How 'movie tourism' hurts American cities
Over the past couple of years, a series of ads has appeared in New York City’s subways and buses touting the benefits that film productions bring to the five boroughs. “Each year, the film & TV production industry generates over $400 million in tax revenue to NYC” the cute, infographic-style posters read. The ads also inform readers that this is equivalent to the salaries of thousands of sanitation workers, firefighters or teachers. “Thank you for hosting production in your neighborhood,” they conclude. As though you had a choice.
The “Filming is good for NYC” campaign may assuage residents justifiably upset at losing parking spots or taking detours to avoid walking into a film set. But these ads also sugarcoat a series of corrupt city and state policies that use the “cultural value” of the entertainment industry to transfer taxpayer money to film production companies, encourage gentrification and increase inequality.
Cultural institutions
Made in NY comes out of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. It “celebrates” films and television programs that are produced in New York City by giving those productions a month of “free” (read: taxpayer funded) advertising in the subway, taxis and bus stops of New York City. In return, these productions donate either $10,000 or .1 percent of the production cost, whichever is greater. This amounts to much less than a month of free marketing in America’s number one media market. The productions must also and co-brand their advertisements with the “Made in NY” logo and messaging.
Wouldn’t the city better support its cultural institutions by just giving them the value of this advertising directly and letting the film companies advertise themselves? And wouldn’t it do better by the MTA just giving them this money outright?
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/8/movies-gentrificationfilmindustrycorruption.html