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Our AFM Special Edition is packed with film projects in many different states for production from concept to completion here in New England. Each would like to find their special “needs and wants” at this year’s AFM held at the Loews Beach Resort Hotel in Santa Monica. This will be the largest independent film market on the globe with over 8,000 professionals attending from all over the world.

And get this, over $3 Billion in deals will be sealed in eight days. Imagine that! I look forward to it every year and have never been disappointed.

IMAGINE Magazines are distributed at this major industry event right along-side of Variety and Hollywood Reporter. We really score big for our advertisers, our region, and the projects we select to be seen in this issue representing New England.

Last year SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY starring Steve Sweeney was included in our slate of New England films in our 2016 AFM edition. The film was still in concept mode. Now I’m happy to report that SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY, Executive Produced by Dennis Serpone, has just recently wrapped and is now in post-production.

We also featured ANNABELLE HOOPER AND THE GHOSTS OF NANTUCKET. The film is now in international distribution and we are once again spotlighting ANNABELLE HOOPER 2, a sequel in development along with a slate from Paul Serafini and Angelina Pictures based in Concord, MA. Read about them in this issue.

“Along for the Ride” creator Lisa Reilly is now in LA along with the powerful stories she collected while driving for LYFT to offset her production company expenses. She and her story attended AFM in 2016. I really encourage anyone, in this business that can to attend this opportunity each fall.

There is no getting around the fact that this edition is one of our most important examples of outreach that IMAGINE continues since its inception. We get the word out. When we send our stories to the likes of AFM, we greatly enrich our region and our region’s connection to the industry. Read all about the special projects we have chosen for Hollywood limelight in this edition.

I just have to recall one of our first AFM editions that we took there. I ran into Dorothy Aufiero. It was the year 2000; IMAGINE was only two and a half years old. Under her arm was a project for motion picture. It was called THE FIGHTER. It took Dot a long time to develop that story into a motion picture – ten years, in fact. But, she did. She did it in Massachusetts and the show won two Oscars and eighty-eight other awards!

Since then she has produced THE FINEST HOURS and PATRIOTS DAY. I cannot wait to see what my friend Dorothy Aufiero does next.

Our cover story for this issue is exceptionally important for our industry in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth hasn’t had a major TV series since Spenser for Hire! Oh yes, Dorothy A. worked on that too along with our current MA Film Office Executive Director, Lisa Strout and countless others who were here in the ‘80s. In fact Lisa put me onto the subject of Robin Sweet, producing Castle Rock for Hulu Originals in conjunction with Warner Bros at New England Studios and on location in the wonderful town of Orange, Massachusetts. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did collecting it. And imagine, Robin has lived in Concord, MA for nine years….

Fall is flying by and before we know it, I say this every year, it will 2018. Thinking of that reminds me to remind you to Save the Date! The IMAGINE Industry New Year’s Celebration & “Imaginnaire” Awards Gala will be held on the second Tuesday of the New Year: Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Save the Date!

I had the great pleasure of taking another industry group to the Berkshires for a visit with Doug and Julia Trumbull at Trumbull Studios. Everyone oohed and awed as always at the amazing work that is being done there vis a vis Douglas Trumbull’s Magi Project: shooting at 120fps, editing and post-producing at the same rate and screening at 120fps in his geodesic dome shaped Magi Pod – this will change forever how we see what is on the silver screen. The results will take your breath away.

I’d like to draw attention to Mick Cusimano’s ImagineNation cartoon this month. He joined our fi rst trip to Trumbull Studios and has created this remembrance.

Jan Haughey’s Media Resource Expo is the best place to catch up with broadcast technology and old friends at a well-run conference. It’s so enjoyable. IMAGINE was an exhibitor. It was held in Westborough, MA this year at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel. There was a great deal to do and no one went hungry. Ice cream in the late afternoon along with $500 door prizes! Well done Jan, Pam, and your team.

