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November 24, 2009
Come Celebrate with filmmakers and the small business owners that participated in the first ever, Commercial Film Challenge. Awards for the winning commercial will take place.
When: Tuesday, December 8th.
Location: Bookies Sports Bar & Tavern (2 blocks behind the Fox Theater)
Time: 7:00pm to 12:00pm
The FilmEmerge Commercial Film Challenge is the first film competition of its kind that uses local student filmmakers to create affordable commercials for small business owners.
Student and experienced amateur filmmakers and their teams–write, create, film, and edit small business commercials to compete for scholarships and other prizes.
Small business owners will get a :60 second commercial to help promote their business to their local target audience. FilmEmerge will promote the commercials online through it’s partnerships with other web marketing companies. In addition, through it’s non-profit foundation, The FilmEmerge Foundation, it will assist business owners with promotion of their commercials to local broadcast networks and cable companies.
100% of net proceeds from the FilmEmerge Commercial Film Challenge raise funds for The FilmEmerge Foundation
About The FilmEmerge Foundation
The FilmEmerge Foundation, a Michigan 501c3 non-profit, assisting deserving students in scholarship programs for film schools and theater arts programs. Additionally, the foundation assist in the retraining of displaced workers into job retraining programs for the film and motion picture industry.
The FilmEmerge Foundation is raising awareness towards the homeless, raising funds for it’s Movies For Shelters Program. The Movies For Shelters Program, provides homeless shelters with spiritual, positive, and uplifting films.
FilmEmerge Foundation | 440 Burroughs Street | Suite 93 | Detroit, Michigan 48202 | 248.229.5502 | filmemerge.org | filmemerge.com/challenge/
The FilmEmerge Challenge
Dear Friend,
You may have been disturbed by news stories about todays plight of homeless and needy people in your surrounding areas. Todays economy has put many deserving families into situations that may have placed them out of their homes, due to job losses or other unexpected economic reasons.
Todays homeless shelters are at over capacity. They are temporary shelters for many families and individuals who have been placed into their circumstance undeservingly. These homeless shelters provide a warm meal, and a place to sleep. Many of the people that retreat to these shelters, have hope and the desire to change their situation.
Do you remember ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ the 2006 American biographical film, based on the true story of Chris Gardner? The film starred Will Smith as Gardner, an-on-and-off-homeless salesman-turned stockbroker. In 1981, this smart salesman and family man invests in a medical apparatus that turned his investment into financial troubles. Without money, but totally committed to his son Christopher, Mr. Gardner sees the chance to fight for his internship position, offering a more promising career. His fight from being homeless for his independence, was created by his inner faith and hope.
There are many Chris Gardner’s out there in today’s homeless shelters. There are many stories, like ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ that the FilmEmerge Foundation would like to help.
For many homeless people, the circumstances vary. But typically, they need positive reinforcement and assistance towards the will to become independent again.
The FilmEmerge Foundation is raising awareness towards the homeless, raising funds for it’s Movies For Shelters Program. The Movies For Shelters Program, provides homeless shelters with spiritual, positive, and uplifting films.
The FilmEmerge Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, assist in the retraining of displaced workers in job retraining programs for the film and motion picture industry. Additionally, the Foundation assist deserving students in scholarship programs for film schools and theater arts programs.
On behalf of the deserving and homeless, we are pleading for your generous support. Can you find a way to support during these most difficult times?
Supporting the Commercial Film Challenge by participating your small business in the commercial competition, or a direct contribution to The FilmEmerge Foundation, will help the plight of the deserving homeless.
Generous supporters like you will insure that we can assist in the positive reinforcement of hope, faith, and independence for the homeless.
Bless you and yours today and throughout the upcoming Season.
Sincerely,
Jonathan C. Rayos - President | Founder
Scott Paul Dunham - Executive Director
FilmEmerge Foundation | 440 Burroughs Street | Suite 93 | Detroit, Michigan 48202 | 248.229.5502 | filmemerge.org | filmemerge.com/challenge/
October 19, 2009
 Leading film and movie portal, FilmEmerge creates a venue for budding filmmakers to help promote their cinematography skills, while assisting local businesses with their marketing and advertising.
The FilmEmerge Commercial Film Challenge is the first local business and filmmaker commercial competition in Michigan, bringing filmmaking teams together to make a :30 second and 1:00 minute commercial from scratch — teams write, shoot, edit and score a commercial. FilmEmerge plans on rolling out the competition to other major markets.
“With the current economic environment for small businesses, in conjunction with the emerging Michigan Film Industry Tax Incentives for filmmaking, we had to create a forum in which we could give back to the small business owners,” says FilmEmerge CEO-Jonathan Rayos.
