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Incentives Work! Oakland Productions Increase
by Reynard Seifert
Hardest Working Woman in Oakland Show Business Head of the film office Ami Zins is cheerleader, hand-holder and red-tape-cutter to a vast cast of Oakland filmmaking characters, from Hollywood escapees to local bootstrappers. photo: CineSource
Last November, the city counciL approved lower parking fees for film shoots in Oakland, an expense that was making it difficult for producers to justify filming here. Along with California's February Tax Incentive Program, which returns fees to filmmakers, this measure means Oakland is more attractive for production. As a result, film coordinator Ami Zins reported, "There has been a sharp increase in permits applications in the last two months." This is, of course, great news for any city, but it is especially good for Oakland, with its recent economic woes that include city employees working 18 instead of 20 days a month.
The Oakland Film Office, founded in 1984, receives 100% of its funding from the city. Ami Zins, born and raised in Oakland, started there in 1998, where her first project was Clint Eastwood's True Crime. According to accounts of those who work with her - from Jaylani Roberts a young indie (who sometimes calls the office every day) to shows like Raspberry Magic pulling in from LA - Ami works tirelessly to bring projects to the city and aid those in production.
Alhtough she has big plans for the future, she wants Oakland to remember its past. And really, those are the two things needed for a community to develop a sense of self. Whether due to its diverse makeup or in spite of it, Oakland has a hard time looking at itself in the mirror, although the city has produced a number of great actors and filmmakers: Bruce Lee, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Russ Meyer, and most recently Cary Fukunaga, who wrote and directed Sin Nombre the biggest buzz film of Sundance 2009. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who directed and wrote the well recieved Half Nelson, respectively (about an ghetto teacher with a habit who forms an friendship with one of his students) are from Oakland. The problem has been keeping them here.
As the Black Panther headquarters, Oakland was a natural location for many blaxploitation films in the 1970s. Michael Campus shot two important ones here: The Mack and The Education of Sonny Carson, although the latter is less blaxxploitation and more of Carson's actual story. Oakland has also always been a great place to exhibit films intended for black audiences and it is home to the Oakland Black GLBT International Film Festival, the only established venue of its kind in the world, now in its seventh year.
Oakland and the East Bay have a lot of interesting architecture to offer filmmakers, from Redwood Park on its hills to Victorian buildings in its flats and high-tech structures ideal for science fiction, like the new Catholic Church on Lake Merit, itself a lovely location. As many are quick to point out, the Oakland cranes served as inspiration for the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars; less known is that George Lucas shot parts of THX-1138 at Laney College and Lawrence Berkeley Labs, as well as in the Caldicott Tunnel and Posey and Webster Street Tubes, which were under construction at the time. Evidently, Caltrans remains enthusiastically film-friendly and allows filming of appropriate projects in their tunnels upon request, with no permit fees.
But the variety of neighborhoods, parks, and urban and suburban areas could just as easily serve as Anyplace, America. City Hall, where Ami's office is located, is completely open to filming in their building. The Bee Season filmed in the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza; all sorts of commercials and independents have been shot there. Josh Conbluth's Haiku Tunnel filmed at all three city buildings as well as the Plaza. A Japanese TV company, Duo Creative, which does a show for Japanese TV The World's Astonishing News! recreates notorious crime stories out of a US office is located in Oakland. They staged an aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in the Plaza. A lot of car commercials are filmed in the Oakland hills. And the city doesn't require a permit for filming documentaries in public places.
The recently proposed HBO series Gentlemen of Leisure was championed by Ami Zins. The HBO series would explore the world of prostitution in a city notorious for its brothels, which is why it is opposed by Oakland mayor Ron Dellums. Concerned the series would accentuate Oakland's already negative image in the press, Dellums fears it would drive down the possibility of attracting new, non-media business, which Oakland desperately needs. Zins claims the producers' intent would be to address the complexities of Oakland's diverse culture with a treatment similar to that of Baltimore in HBO's critically-acclaimed series The Wire. Oakland must make bold social initiatives but it also needs to grow into a world class city that can fully investigate and be comfortable with both sides of itself. By providing both work and increased self-understanding, such a film would make Oakland more attractive to business in the long run.
Interestingly, The Mack was about a pimp named Goldie and is one of the most celebrated films of the blaxploitation movement, often cited as a progenitor of hip-hop vocabulary. One might even say the prostitution industry is a mainstay of Oakland film history. That doesn't mean we need to celebrate it, rather we should engage with it as a part of the city's cultural heritage and colorful history, like San Francisco's famous Barbary Coast.
A number of major films have been shot in Oakland in recent years, including The Hulk, the second and third installments of The Matrix, out at the old naval base on Alameda, and True Crime. When Oakland's IT department announced that they were creating a GSI map of the city, Ami Zins proposed mapping popular film locations to inspire Oaklanders, often unfamiliar with their city's film history.
