Local film crews, catering, construction generate big bucks for state

Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News

So just where is all that Hollywood money going, anyway?

Film and television projects tend to come with what seem like astronomical price tags, usually in the millions. But the big numbers mentioned in entertainment media refer to a project's total cost, without breaking out how it's spent.

To get a better idea of where those dollars are going in Michigan, local film executives shared some of the line-by-line expenditures from recent productions made in the state. Because of the sensitive nature of the budget process, they asked that the productions not be identified by name.

The numbers illustrate how millions of dollars that would have been spent in California, Louisiana, New Mexico or other film states came here instead because of Michigan's industry-leading tax incentive program.

There has been talk in Lansing of eliminating or reducing the credit to help balance the state budget -- a move critics say would essentially wipe Michigan's fledgling film industry off the map -- but it appears that the refundable credit of up to 42 percent is safe from any changes, at least for now.

A look at the numbers:

• The company of one independent feature film production slated for release next year is spending more than $8 million in the state, including $1.6 million on labor for in-state workers.

Also in its budget: $120,000 on location rentals; $1 million for post-production services; $200,000 on local lodging for crew, plus local travel expenses; $50,000 to local police and fire departments for overtime detail work; plus hundreds of thousands extra on catering, construction and incidental purchases such as hardware and office supplies, all bought in Michigan.

• A cable television reality show in production is planning to spend $5 million for one 13-episode season, all of it filmed in Michigan, with most of the money spent on the crew.

To maximize qualification for the state tax incentive credit, producers have lined up a crew that's 90 percent Michiganians.

• A major studio flick scheduled for release next year has a $50 million budget and is spending 80 percent -- $40 million -- locally.

Of that, $3 million will be spent on local temporary housing for crew members, and extras for the film will be paid for an estimated 5,000 collective days of work.

And in a distinctly Motor City twist, the film's budget also includes $2 million to spend on "picture cars," or vehicles rented from local companies and some Metro Detroit auto enthusiasts.

Close-watching gearheads might even recognize a few from the Woodward Dream Cruise.