“The Commercial Film Challenge proceeds will help benefit local homeless shelters, will help create the ‘Movies For Shelters’ program and also help in creating scholarships for filmmakers,” adds Mr. Rayos.
Filmmakers compete to see who can make the best commercial. The winning commercial receives a $250 cash prize. Other electronic prizes will also be available. All commercials will be promoted online.
Mr. Rayos says, “local Businesses will get a :30 second and 1:00 minute web commercial made to promote their business by local filmmakers,” he adds, “Where else can you get a commercial made for less than $100?”
FilmEmerge is a movie production resource center providing social media for the Michigan film and entertainment industry. Originally begun as a film production directory for those offering production services, it quickly grew into also a non-profit film foundation for training and education. Currently, FilmEmerge has more than 270 production categories. The differentiator technology of FilmEmerge includes a customizable profile page for directory listings, a marketing-friendly URL to attach one’s business name, a customizable banner, personalized and up loadable news, events, videos, an area for verified film credits, and a Save/Share component to share profiles with other social media sites
About FilmEmerge
http://www.filmemerge.org
Contact: Charlie Ploughman,
734.474.1246
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Michigan based companies, Center for Film Studies (CFS) and FilmEmerge have formalized a business relationship. FilmEmerge will assist with the marketing and promotional push for CFS.
“We are collaborating with the Center for Film Studies (CFS) to help facilitate workforce retraining for the emerging Michigan motion picture industry. Areas of retraining include production assistant, general grip/lighting, electrical, set carpentry/construction, stage/set production, and introduction to wardrobe,” FilmEmerge CEO and Co-Founder, Jonathan Rayos.
Mort Meisner, CEO of CFS adds, “FilmEmerge is becoming a leader in the Michigan film industry with their portal, services and other projects. This partnership will benefit many of the unemployed, and displaced manufacturing jobs from the United Auto Workers (UAW).”
About FilmEmerge:
FilmEmerge is a movie production resource center providing social media for the Michigan film and entertainment industry. Originally begun as a film production directory for those offering production services, it quickly grew into also a non-profit film foundation for training and education. Currently, FilmEmerge has more than 270 production categories. The differentiator technology of FilmEmerge includes a customizable profile page for directory listings, a marketing-friendly URL to attach one’s business name, a customizable banner, personalized and up loadable news, events, videos, an area for verified film credits, and a Save/Share component to share profiles with other social media sites.
http://www.filmemerge.com
Contact: J. Rayos 248.229.5502
About Center for Film Studies:
With Michigan offering massive tax incentives to filmmakers and production companies, and thousands of highly skilled Michigan workers unemployed, CFS founders Mort Meisner and Jack Grushko saw the need for an establishment that could help keep those incentives alive, while also helping to create jobs in the down economy. They envisioned an institution that would allow Michigan’s vast wealth of talented workers to stay in the state that they love, and continue to support its economy. This vision coincided with the production companies’ need to hire Michigan residents in order to preserve the maximum tax incentives. Meisner used his extensive TV and broadcasting background to put together a team of seasoned industry professionals, and thus the Center for Film Studies was created. This all-star lineup of instructors brings decades of experience to the Center, and provides it’s students with the skills, terminology, and wisdom needed to break into the world of TV and film production.
http://www.centerforfilmstudies.com/
Contact: Doris Hage 248..545.2643
August 24, 2009
Raleigh Michigan Studios - Wonderstruck - Unity Studios Allen Park
Even with the unwanted front page news of one of financiers for Raleigh Michigan Studios - the Pontiac studio financed by A. Alfred Taubman, Linden Nelson, John Rakolta Jr. and William Morris Endeavor - Ari Emanuel has arranged the $75.8 Million required to break ground in 30 days on ten soundstages to be ready for summer 2010 according to Steve Lemberg, CFO of RMS.
Jimmy Lifton’s Unity Studios in Allen Park while delayed from its June groundbreaking continues toward the October opening of The Lifton Institute and the initiation of the bond issue needed to fund the land purchase. A ground breaking event is scheduled for August 27th.
Wonderstruck Studios, which was formerly announced to take shape at the temporary MGM Grand facility may be considering other locations.
Jonathan Rayos
CEO | Co-Founder FilmEmerge
July 27, 2009
FilmEmerge has expanded services from providing a directory of resources and talent to include courses. Question is – will the money stay within Michigan? Some of the courses are bringing instructors in from Hollywood.
