PBT Transcript (5/15/2008)

MIKE ARMSTRONG: Welcome to the show. We normally tape in the Inquirer newsroom, but today we’re inside this photo studio. The reason? A man, a dog, a bestseller, and now a movie. It’s anything but business as usual at the Inquirer today. I’ll tell you why, and we’ll tell you about Philadelphia’s burgeoning movie business. Philadelphia Business Today starts now.

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MIKE ARMSTRONG: For the last couple of days at the Inquirer, it’s been hard to escape the filming of Marley and Me. A couple of scenes for the movie based on former Inquirer columnist John Grogan’s bestselling book are being filmed in the newsroom today. Dozens of people built the set and brought in the lighting. Even more are here for the actual filming, including Owen Wilson, who plays Grogan in the movie. Seven movies were shot in the Philadelphia region in 2007. Besides Marley and Me, at least six more are being shot here this year. It’s not your imagination, ore moves are being made here. To find out why, I talked with the Greater Philadelphia Film Office.

MIKE ARMSTRONG: I’m here with Nicole Shiner of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, and Nicole I’m wondering, how many films are being shot here in Philadelphia this year?

NICOLE K. SHINER: Well, since the beginning of this year we had two shoot in the beginning of the year, and they were Jim and the Romans[?] and Tenure, they both wrapped. And then currently we’re shooting a small film called Dare, a major feature called Marley and Me, as you know, and also Happy Tears starring Parker Posey and Demi Moore. And then in June, Transformers 2 arrives. And It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia comes back for a couple days of shooting in August. Cold Case returns.

MIKE ARMSTRONG: Is all the shooting we’re seeing in Philadelphia a result of the tax incentives?

NICOLE K. SHINER: Most of them are tax-incentive-related. This past summer we passed $75 million in tax credits and companies are just lining up waiting to take advantage of them.

MIKE ARMSTRONG: If those tax incentives go away, does the film industry?

NICOLE K. SHINER: The way film is these days, it’s above all else a business, and producers, although there are artistic reasons they choose locations, one of the main reasons productions come to cities outside LA is because of tax incentives and advantages. And the marketplace is so competitive right now, worldwide, not just in our country, but places like , , have them. So you don’t keep up with offering tax incentives, productions will not choose this area.

MIKE ARMSTRONG: That’s it for today. From the third-floor photo studio, I’m Mike Armstrong for Philadelphia Business Today.

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