>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CONNECTING POINT, I'M JIM
MADIGAN.
TONIGHT WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOLLYWOOD IN THE HILLS.
WE ALL KNOW HOLLYWOOD IS WELL AWARE OF EVERYTHING OUR REGION
HAS TO OFFER.
MAJOR MOTION PICTURES HAVE BEEN SHOT HERE, FROM WHO IS AFRAID OF
VIRGINIA WOLF TO AFRAID OF DARKNESS, TO THE JUDGE WITH
ROBERT DUVALL IN SHELBURNE FALLS, BUT NOT ALL THE
PRODUCTIONS BRING GLITZ AND GLAMOUR.
DIANE PEARLMAN CAME IN TO TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE LESSER
KNOWN ASPECTS AND IMPACTS OF THE BURGEONING FILM INDUSTRY RIGHT
HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> THE FILMS COME, THEY SPEND A LOT OF MONEY INTO OUR LOCAL
ECONOMY.
THEY STAY IN HOTELS AND USE LOCAL CATERERS, THE CLEANERS,
MASSAGE THERAPISTS, RENT CARS, SO WE, ACTUALLY, DID A STUDY
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPENT
IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, 60 CENTS GOES INTO THE ECONOMY.
SO, IF YOU PUT THAT IN A SMALL FILM, 100,000, THAT'S 60,000
THAT'S GOING DIRECTLY INTO SOME OF OUR SMALL TOWNS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THE JUDGE SPENDING TENS OF
MILLIONS, IT'S AN IMPACT.
>> THIS IS ABOUT A LOT MORE THAN -- AND YOU ARE THRILLED ANY TIME
A MAJOR STUDIO PRODUCER SAYS WE WANT TO COME IN, CAN YOU PUT US
TOGETHER WITH WITH THE PEOPLE AE LOCATIONS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE
THINGS YOU HELP WITH FROM TIME TO TIME.
BUT, THERE IS A LOT OF LOCAL TOON, A LOT OF LOCAL FOLKS, WHO
ARE HOLLYWOOD OR NEW YORK BUSINESS ASSOCIATED, AND MAKE
THEIR HOME HERE, AND PRODUCING THINGS THEMSELVES, AND HELP OUT
WITH THE, WHEN THE PRODUCTIONS COME IN.
IT'S ORGANIC, ISN'T IT?
>> VERY MUCH SO.
I MEAN, WE SORT OF DIFFER, COMING FROM NEW YORK, MYSELF, I
CAME UP 20 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SORT OF CULTURE HERE.
A LOT OF ENTREPRENEURS.
PEOPLE THAT CAN WRITE, DIRECT, SHOOT, EDIT, CORPORATE VIDEO, DO
THEIR OWN SMALL FILMS, SO I FIND INSTEAD OF IN THE CITIES, YOU
HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO ONE THING, I AM A DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHER, I
AM A GAFR, HERE PEOPLE TEND TO DO A LOT MORE, SO WE'RE FOCUSED
ON TWO THINGS, REALLY, IN TERMS OF THE TRAINING PEOPLE TO WORK
ON THE FILMS WHEN THEY COME HERE, AND EDUCATING A WORKFORCE,
TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY, AND ALSO, ONCE A YEAR
WE DO A FILM AND MEDIA EXCHANGE SO OUR LOCAL VIDEOGRAPHERS CAN
MEET THE BUSINESSES BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE ON VIDEO MORE AND
MORE FOR THE WEB, FOR PRESENTATIONS, AND WE DON'T
REALLY WANT THEM GOING TO NEW YORK OR L.A., AND THEY CAN GO
DOWN THE STREET AND HIRE AN ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING WHEN LIVES
IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> ALL OF WHICH, LEADS ME TO THE GENTLEMAN SITTING NEXT TO YOU,
AL WILLIAMS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OF NORTHAMPTON,
COMMUNITY TELEVISION, AND YOU AND, IN ALMOST EVERY GOOD SIZED
COMMUNITY, IN THE AREA, THAT HAS SERVED BY A CABLE TV COMPANY,
THERE IS SOME SORT OF SUPPORTIVE BY THE CABLE BUSINESS, TO AT
LEAST SOME EXTENT, A CABLE PRODUCTION OPERATION FOR THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY CHANNEL, FOR -- TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, AND
YOU ARE THE LOCAL NITTY-GRITTY, WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD,
END OF PRODUCTION.
