it forward and continue helping our community. We created a video to recap the work we've done through 2020.
Context to better understand the video- once the pandemic hit, our focus became the talented crew who bring movies to life (self-employed tradesmen, tradeswomen, and artists). They are some of the most vulnerable to the ramifications of the virus. As a freelancer, one does not have the safety nets offered at contractual jobs (a consistent paycheck, health insurance, etc.). Thus, FC Cares for Crew was born. #FCCaresForCrew
We entered this uncharted territory by selling our merchandise. We flipped a few thousand dollars in t-shirt sales into $30,000 and gave away $100 Kroger gift cards. When government relief options were unfolding, we hosted a roundtable discussion between an employment attorney and crew members to ask and answer questions regarding the CARES Act.
It was also a time when staying connected as a community was paramount. We organized routine Zoom happy hours with local film crew. The community found comfort in going through it together and toasting to better days. We talked about the state of the industry, going back to work, pivots in work proceedings, and chatted about life with old friends. There was a sheath of comfort in knowing we're all in this together.
Our happy hours evolved to include special guests outside of Cincinnati, such a Mario Correa, screenwriter of Dark Waters, and Christine Vachon, producer Killer Films. It grew into a place where movie aficionados, students, and others interested in the industry were invited to join the conversation as well.
When it was a year of disruptions and pain, we are so proud of the community we built during 2020. Please enjoy our video recapping our pandemic programming.
WE'RE ON PAYPAL
Great news, Film Cincinnati now has PayPal. You can find us here. You can also search Film Cincinnati or Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Film Commission. Look for the Film Cincinnati logo, and you'll know it's us. Thanks for your continued support.
INTERN SPOTLIGHT
Jack Reynolds, an electronic media and broadcasting student at Northern Kentucky University, worked with us at the Cincinnati film commission during the fall semester of 2020.
Film Cincinnati's internship program benefitted from the talents of Reynolds by tapping into his expert photography skills. Reynolds scouted the city and shot various landscapes, places, and buildings to bolster our locations database on the photosharing platform SmugMug.
"I further fleshed out the already existing locations library by adding more sub-categories, and I would add location decks of my own," says Reynolds. "I wanted to help fill in and update the database, so it would be even more useful and diverse."
Reynolds went the extra mile and even created a how-to guide for navigating SmugMug.
The independence that came with working remotely, due to COVID-19 precautions, and being responsible for something so central to a movie, such as locations, left a strong impression about the industry on Reynolds.
"It makes you realize, movies don't just show up to Cincinnati and come together out of thin air. There's so much behind the scenes work being done to attract them here," Reynolds reflects. "There are a lot of steps to it, and that requires places like Film Cincinnati to make it happen. I've gained a better understanding of the various jobs and work required to be in the industry, and my passion for it grew even more."
Reynolds is leaving his time at Film Cincinnati with new confidence and perspective.
"Working on this project helped improve my ability to manage large and abstract projects, and how to have an independent thinking mindset to get it done," says Reynolds.
Moving forward, Reynolds sees himself entering the production world, and his time at Film Cincinnati has given him the experiences and lessons to get inside.