IMAGINE has often interfaced with Berklee College of Music of the years, including one time when a Berklee student agreed to come to Nantucket and play for our IMAGINE House Champagne Brunch honoring New England screen writers and fi lmmakers. It was absolutely terrifi c except for one small little detail. In transport from Boston to Nantucket, the airline lost the group’s bass fi ddle. How do you lose a bass fi ddle you ask? I don’t know how it happened, but it was easy to fi nd – on Martha’s Vineyard, of course. The situation was remedied and the show went on. Now that I think of it, producer Dorothy Aufi ero was there, too.

I was reminded of that little story because I just enjoyed a splendid evening as an AVID invited guest to the Berklee College of Music 23rd Annual Encore Gala, a wonderful benefi t for Berklee City Music at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. It consisted of a reception and a star studded dinner program featuring Rickey Minor, the former band leader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as master of ceremonies: and R&B, soul, and funk group Tavares, as well as special guest Courtney Harrell, ’01 (last year she advanced into the top 12 on the hit NBC TV show The Voice). She was a part of the Berklee City Music program and then offered a full scholarship.

And then it was Music, Music, Music – the whole fourth fl oor rocked where individual rooms had separate musical programs performed by students and members of Berklee City Music. Each room sponsored. The fund raising was extremely successful for a very worthy program. It was a sensational evening. Thank you AVID for a wonderful seat at your table.

Coming next is IMAGINE’s Women Who Work in the Industry. It’s one of our most popular issues of the year. Watch for it.

Like our magazine? Then subscribe and get it delivered to your home or offi ce. Your subscriptions help us with our publishing costs and the promotional work we do for our region. We’ve been called New England’s best cheerleader and we try really hard.

If you’re an industry or industry related business and have an interest in doing business in New England with its professionals, its vendors, its creative community – writers, directors, producers, editors, special effects creators, skilled crew and talented well trained actors and casting directors, etc. IMAGINE Magazine is your ticket to target and reach this prolifi c production community. We want your business and we will work hard to make it work for you and to bring you here.

What a busy summer for New England! The number of movies in production and on location is stupendous. Everyone is working including Silas, Jan Waldman’s amazing German Shepherd! Silas Archer Gustav is a “hot dog” on the set of THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT. Silas plays the part of young Calvin Barr’s Dog with a performance that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt the he has right stuff for this part. I love leading with a dog story.

I visited New England Studios and interviewed Castle Rock Producer Robin Sweet. The Hulu ordered ten episode TV series is being produced by Warner Bros and filling three of the NE Studios four stages. I’ll have the whole story for you in our next issue. SLENDER MAN was in the fourth studio. In production now is John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT, A dark comedy about a disgruntled summerstock
actor who contemptuously disregards the superstition surrounding Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. By doing so he unleashes the curse of The Scottish Play and wreaks havoc on the company. Hmmm.

EQUALIZER 2 brings Denzel Washington back to the Commonwealth. The film’s main locations are Brant Rock and Marshfield. SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY will wrap this month after using film locations all over the greater Boston area including Quincy where there is a “grand experiment” underway for ten years totally geared to attracting studio movie production to the city by streamlining location finding, permitting and other necessities that City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and participating businesses can provide. To that end I visited auto magnet Daniel J. Quirk to get his take. See our story in this issue.

Recently wrapped movies include Amy Schumer’s I FEEL PRETTY, SLENDER MAN, BURNING WOMAN, PROUD MARY, DADDY’S HOME 2 and John Stimpson’s THE SPRUCES AND THE PINES. All of which speaks to a very good year for our industry.

I get excited about the American Film Market (AFM) every year. This year it will be November 1 – 8 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Resort Campus and also include a Location Expo, new this year. IMAGINE is a media partner with AFM. We dedicate our next edition to getting results for our local filmmakers at AFM, which is the largest gathering of Motion Picture professionals in the world.

We will assemble “pitch articles” for as many New England movie projects that make the cut and will fit in our magazine. What are you looking for? If you have a movie project in any stage of development from concept to completion, let me know so we can consider it for this issue, which will have a huge bonus distribution at AFM.