>> WE ARE.
WE RUN A COMMUNITY MEDIA CENTER CALLED THE NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY
TELEVISION, AND AS YOU SAY, THERE ARE COMMUNITY MEDIA
CENTERS IN QUITE A FEW CENTERS, AND WE WE ARE A RESOURCE FOR THE
GENERAL PUBLIC TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE PRODUCTION, AND WE GO
FREE CLASSES.
WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR FREE.
WE ALSO HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT LOCAL PROFESSIONALS UTILIZE ON A
RENTAL BASIS TO PRODUCE THEIR FIRST INDEPENDENT FILM.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CUTTING THEIR TEETH, AND USING US AS A
RESOURCE, TO START THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS, AND TO
PRODUCE THEIR FIRST ORIGINAL FILM, OR JUST TO PLAY, AND
ENGAGE.
SO, WE SERVE A LOT OF SORT OF DIFFERENT PURPOSES IN THE
COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE OPEN TO EVERYONE, AND WE SORT OF ARE
CONTENT NEUTRAL IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTION OCCURS IN OUR
FACILITY.
>> LET ME TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
I WANT TO SAY WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY HERE, VERY CAREFULLY, SO IT
IS INTERPRETED BY BOTH AS BEING, AS IT IS MEANT TO BE,
COMPLIMENTARY, AND NORTHAMPTON IS A UNIQUE PLACE, IN A LOT OF
WAYS.
>> SURE.
>> WITH ALL THE COLLEGES, AND THE UNIVERSITIES AROUND, IT IS A
DESTINATION LOCATION, FOLKS WANT TO LIVE THERE, FOLKS WANT TO GO
THERE, AND FOLKS WANT TO VISIT DOWNTOWN, AND FOLKS WANT TO BE
PART OF THE NORTHAMPTON, GREATER NORTHAMPTON, AMHERST, HADLEY,
SOUTH HADLEY COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF WRITERS, ARE THERE, FOLKS WHO ARE THERE FOR NO OTHER
REASON THAN THIS IS A COOL, INTERESTING COMMUNITY TO BE PART
OF.
THAT'S GOT TO TRANSLATE A BIT INTO WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU
WANT TO DO BECAUSE I WOULD THINK THAT MORE THAN MOST OF THE FOLKS
COME TO YOU AND SAY, I HAVE GOT AN IDEA FOR A SHOW, AND I WANT
TO LEARN HOW TO DO A SHOW AND PRODUCE IT.
MAYBE MORE THAN A LOT OF PLACES.
>> RIGHT.
>> YEAH.
>> AND THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO THAT, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO
OPEN TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY, AND I
WILL SAY THAT, AND TO BROADEN THE CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF OUR
ORGANIZATION, THESE MEDIA CENTERS ARE REALLY INTENDED FOR
USE BY THE PUBLIC.
SO, TO SOME EXTENT, YOU KNOW, ANYONE IN ANY COMMUNITY CAN
ENGAGE THESE CENTERS, WHETHER AT OUR CENTER IN NORTHAMPTON OR BY
FINDING YOUR LOCAL AREAS.
THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY DON'T EXIST, AND
NORTHAMPTON IS A UNIQUE SITUATION, AND I THINK THAT I
WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING US, AND
EMPOWERING US TO REALLY DO THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO DO IN NORTHAMPTON.