Last year, the number of features filmed in Oakland increase to thirteen, most dealing directly with the film office. The largest was Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Resse Witherspoon, which filmed at the Grand Lake Theater. The very professional idie Everyday Black Man, concerning a store owner drawn back into his violent past, written and directed by Carmen Madden, a teacher at Ohlone Community College, was shot last August. It is in post-production; hoping to finish by the start of summer. Frazer Bradshaw's Everything Strange and New, shot in Oakland, premiered at Sundance this year, and is set to play at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Leena Pendharkar's dramatic coming-of-age film Raspberry Magic, saw its budget cut in half in Los Angeles but came to Oakland and not only survived but thrived - Ami said she really enjoyed working with them. It is still in post-production.
Zins would like to see East Bay filmmaking become more saturated, with all types of film: independent films large and small, studio productions, music videos and shorts, student projects, etc. Ami. She expects larger union projects like studio features and commercials would support crews to live in Oakland, who would in turn make their own indie films and documentaries, creating a productive workflow that would trickle down in many ways to the community at large. And Ami's personal dream: to do this while retaining Oakland's unique culture.
"We don't need to become another Hollywood," she said. "L.A. is it's own place and so is the Bay Area." Ami recommends that the filmmakers not become jaded and continue to foster good relationships with business community and the people of Oakland.
Oakland's Harbor Park, with the famous cranes, is one of many futuristic locations in the area. photo: CineSourceHollywood jobs are, of course, fantastic. Indeed, Oakland's build-up as a bedroom-, or more accurately, loft- community by the previous Mayor, Jerry Brown, who also built the new Arts High School, has attracted a surprising number of industry professionals. But Zins stresses that independent films are also welcome and give the Film Office a chance to make connections between professional crews and students, notably the nationally famous Youth Radio, which is developing its video wing, and new media classes at the Art High School.
Academy of Art and SF State students often come to the Film Office for locations advantageous to their stories. In turn, the Film Office helps them pitch their project and advises them on how to spend their money wisely. Local vendors, production and equipment providers, and the like are typically very supportive of student and low budget films.
Equally important to Zins is the range of workers these projects employ, which obviously helps the local economy. Commercials and big budget studio projects bring union wages and provide a lot economic benefit for film production vendors, retailers, hotels, restaurants, taxis and more. They also bring corporate clients with them to Oakland, often for the first time, which can bring much-needed economic development to the city.
Oakland is pretty close-knit and people are unusually helpful and generous, rather than rude or backstabbing, as many in L.A. are known for. Established filmmakers often take on prodigies, and there is a sense of mutually beneficial work that generally does not exist in Los Angeles. Ami Zins mentioned that when a production ran out of Reel Directories last year, local vendor Tim Ranahan went out of his way to help, despite the fact that he had nothing to gain in doing so, simply because it was the right thing to do. And commercials often come to film in Oakland from L.A. because of former students' recommendations.
One concern filmmakers are likely to have with filming in Oakland is the notoriously high crime rate. According to Ami Zins, since the police are stretched thin as it is, it's not really practical to take them off the streets for film productions. The City of Oakland did provide police officers when The Matrix filmed in Oakland, so it is possible for the city to do this, if so inclined. The Oakland Film Office works regularly with OPD, letting them know when and where films are being made, sometimes asking them to provide information about particular neighborhoods before recommending them to filmmakers.
When asked if she would push for more city-sponsored film incentives, Zins agreed that this would certainly be good for filmmakers, but in light of the city's $50 million deficit further incentives might be bad for the city. This is unfortunate because if we want to see Oakland continue to be the site of future films large and small, the city will need to continue to provide the incentives these filmmakers need to convince their producers that Oakland makes economic sense for their production.
Clearly there is evidence that film incentives do bring productions with them. Austin and New Orleans are obvious examples to those in the industry. So while further incentives may not seem practical during a recession, a prosperous film economy could very well be the key to helping the city overcome its financial hardships as well as address its culture.
Oakland's Features in 2008
Hammertime, an A&E series currently in production, will shine new light on MC Hammer's faded stardom.
Sniff explores the extraordinary abilities of man's best friend through real-life stories.
Raspberry Magic, a coming-of-age film, was made in Oakland but adjusted to look like the Pacific Northwest.
Fiona's Script, about a bisexual woman struggling to find her feet and finish a play, premiered at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival earlier this year.
The Hush, Oakland native Vincent Cortez's first feature, is still in post-production.
Everyday Black Man, Carmen Madden's film addressing Oakland's violent past through the eyes of Moses, a neighborhood grocer.
