Please support HB272!

I am writing in support of bill HB272 to support the growth of the film industry in the beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia. Incentives help to entice studios to produce film projects that provide good paying jobs to Virginian constituents while boosting local businesses and the overall economy across the state and in the localities where filming takes place.

Dear Legislators, Please support HB272 !!!! At the moment there is no film work in Virginia

Funding these bills increases the chance of long term film work within the state of VA. The last few years have seen a weak and non competitive television and film incentive for productions to come and invest in this community. With fights for film worker's rights, threats of AI replacing jobs , and conglomerate studio mergers, US film work even more competitive. Productions have been choosing to out source to work to european countries it makes the pool of work even smaller. We have a strong and talented community of film workers and technicians in this state and we are looking forward to your vote to pass this bill and bring us the work we need and want here. Fund the Arts. Fund bringing work to your constituents. Fund economic growth to VA. Thanks for your time.

It would be great to get some more incentives in Virginia so some work and money could come back into the state so the people who grew up in this area and want to continue to call Virginia a home would like to keep doing but if I can't work I can't afford to live in Virginia much longer

I live in Richmond, and I work in the film industry. My livelihood depends on an increase in these incentives! I am 42 years old, and I have worked in film for nearly 20 years. I need more film opportunities here to survive! Thank you very much for your time.

As a film worker, my livelihood depends on these bills. Once I turn 26 I will need to be in a union to have healthcare. If union jobs don’t come to Virginia, I’ll be forced to leave my home state.

Please support this bill as it helps to incentivize film work in the Commonwealth; supporting our state-wide economy and boosting sustainability for trained tradespeople to live, raise families, and work in Virginia.

I am writing to ask that you please consider supporting HB272. As a location scout in the film industry, I have seen how incentive programs like this bring in large scale film productions that not only provide a livelihood for local crews, casts and artisans, but also directly pump money into local economies. These productions contract numerous local vendors for their services and are often among those companies highest spending and most vital customers. Without incentives like this, it is almost certain that these large productions will cease coming to Virginia and that will negatively impact not only the livelihoods of local film workers, but also the numerous vendors services that we contract.

Good morning, distinguished Committee members, I write to you today in support of an issue that will play a vital role in reinvigorating the Virginia film industry, bringing jobs and revenue back to the Commonwealth. I am one of hundreds of workers in Virginia who benefited directly – and indirectly – in years past from Virginia’s support of television and movie production. Passing HB 272, the Film Industry Communities Zone; Local Designation legislation, is critical to the future of Virginia’s economy and helping workers like me. Consider my own story as a camera assistant. A few years ago, movies and television productions routinely came to Virginia. People like me enjoyed well-paying jobs that benefited ourselves and our communities in Virginia. But much has changed since Virginia’s film incentives lapsed. Workers like me must routinely leave Virginia to find work and practice our trade. Tonight, for instance, I am writing this while working in North Carolina, where I just wrapped a day of film production for a Netflix series. While I have been fortunate to still live in Richmond, many of my colleagues have been forced to move to North Carolina and other states to make a living. Skilled artists and technicians who love our state have moved away reluctantly – to follow the work and earn a living. This is a loss for Virginia on many different levels. There is an immediate economic impact. For example, today I saw hundreds of workers in North Carolina – not Virginia – earning good money and spending it in the local community. These are jobs and revenue that a few years ago could have been in Virginia. With this proposed legislation, this well-paying industry could once again return. Movie and film production could become much more common in the Commonwealth. The revenue impact of movie production snowballs throughout a community and the state. The impacts are far-reaching. Beyond tax issues, the potential tourism advertisement that comes from Virginia film goes completely muted without an incentivized reason to bring productions here. A lack of a visible film output in Virginia misses valuable opportunities to bring more public attention to the Commonwealth, with real world economic impact from both tourism and industry. The industry also directly drives the livelihoods, wages, and healthcare of those workers. Film production work often leads to union participation, which in turn subsidizes employee healthcare. However, union healthcare is dependent on participation. As industry opportunities diminish in the Commonwealth, film workers face rising costs of public healthcare options or risk losing their healthcare entirely. Healthcare achieved through union production lessens the burden of public cost health on state taxpayers while at the same time helping Virginia workers. To tie these thoughts together, tonight I write to you from North Carolina as one single member out of a production crew of hundreds of people. Crews of this size earn impressive wages, which are taxed by the state before they are spent on goods and services in the local economy. Instead of this happening in North Carolina, this should be happening in Virginia – and this legislation can help make that happen.

As a local film crew member, I understand the importance and the impact our shows can make on the communities in which we shoot. I have worked on films/shows that have filmed all over the Commonwealth and know the crew and cast have contributed greatly to the municipal, retail, hospitality and service industries. Allowing the communities to find ways to bring this kind of work to their localities is empowering and a great way to stimulate our industry. Our livelihoods. Thank you for your time.

I work in the film industry and my livelihood depends on the boost these incentives give our industry. Please support it! Thank you!

My name is Victoria Petrone and I live in Richmond, VA and have been in the film industry for 10+ years. I love my job and the community it has given me. Not many people can say that, however, I know just how fortunate I am as well as the community. By supporting HB 272, you are giving back to small businesses, showing how wonderful our city is and just how much we have to offer. The lack of work due to the loss of incentives has been devastating. Richmond was once a place that was booming with new opportunities and future creative projects that allowed everyone from all walks of life to support themeselves and families. Please consider supporting HB 272.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on HB 272. I live in Richmond, VA and have worked on motion picture productions for twenty years alongside hundreds of hard-working local technicians, tradesmen, artists, coordinators, assistants, drivers, office staff, and other workers. Sadly, our once thriving industry is now stagnant because Virginia can’t compete with nearby states. Jobs, a talented workforce, recent graduates and dollars that could have been spent here are forced to go elsewhere. It’s disheartening when a movie or TV show that is set in Virginia is filmed in a nearby state because that state offers more flexible economic support . Virginia has EVERYTHING other states have (great crew, stunning locations, supportive small businesses, etc.); the only thing we lack is the legislation to support our industry. Please help put Virginia BACK on the list of economically viable places to bring film and television production. Please support Virginia’s current AND future workers and businesses by supporting HB 272. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Good afternoon, I'm writing in support of tax incentives for Film in Virginia. I've been a resident of Richmond Virginia since 2002 and have worked in the Film community since 2008 and join the Camera union local 600 in 2013. We have a wonderful, talented and diverse crew here in Virginia who love this city and what we do for our livelihoods. None of us want to travel to NY or Atlanta to work, leaving our significant others and pets here just to support ourselves. Thank you for your consideration. -Eric Eaton IATSE Local 600

Please support HB272! As a film location scout, I understand the importance of localities having the ability to offer their own incentives to attract film production. Film productions have a significant economic impact on the areas they film, especially for the local businesses. Also, film locations have been known to see a boon to tourism.