Whether you need a writer for an idea, a producer or a production company for a completed script, talent, a director, finishing funds, foreign sales and distribution, you may find it at AFM. AFM means unlimited possibilities.

When you experience AFM you get incredible access to more industry players in one week than you could see all year. It is one amazing beach front campus where over $3 billion in deals will be made
in eight days. Over 400 distribution companies, 1,000 production companies and 7,000 industry professionals from eighty different countries will attend among them the top studio, broadcast
and cable network and agency executives in the business.

You can, actually, make an elevator pitch at AFM This is one of IMAGINE’s great efforts that gets “the word” out – our outreach that puts what New England has to offer right in the hands of 7,000 decision makers from all over the world. We are displayed right next to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety and decision makers from all over the world pick our issues up like hotcakes.

Along with presenting selected projects from New England, we promote our film tax credits and incentive programs along with the riches of our region such as crew depth, talent pool, incredible locations, amazing architecture and scores of looks from the Revolutionary War, 1776, the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, to our awesome educational institutions and preserved neighborhoods of note and beautiful hills, forests, shoreline and mysterious fishing villages. We’ve got it all including a 25% Film Tax Credit that bests the rest, including above the line expenditures.

If you have a film project that you are taking to AFM or would like to be considered for our AFM edition, please let me know about your project. You can email me at publisher@imaginenews.com. If you have an advertising message for the attendees of this major industry event, place your advertising now and we’ll deliver your message right to your best target audience.

The summer was filled with special events, one was our IMAGINE day-trip to visit the Studios of special effects guru and movie pioneer Douglas Trumbull. I’ve written about it in this issue. It was an amazing experience, so much so that I’ve scheduled another trip. I can take up to sixty people, so if you missed our last one and would like to join our next on Wednesday October 11th, or want to go again, let me know. The leaves in the Berkshire should be spectacular. Email publisher@imaginenews.com.

At the Woods Hole Film Festival I was attracted to a Special Panel of Women Filmmakers held at the fire station. where I had seen Elika Portnoy’s directorial debut earlier– THE SIXTH AMENDMENT for the first time. What a pleasure and the panel was terrific.

I was front and center for the Rhode Island International Film Festival’s Film Forum, co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Film Office. After an exciting conversation with and viewing of the Douglas Trumbull’s award winning work, he was presented with Rhode Island’s first Gilbert Stuart Artistic Vision Award by Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office.

Later that day more than one hundred local filmmakers made their way to Cape Cod for IMAGINE Magazine’s big summer bash at Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee. I hosted along with bestselling author and producer Casey Sherman (THE FINEST HOURS, PATRIOTS DAY) and Willowbend Country Club’s owner David Southworth. Casey spoke about two forthcoming projects and the release of his latest book THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE and his “12” being picked up for motion picture. It tells the story of the miraculous “come from behind” win of Super Bowl LI. What a treat in an absolutely exquisitely
beautiful setting.

Guests included BLACK MASS actress Erica McDermott, SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME actor Mike Southworth, Woods Hole Film Fest Executive Director Judy Laster and prolific filmmaker John Stimpson. And a very good time was had by all.

In late August I was invited to the Hope Music Festival in Hyannis, back on the Cape, where I connected with Producer Dennis Serpone (SWEENEY KILLING SWEENEY) IMAGINE Cover Girl, actor, writer, director Christy Cashman and Judy Laster. James Montgomery orchestrated an extraordinary evening of
such talented musicians everyone was toe tapping. The Hope Music Festival raised money for the healthcare industry on the Cape with a focus on fighting Opioid Addiction.

My Best Wishes for a Successful Fall,
Carol Patton

Massachusetts Film Tax Credits Remain Strong….

The industry has much to be grateful for. Our Massachusetts Film Tax Credits are intact. Except for the support of key elected legislators, we could have been devastated. Save for industry members who believe in what we are doing, we could be in Hollywood’s rear view mirror.

The Commonwealth is having its best year ever of visiting studio and major productions working in this state. We have a ten-episode series shooting in New England Studios. Hollywood has once again taken notice. Future films will consider coming to Massachusetts. Another series is on its way.