WE DO THINGS LIKE WE GIVE OUT GRANTS FOR INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS
TO PRODUCE SHORT FILMS, AND IT'S OUR WAY OF TRYING TO SAY THAT
ARTISTS SHOULD BE SUPPORTED MONETARILY FOR THEIR WORK, SO
THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO THAT OTHER CENTERS WISH AND
HOPE THAT THEY CAN DO.
AND I ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THOSE RESOURCES AND KNOW THAT THEY EXIST.
>> TONYTALK ABOUT BUILDING FROME GRASSROOTS UP, FOR THE KIND OF
THING THAT YOU DO, ON THE BIGGER, MORE MACRO-LEVEL.
>> AND YES, AND NO.
I MEAN, LAST SUMMER, THERE WAS A WONDERFUL SUMMER CAMP FOR MIDDLE
SCHOOLERS, AND HE CALLED ME AND SAID, MY KIDS WOULD LOVE TO COME
INTO THE STUDIO IN THE BERKSHIRES, AND DOUG, BEING SUCH
AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION, WELCOMED THEM.
WE ALSO HOSTED A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOLERS FROM HAMPSHIRE
COLLEGE, SO YOU KNOW, WE FIND THAT WE'RE WORKING AND PROVIDING
RESOURCES OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, THAT ARE
UTILIZING OUR LOCAL CABLE STATIONS.
LAST WEEK, I SAW SOMEBODY, I SAID CALL AL, SO I MEAN, THERE
IS A LOT, IN SOME WAYS, IN WESTERN MASS, WE HAVE A GREAT
NETWORK, AND WE HELP EACH OTHER, AND WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO EACH
OTHER, AND RECRUIT PEOPLE, AND WHERE CAN I FIND THIS CAMERA, SO
THERE IS REALLY A LOT OF GREAT COMMUNICATION, AND IT'S KIND OF
ALL -- THE FOUR COUNTIES ALL WORK REALLY NICELY TOGETHER.
>> QUICKLY, THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, IN THE LAST
DECADE OR SO, HAS HAD A TAX BREAK TO TRY AND BRING
PRODUCTIONS HERE, SPEND CONTROVERSY, FOLKS, INCLUDING
THE CURRENT GOVERNOR BAKER HAS SAID, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS, I
AM NOT SURE WHO IS BENEFITING.
ISSUE YOU ARE ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT THIS NO, KEEP THIS.
YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, DON'T YOU?
>> I THINK THAT IF THE GOVERNOR'S ORIGINAL PLAN TO DO
AWAY WITH THE TAX CREDIT HAD GONE THROUGH, IT WOULD HAVE
DESTROYED THE INDUSTRY.
THE STUDIOS, MAJOR STUDIOS, WILL NOT GO WHERE THERE IS NOT A TAX
CREDIT.
IN SOME WAYS, IT AFFECTS -- IT AFFECTS, IN ANOTHER DEGREE, THE
INDUSTRY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TERMS OF MAKING SMALLER VIDEOS,
BUT IN TERMS OF THE REAL ENGINE, OF HOLLYWOOD, COMING HERE, IT
WOULD HAVE DESTROYED MANY, MANY JOBS.
SO, I THINK THAT THIS YEAR, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO
FIGHT FOR IT AGAIN.
WE MAY NEED TO REVISE IT SLIGHTLY, BUT I THINK THAT WE
NEED TO KEEP THE TAX CREDIT.
IT IS AN INDUSTRY THAT'S GROWING.
IT'S AN INDUSTRY THAT WE NEED IN MASSACHUSETTS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF SPIN-OFF BUSINESSES, BUT ALSO, WE REALLY
-- WE FIND THAT WE TRAIN A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THEY LEAVE TO GO
TO HOLLYWOOD.
AND WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP THE INDUSTRY HERE, KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE
HERE, TO KEEP OUR ECONOMY GOING.
>> TIME IS OUT, UNFORTUNATELY, DIANE PEARLMAN, THANKS FOR
COMING IN AND SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.
>> THANK YOU.