The Singularity Is Near concerns techno-evangelist Raymond Kurtzweil, who starred in and directed this docudrama. A futurist narrative, it fictionalizes the inventor's dream of creating an alter-ego computer avatar named Ramona, who saves the world from microscopic robots.
Happy Tears starred Demi Moore, Parker Posey and Rip Torn and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
Darker Every Day, Aaron Peters and Scott Herndon's black comedy, has a disinterested sex addiction counselor becoming obsessed with a woman in his group, only to find a strange link between a stranger in her past and his own life.
Posted on Apr 07, 2009 - 05:19 AM
by Reynard Seifert
Hardest Working Woman in Oakland Show Business Head of the film office Ami Zins is cheerleader, hand-holder and red-tape-cutter to a vast cast of Oakland filmmaking characters, from Hollywood escapees to local bootstrappers. photo: CineSourceThe Oakland Film Office, founded in 1984, receives 100% of its funding from the city. Ami Zins, born and raised in Oakland, started there in 1998, where her first project was Clint Eastwood's True Crime. According to accounts of those who work with her - from Jaylani Roberts a young indie (who sometimes calls the office every day) to shows like Raspberry Magic pulling in from LA - Ami works tirelessly to bring projects to the city and aid those in production.
Alhtough she has big plans for the future, she wants Oakland to remember its past. And really, those are the two things needed for a community to develop a sense of self. Whether due to its diverse makeup or in spite of it, Oakland has a hard time looking at itself in the mirror, although the city has produced a number of great actors and filmmakers: Bruce Lee, Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Russ Meyer, and most recently Cary Fukunaga, who wrote and directed Sin Nombre the biggest buzz film of Sundance 2009. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who directed and wrote the well recieved Half Nelson, respectively (about an ghetto teacher with a habit who forms an friendship with one of his students) are from Oakland. The problem has been keeping them here.
As the Black Panther headquarters, Oakland was a natural location for many blaxploitation films in the 1970s. Michael Campus shot two important ones here: The Mack and The Education of Sonny Carson, although the latter is less blaxxploitation and more of Carson's actual story. Oakland has also always been a great place to exhibit films intended for black audiences and it is home to the Oakland Black GLBT International Film Festival, the only established venue of its kind in the world, now in its seventh year.
Oakland and the East Bay have a lot of interesting architecture to offer filmmakers, from Redwood Park on its hills to Victorian buildings in its flats and high-tech structures ideal for science fiction, like the new Catholic Church on Lake Merit, itself a lovely location. As many are quick to point out, the Oakland cranes served as inspiration for the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars; less known is that George Lucas shot parts of THX-1138 at Laney College and Lawrence Berkeley Labs, as well as in the Caldicott Tunnel and Posey and Webster Street Tubes, which were under construction at the time. Evidently, Caltrans remains enthusiastically film-friendly and allows filming of appropriate projects in their tunnels upon request, with no permit fees.
But the variety of neighborhoods, parks, and urban and suburban areas could just as easily serve as Anyplace, America. City Hall, where Ami's office is located, is completely open to filming in their building. The Bee Season filmed in the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza; all sorts of commercials and independents have been shot there. Josh Conbluth's Haiku Tunnel filmed at all three city buildings as well as the Plaza. A Japanese TV company, Duo Creative, which does a show for Japanese TV The World's Astonishing News! recreates notorious crime stories out of a US office is located in Oakland. They staged an aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in the Plaza. A lot of car commercials are filmed in the Oakland hills. And the city doesn't require a permit for filming documentaries in public places.
The recently proposed HBO series Gentlemen of Leisure was championed by Ami Zins. The HBO series would explore the world of prostitution in a city notorious for its brothels, which is why it is opposed by Oakland mayor Ron Dellums. Concerned the series would accentuate Oakland's already negative image in the press, Dellums fears it would drive down the possibility of attracting new, non-media business, which Oakland desperately needs. Zins claims the producers' intent would be to address the complexities of Oakland's diverse culture with a treatment similar to that of Baltimore in HBO's critically-acclaimed series The Wire. Oakland must make bold social initiatives but it also needs to grow into a world class city that can fully investigate and be comfortable with both sides of itself. By providing both work and increased self-understanding, such a film would make Oakland more attractive to business in the long run.
Interestingly, The Mack was about a pimp named Goldie and is one of the most celebrated films of the blaxploitation movement, often cited as a progenitor of hip-hop vocabulary. One might even say the prostitution industry is a mainstay of Oakland film history. That doesn't mean we need to celebrate it, rather we should engage with it as a part of the city's cultural heritage and colorful history, like San Francisco's famous Barbary Coast.
A number of major films have been shot in Oakland in recent years, including The Hulk, the second and third installments of The Matrix, out at the old naval base on Alameda, and True Crime. When Oakland's IT department announced that they were creating a GSI map of the city, Ami Zins proposed mapping popular film locations to inspire Oaklanders, often unfamiliar with their city's film history.
