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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Maryland Loses Lacrosse Movie, Ehrlich Loses Patience


Feature Film on Maryland’s sport to be shot in another state

(Item from the Maryland Daily Record of June 29, 2010: Hollywood’s first-ever movie about Lacrosse now appears set to be filmed in another state; Maryland is home to its Hall of Fame and proud tradition.)

“It is sad but significant to find that Maryland couldn’t even attract the production of a movie on a sport whose deepest traditions are in our state,” Bob Ehrlich said today. Ehrlich has pledged to revive funding for a state tax credit which brought numerous Film and TV productions to Maryland during his administration. “With a modest investment in attracting productions to Maryland, we could create hundreds of jobs for the craft and trade employees who work as technicians, caterers, security personnel and construction crews every time a film or series comes here to shoot,” Ehrlich said. “It’s a small investment that brings a huge return, and an easy way to create jobs when our state and our people need them most. The failure of the O’Malley Administration to fund this tax credit fits the pattern of their disinterest in job creation and encouragement for small businesses.”

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

its a small ADG union presence in MD and even when the film commission secures a gig a lot of the hires and equipment rentals are from elsewhere its good PR on the surface but hardly worth the tax breaks we give them

Jeanne said...

Put out also the amount of money Maryland will have to "put up" to fund this program........And is every movie always a success? NOT...Thats what Maryland needs is to get into Movies....Maybe a good thing would be Cartoons of the politicians...........

Anonymous said...

Thumbs up!

Ron Brawl said...

Here, here. Ehrlich is spot on.

R. Budd Dwyer's .357 said...

A tax credit alone won't bring productions to Maryland. You need skilled technicians as well, which Maryland is lacking. I hate to tell Mr. Erhlich this, but most movie productions left the state when he was Governor. Annapolis was filmed in Philadelphia. The tax credit he talks about wasn't passed until 2006 when he was running for re-election. It kills me to say this, but Paris Gelnndening did more for the Maryland film industry than anybody, and there was no Tax credit at the time. Plus i don't want the government paying Hollywood to film here because it can lead to Maryland taxpayers paying for obscene material.

Anonymous said...

It seems small but Ehrlich is right again. The fall off of movies filmed in this great state is unreal. Ehrich for Governor = Wedding Crashers 2

Anonymous said...

The movie Annapolis was filmed in Canada because the Naval Academey read the script and didnt approve it

Anonymous said...

R. Budd. You are forgetting one very important factor and that is that Ehrlich had a DEMOCRATIC house who refused to work with him on almost every issue. Maybe when he's elected again they will change their tune or be voted out.

Ron Brawl said...

Actually Budd, Salisbury University has been has been hailed as being cutting edge in communications and provides graduates that can fill many of the technical positions of which you speak.

http://www.salisbury.edu/commarts/

If you haven't taken a tour of their new state-of-the-art Integrated Media Center I encourage you to.

Ron Brawl said...

"Plus i don't want the government paying Hollywood to film here because it can lead to Maryland taxpayers paying for obscene material."

What are you talking about?

R. Budd Dwyer's .357 said...

To Ron

The State of Texas is going through the obscene material debat right now. The filmmakers of "Machete" have applied for the tax credit since the film was shot in Texas. Too bad the film calls for a race war between Mexicans and Whites. I read the shooting script and boy is it Anti-American to the point that its disturbing. Plus your point on Salisbury University training students, most Hollywood productions require the person to have actual, and not student film, experience. The Pittsburgh area had the same problem a few years ago, but now its the new Hollywood Mecca

Anonymous said...

Seriously, if Ehrlich can get us a Wedding Crashers 2 he has my vote.

Ron Brawl said...

"The Pittsburgh area had the same problem a few years ago, but now its the new Hollywood Mecca"

All the more reason to bring films here, so the students can transition from student films to real world experience without leaving the state.

I'm sure you are aware there have been several movies/tv shows shot in Maryland such as 12 Monkeys, St. Elmo's, The Corner, The Wire, most if not all of John Water's films, Barry Levingson films, Homicide, Gods and Generals, Sleepless in Seattle, and many more.