They recently established the FilmEmerge Foundation…
As a 501(c)3, Michigan based non-profit organization. The FilmEmerge Foundation provides scholarships to deserving youth and retraining opportunities for displaced workers interested in the art of film documentary, narrative filmmaking and positions in major motion picture productions.
Gran Torino is a film that received a lot of coverage when recently filmed here. It was not eligible for tax incentives because it brought people from outside Michigan to work here. Sure those people coming in brought money to businesses during their stay while filming, however that money headed home (outside Michigan) once filming was complete.
The lesson for film makers is to train the talent you wish to use, get them the tools and skill with them for your production.
Filmemerge’s directory of talent is not alone. Sites have been springing up every week offering to be a source for film talent. How many do you have to sign up on? Which are actually being used to prospect for resources by film makers with a valid budget and support? Sites like the Michigan Film Office’s directory require a fee to be listed on them. Is the fee worth the investment?
Are those staffing films going to the paid site over these free sites and why? Status of the site having valuable connections and content is often the key.
We’ve found that FilmEmerge has answered all of the questions, and then some.
July 20, 2009
Michigan’s Most-Visited Film Resource Website – FilmEmerge.com – Acquires UAW Seal of Approval
To Provide Film Training for Displaced Workers – TAA Federal Grant Monies Available!
UAW Displaced/Current Workers & Michigan Displaced Workers Reinvent Themselves via FilmEmerge Training
DETROIT, Mich. – Who ever would have thought that Michigan’s automotive workers may work in the film industry one day? Welcome to Michigan, where film tax credits and a local organization of growing repute is making this a reality. FilmEmerge.com, Michigan’s most-visited film resource website in Detroit’s popular TechTown, which provides social media for Michigan’s film and entertainment industry, has acquired the seal of approval from the UAW – all nine Michigan regions controlling all the locals – to provide a variety of film training to UAW members and other displaced Michigan residents.
“We were approached by and also researched many film industry training groups, and decided that FilmEmerge was the right company for us, says UAW President Rory Gamble. “They will retrain our displaced workers for Michigan’s emerging film industry. We envision a long relationship and many success stories.”
Rory recently invited FilmEmerge to present to 150 UAW regional directors, and then to 400 local UAW leaders and members. Michigan’s upcoming film career opportunities grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.
“Through our trainings, hard-working Michigan residents can reinvent themselves and discover the next steps in their career,” says FilmEmerge Co-Founder Jonathan Rayos, who with his partner Jason Waterman, formed the organization nearly one year ago. “Our trainings focus on the film industry’s ‘below-the-line’ jobs, such as production assistance, grip, electrical, lighting, and stage production and carpentry.” Additionally, UAW displaced workers can take advantage of the federal government’s January, 2009, UAW Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA ) grant program, offering retraining funds from $5000-$10,000.
Learn more about FilmEmerge at www.FilmEmerge.com, and to register for quickly-filling trainings and receive special pricing, visit www.FilmEmerge.com/training. Also, visit FilmEmerge at the Plymouth 845 UAW job fair on Wednesday, July 15, from 10 am to 6 pm, on Sheldon Road, in Plymouth, Michigan.
FilmEmerge’s vision to create a web-based resource for the Michigan film industry originally began as a film production directory for those offering production services. Today, the site includes more than 270 individual production categories offering a customizable profile with social media components, marketing-friendly URL to attach one’s business name, customizable banner, personalized and up-loadable news, events, videos, area for verified film credits, and ability to share profiles with other social media sites. Additionally, FilmEmerge provides training, web-based marketing for independent filmmakers, and film funding. Already over 1700 people follow FilmEmerge on Twitter — @FilmEmerge — and about 125 join each week.
For more info.: Contact Anahid Lisa Derbabian, 248 202.0583, Anahid@integritycommunicationsco.com.
FilmEmerge
FilmEmerge is a movie production resource center providing social media for the Michigan film and entertainment industry. Originally begun as a film production directory for those offering production services, it quickly grew into also a non-profit film foundation for training and education. Currently, FilmEmerge has more than 270 production categories. The differentiator technology of FilmEmerge includes a customizable profile page for directory listings, a marketing-friendly URL to attach one’s business name, a customizable banner, personalized and up loadable news, events, videos, an area for verified film credits, and a Save/Share component to share profiles with other social media sites. www.filmemerge.com
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A lot can be said about unions supporting wage earners and creating a middle class. However, a lot can also be said about unions ruining this country. Case in point: Michigan.
You would think that after the UAW destroyed the auto industry and the tax base in Michigan, the people of the state and the unions based there would have learned. However, this is not the case. In the latest union disaster for the state of Michigan, the IATSE has decided that the blooming film industry in the state must be stopped before it even gets started.