This legislative season has been an entirely new experience for the Commonwealth’s Film and Television industry. For the past two years, Governor Baker first included the elimination of our Film Tax Credits and last year he attempted to modify them. This year the industry was completely left out of his budget and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Governor Baker is known to have said that he tried it twice and it’s apparent to him that Film Tax Credits are the will of the legislature (well, certainly the House of Representatives as that is where tax policy is constitutionally vested first) and the citizens of the Commonwealth.

But, then, the somewhat unexpected happened. We suspected that there would be amendments from the Senate. We didn’t know they would pass.

Members’ complaints included that the state paid GHOSTBUSTERS 2 over $25 million dollars. Few recalled, however, that that meant Columbia Pictures spent over $100 million in the Commonwealth, built a giant set in Weymouth (which they left behind), and enriched thirteen other locations around the state. Think of it, a $100 million infusion into the state’s economy! Blockbusters of this ilk are attracted to Massachusetts because of our 25% above the line Film Tax Credit.

Senator Michael Rodrigues from Westport, who represents Fall River, MA, filed an amendment that would damage our industry’s ability to attract big budgeted films. Taking the “attractive” out of our “attractive film incentives” program. Essentially, large budgeted movies would be deterred from coming to Massachusetts and very few productions could meet the 75% of budget requirement or the cap on salaries in this global climate.

The Senate voted for the amendment to be included in the Senate budget. Twenty-three Senators of the thirty-eight possible (2 open seats) stood against us! Nine Senators stood for us. And we’re grateful for them.

It’s important at this time that we extend our appreciation and gratitude for those who stood with us in the Senate. The vote was a sneaky one. They counted in a rare standing vote without naming Senators who stood against us.

A Letter From The Publisher, Carol Patton

2017 is shaping up to be New England’s best year ever! It’s very promising for Massachusetts with four major productions shooting or prepping this spring and several other productions now scouting for the summer and fall. In or coming in early are DADDY’S HOME 2 with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, THE BURNING WOMAN with Christina Hendricks, PROUD MARY starring Taraji P. Henson and Happy Madison is back with a new Adam Sandler project. It’s exciting! I just can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.

This is a Special Edition of IMAGINE that will be shipped by the thousands to AFCI’s Locations & Global Production & Finance Conference in LA and to NAB in Las Vegas. We put them right into the hands of thousands of studio, network, agency and content creators. At AFCI alone over $3 Billion
in production location spend is up for grabs! That’s why this issue is so important.

Recently Rober Redford’s THE DISCOVERY had its first Rhode Island premiere at the Jane Pickens Theatre in Newport. Redford wrote a letter to the citizens of Newport and Rhode Island. In it he said, “I have had the privilege of working on two films in Newport, the first time in 1974 with THE GREAT GATSBY and most recently on THE DISCOVERY.”

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to become reacquainted with the City and its people. I was pleasantly surprised some forty years later the City looks and feels almost exactly as it did when I first came here. I commend the community for its vision and care demonstrated to ensure for the preservation of its historical and culturally significant properties.

“Finally, I was most appreciative of the hospitality extended to me and my colleagues during our stay in Newport. For me, the welcoming and warm spirit of the community will not soon be forgotten,” Robert Redford wrote.

I celebrated the Academy Awards at the Red Carpet soiree in Providence Rhode Island, which was produced by Flickers Founder George Marshall with Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film Office serving as Honorary Chairman. It was an exquisite glittery evening held in the ballroom of the Providence Biltmore. In addition to the Academy Awards, local awards were issued as well.

I wrote a small piece in this ediition about the Museum of Broadcast Technology because it does symbolize the great technology found here in New England since the early 1900s and the technology that is being used around the globe that is emanating from right here in the greater Boston Area now.

 

Our Tech Edge will give you some insight into this plethora of industry related software from companies like BorisFX, EditShare, Facilis Technology and Izotope, whose latest offering is called Neutron. Steve McGrath calles it borderline scary. He says, Izotope has created plugins and tools that really ride the fine line of innovative and job threatening. Their plugins work so well, that audio engineers have to feel threatened by it, but are so easy to use that anyone can get going on them and improve their audio mixes.