Last year, the number of features filmed in Oakland increase to thirteen, most dealing directly with the film office. The largest was Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Resse Witherspoon, which filmed at the Grand Lake Theater. The very professional idie Everyday Black Man, concerning a store owner drawn back into his violent past, written and directed by Carmen Madden, a teacher at Ohlone Community College, was shot last August. It is in post-production; hoping to finish by the start of summer. Frazer Bradshaw's Everything Strange and New, shot in Oakland, premiered at Sundance this year, and is set to play at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Leena Pendharkar's dramatic coming-of-age film Raspberry Magic, saw its budget cut in half in Los Angeles but came to Oakland and not only survived but thrived - Ami said she really enjoyed working with them. It is still in post-production.
Zins would like to see East Bay filmmaking become more saturated, with all types of film: independent films large and small, studio productions, music videos and shorts, student projects, etc. Ami. She expects larger union projects like studio features and commercials would support crews to live in Oakland, who would in turn make their own indie films and documentaries, creating a productive workflow that would trickle down in many ways to the community at large. And Ami's personal dream: to do this while retaining Oakland's unique culture.
"We don't need to become another Hollywood," she said. "L.A. is it's own place and so is the Bay Area." Ami recommends that the filmmakers not become jaded and continue to foster good relationships with business community and the people of Oakland.
Oakland's Harbor Park, with the famous cranes, is one of many futuristic locations in the area. photo: CineSourceAcademy of Art and SF State students often come to the Film Office for locations advantageous to their stories. In turn, the Film Office helps them pitch their project and advises them on how to spend their money wisely. Local vendors, production and equipment providers, and the like are typically very supportive of student and low budget films.
Equally important to Zins is the range of workers these projects employ, which obviously helps the local economy. Commercials and big budget studio projects bring union wages and provide a lot economic benefit for film production vendors, retailers, hotels, restaurants, taxis and more. They also bring corporate clients with them to Oakland, often for the first time, which can bring much-needed economic development to the city.
Oakland is pretty close-knit and people are unusually helpful and generous, rather than rude or backstabbing, as many in L.A. are known for. Established filmmakers often take on prodigies, and there is a sense of mutually beneficial work that generally does not exist in Los Angeles. Ami Zins mentioned that when a production ran out of Reel Directories last year, local vendor Tim Ranahan went out of his way to help, despite the fact that he had nothing to gain in doing so, simply because it was the right thing to do. And commercials often come to film in Oakland from L.A. because of former students' recommendations.
One concern filmmakers are likely to have with filming in Oakland is the notoriously high crime rate. According to Ami Zins, since the police are stretched thin as it is, it's not really practical to take them off the streets for film productions. The City of Oakland did provide police officers when The Matrix filmed in Oakland, so it is possible for the city to do this, if so inclined. The Oakland Film Office works regularly with OPD, letting them know when and where films are being made, sometimes asking them to provide information about particular neighborhoods before recommending them to filmmakers.
When asked if she would push for more city-sponsored film incentives, Zins agreed that this would certainly be good for filmmakers, but in light of the city's $50 million deficit further incentives might be bad for the city. This is unfortunate because if we want to see Oakland continue to be the site of future films large and small, the city will need to continue to provide the incentives these filmmakers need to convince their producers that Oakland makes economic sense for their production.
Clearly there is evidence that film incentives do bring productions with them. Austin and New Orleans are obvious examples to those in the industry. So while further incentives may not seem practical during a recession, a prosperous film economy could very well be the key to helping the city overcome its financial hardships as well as address its culture.
Oakland's Features in 2008
Hammertime, an A&E series currently in production, will shine new light on MC Hammer's faded stardom.
Sniff explores the extraordinary abilities of man's best friend through real-life stories.
Raspberry Magic, a coming-of-age film, was made in Oakland but adjusted to look like the Pacific Northwest.
Fiona's Script, about a bisexual woman struggling to find her feet and finish a play, premiered at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival earlier this year.
The Hush, Oakland native Vincent Cortez's first feature, is still in post-production.
Everyday Black Man, Carmen Madden's film addressing Oakland's violent past through the eyes of Moses, a neighborhood grocer.
The Singularity Is Near concerns techno-evangelist Raymond Kurtzweil, who starred in and directed this docudrama. A futurist narrative, it fictionalizes the inventor's dream of creating an alter-ego computer avatar named Ramona, who saves the world from microscopic robots.
Happy Tears starred Demi Moore, Parker Posey and Rip Torn and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
Darker Every Day, Aaron Peters and Scott Herndon's black comedy, has a disinterested sex addiction counselor becoming obsessed with a woman in his group, only to find a strange link between a stranger in her past and his own life.
Posted on Apr 07, 2009 - 05:19 AM