As most of you in the film business know, the state of Michigan has one of the most lucrative tax credit/rebate programs in the industry. The state gives you 40% of every qualified dollar that you spend in the state. In addition, if you shoot your film in a few core areas such as Detroit, you will get an additional 2%. That’s a whopping 42% of what the producers’ qualified in Michigan spend. On a 20 million dollar budget, this can amount to a gift from the state of Michigan of approximately 6.5 million dollars after you subtract the non-qualified costs.
Other states have tax incentives, but none even come close to these numbers. Louisiana, which has the oldest and most tested tax incentive, just increased their program from 25% to 30% and loosened its requirements in order to compete with Michigan. South Carolina is also considering an increase in its program in order to compete.
Smelling blood in the state, IATSE has decided that any economic growth in Michigan caused by this program must be stopped. In the latest deal struck with the AMPTP, the IATSE has changed Michigan’s ten most production friendly counties into the Maryland Rates. The change effects Ann Arbor and Detroit’s scenic and wealthier suburbs.
You may ask, how is this killing production and the economy in Michigan? Well, prior to this union agreement which takes effect on August 1, 2009, most of Michigan, except for Detroit’s Wayne County, came within the Area Standards rates which cover most of the country, including South Carolina and Louisiana. According to a production executive at my company, the additional cost of the Maryland Rates will be almost $500,000 over the course of an average production. Hence the benefits of the 40% in tax credits is gone.
Producers will do what they always do and go running for the best deal. With this additional cost in Michigan now, it will probably be back to Louisiana, South Carolina or one of the other states that come within the Area Standards IATSE deal. So, another union is doing its best to destroy Michigan. And yet, the liberal government in Michigan allows this to happen? Why do the people of Michigan sit back and watch their beautiful state head into oblivion?
by Frank DeMartini
June 28, 2009
First Grand Rapids Film Festival Premieres August 26-28
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 23, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Independent, foreign and documentary filmmakers along with area film enthusiasts, will converge in Grand Rapids August 26-28, 2009 for the first Grand Rapids Film Festival.
The inaugural event will take place at Celebration Cinema North and feature films by some of the best and brightest independent moviemakers from around the world. Organizers of the Grand Rapids Film Festival have chosen to focus on films that are message-driven and universally entertaining.
“Hollywood is seeing a paradigm shift in its audience. Box office numbers show people want a better film that doesn’t expose them to gratuitous sex or excessive graphic violence,” said Corey Niemchick, president of Storytelling Pictures and co-founder of the Grand Rapids Film Festival. “Studios are acknowledging that family films can go beyond the minivan set. The goal of the Grand Rapids Film Festival is to show great independent films that challenge, inspire and tell a great story.”
Organizers are working on providing producers face-to-face opportunities to meet with publishers and potential distributors. A welcoming reception and awards ceremony are also planned. Film workshops and seminars may be scheduled this year and will be an integral part of future film festivals.
“Given the enthusiasm for the film industry in West Michigan, we are elated to have an all-new film festival for Grand Rapids,” said Rick Hert, West Michigan Film Commissioner. “Festivals introduce moviegoers to a wide variety of independent films while helping film producers make direct connections with an audience. It also gives our West Michigan film industry an opportunity to showcase ourselves.”
The final film line up will be announced in coming weeks. It will include 30 movies encompassing a variety of genres–independent films, foreign films, children’s features, animated motion pictures, short films and others. The festival will utilize four screens at Celebration Cinema North, one of Loeks Theaters’ flagship locations.
“We realize a festival is also about the venue experience,” added Niemchick. “Celebration will be a wonderful venue for our first year, allowing us to get our feet wet by tackling the complexities of building a festival infrastructure, including relationships with filmmakers, judging, sponsorships and networking.”
Niemchick said a 2010 festival is already expected to take place in downtown Grand Rapids, with several venues interested in taking part.
Admission to the Grand Rapids Film Festival will be $7 per screening, (excluding opening- and closing-night events). All-event passes will also be available. Tickets go on sale August 1 through the Celebration Cinema box office or online at www.celebrationcinema.com. $5 early-bird passes are available now.
Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting info@grfilmfestival.com. Festival volunteers may register online at www.grfilmfestival.org.
About the Grand Rapids Film Festival
The Grand Rapids Film Festival is committed to expanding the cultural awareness of film making and to perpetuate the creative talent of aspiring and professional filmmakers in Michigan’s second-largest city. It is headed by a committee of West Michigan filmmakers, writers, artists and other creative professionals. Additional information is available at www.grfilmfestival.org.
SOURCE Grand Rapids Film Festival
http://www.grfilmfestival.org
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