We’re fortunate to have a goodly number of state-of-the-art studios and post production facilities – award winning, really. Charles River Studios at High Output, New England Studios, Red Sky Studios and others are reporting a full house with lots of activity in the pipeline, as is the Production Center at WGBH – the Grandmother of local productions in Massachusetts and I want to include the City of Newton’s shining light with superb production facilities, a stage and a screening room, NewTV.

This edition of IMAGINE contains our 2017 New England Production, Resource & Location Guide. Thank you to everyone who participated. You have done your part to help us create the content and substance of this important outreach for our industry.

Get ready for two big IMAGINE celebrations. We have much to be thankful for – especially our readers and advertisers. Without you, this would not be happening. The Magazine will turn nineteen in April and our next edition will be number two hundred! Need I say we are excited? Watch for special offers and partying details.

And to our decision makers in LA, Las Vegas and everywhere, the talent and technology you find in these pages will make your projects shine. When you have a minimum spend of $50 thousand dollars, you can earn rebates and transfers equal to 25% of qualified spend.

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I hope you enjoy this abbreviated edition of IMAGINE Magazine. It wasn’t scheduled as we wanted to dive right into our mega March and April Special Editions that include our 2016 New England Production Guide and our NAB focused edition. Each gets important distribution at AFCI’s Locations & Global Finance Show in Burbank and at NAB in Las Vegas.

However, two things happened, AFCI moved their show from early March to late in April almost immediately after NAB, also Governor Baker announced that he would be making what he called “modest adjustments” to the Massachusetts Film Tax Credit Law. I had to make the decision to make major adjustments to our publishing schedule.

Needless to say, An Act to Promote Sustainable Economic Development in Massachusetts is unacceptable to our industry. I’ve digested the bill and have written my thoughts; you can read them starting on page eight. As you might guess, I have quite a lot to say. Now, it’s left to mount another great defense.

A far more delightful and pleasant topic is IMAGINE’s Industry New Year’s Celebration & “Imaginnaire” Awards Gala held at the majestic Royal Sonesta Hotel in their Riverfront Room. The hotel staff created exactly the setting I had envisioned. This was a cocktail buffet occasion to remember. The food was beautifully presented and was scrumptious. I can’t say enough about what a charming and as always “magical” evening it was.

Kudos to everyone who worked tirelessly to make this event extremely special, it couldn’t have been done without you! The highlights, of course, are our inspirational honorees. Our newest “Imaginnaires” are Melissa McMeekin, a Boston based actor, writer and director; Douglas Trumbull, the legendary filmmaker and visual effects pioneer; Elika Portnoy, Executive Producer of BEASTS OF NO NATION and an actor living in Boston; Erica McDermott, actor model and funny girl who played Mary Bulger in BLACK MASS and our Shooting Star award went to Seth Chitwood, a prolific young writer, director and actor who has received eight LAWEBFEST awards.

Awards were presented by Angela Peri, Co-owner and Casting Director of Boston Casting, Diane Pearlman, Executive Director of the Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative, Christy Cashman, President of Saint Aire Productions, Don Packer, co-owner and Senior Editor of Engine Room Edit and actor, producer, TV show host Jan Waldman respectively.

The program was graciously coordinated by the thoroughly entertaining and masterfully funny Tiffany Crosby. She is a terrific M.C. I am so grateful for her, all our honorees, presenters, and everyone who attended. Again, I have nothing but praise for the Royal Sonesta Hotel and its thoughtful and responsive staff. Enjoy our photos here and see our video at www.imaginenews.com.

Our next edition will be our 2016 New England Production Guide. It’s a 411 for New England and we’ll publish it in print and online, where it will stay 24/7/365 until we publish our 2017 one. You’ll want to be a part of it as we take it to Burbank and give Hollywood a big shout out about what we have to offer here in New England. See our information on page four or contact me for more details.