(Photo courtesy of www.seabythecity.com the unofficial blog of Long Beach)
NIFA (Nassau Interim Finance Authority) might be making its play to take over control of the county finances, but County Executive Edward P. Mangano has found a way to create millions of dollars in business with quite a unique approach.
Nassau County has become a new haven for the film industry. With a County initiative , the film and television industry has been utilizing available County facilities. Thanks to the initiative Nassau County saw a combination of over 30 films and television programs filmed in the 2010 fiscal year. With over $75 million infused into the economy, there was a clear boost to both the local economy and overall County revenue.
There were plenty of celebrities filming on Long Island, Nassau County especially; with A-Lister's such as Angelina Jolie and Samuel L. Jackson among the prolific of the bunch. It's not just about giving incentives to reel in the big fish, it's also about providing upstart opportunities for local filmmakers- not just the recent graduates of NYU's film school- the hardworking creative minds that are searching for opportunities to expand the local film scene.
Local filmmakers have noticed the County efforts. Adam Lawrence, co-founder of local production company Beast of the East Productions has expressed his support for the successful initiative.
"It’s great. They built Grumman Studios in Bethpage. They’ve shot a whole bunch of different stuff there already: those Peyton Manning Sony commercials (See Photo Below), parts of the film Salt, and even parts of the upcoming film The Avengers. It’s forgotten that Long Island has a huge film community, and seeing Hollywood actors in your neighborhood can really drum up interest at the box office. We [Long Island} seems to fall into the 2nd tier category under Manhattan in the region. Filming out here is really good business all around. These tax incentives bring jobs, and it shines a light on a county that is always overshadowed by the city."
(Peyton Manning and Justin Timberlake filming
their Sony commercial at Grumman Studios)
(Photo courtesy of Grumman Studios)
While it doesn't look like Hollywood needs to worry about its place in the film industry, Nassau County is a unique location, providing a vast range of locations: beaches, plains, suburbs; not to mention being close enough to the mountains and of course New York City. Out of the hundreds of Manhattan based filmmakers, the initiative might prove a haven for the upstart and established alike in an effort to trim costs in the tight economic situation.
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