It’s an unforgettable milestone for one Flagstaff filmmaker’s career.
As Hollywood celebrates its best and brightest at a myriad of award shows, one local had his own cinematic January to remember. A University of Arizona film graduate and part of a highly successful filmmaking troupe whose work has garnered hundreds of millions of online views, filmmaker Tyler Gillett’s co-directing feature debut, Devil’s Due, came out nationwide on Friday, Jan. 17, backed by a hard-to-miss, eight-figure marketing campaign by 20th Century Fox studio.
“It’s exciting, a bit of nerves, a lot of fun but been a really wild ride,” said Gillett, two days prior to the release. “We have high hopes for it.”
With openings on both coasts, Gillett’s “wild ride” continued through opening weekend, while an animatronic, demonic baby’s wild stroller ride scared aghast, innocent Times Square bystanders for a viral video to promote the film; the fun, topically related prank got more than 10 million views on YouTube the week of the horror film’s release (and now is up to 37 million).
Coincidentally, another group of Arizona filmmakers conducted its own successful guerilla marketing effort the very same week, if more modest in its viral impact. Rallying near the steps of the Arizona State Capitol, every type of film artisan – from grips to electricians to caterers to actors – converged to show hundreds of staffers and lobbyists how many professionals would benefit from an increase in
film productions in Arizona, and to show support for Senate Bill 1098, legislation supported by, among others, State Rep. Carlyle Begay, that would reopen the state’s film office. That’s right: the state’s film office has been closed for nearly four years.
“It would be nice to at least have someone answering the phones,” said P.J. Connolly, the founder and Southwest location scout/manager for Locations Southwest & Production Services. Connolly and the company have worked with every major studio, and also assist with a good portion of the many TV commercial shoots (automotive primarily); still photo shoots for fashion magazines, luxury goods and brands, and catalogs; and reality/documentary shoots across Northern Arizona, from Prescott to Monument Valley, including the highly successful and economically impactful Nik Wallenda crossing of the Little Colorado River Gorge for NBC/Discovery Communications last summer, in close cooperation with the Navajo Nation.
While smaller jobs (up to a 100-person crew, one to seven days long) show the area’s ongoing readiness and capacity to handle larger shows (300 or more crew members and lasting at least two to six weeks), Connolly echoes a sentiment heard throughout the region: big studio productions from nearby California have no issue with Arizona’s people and facilities. On the contrary, the state is often written into scripts, but it is the lack of state incentives or tax credits that instead attracts such productions (and their daily local cash infusion of $10,000 or more at least) to the Grand Canyon State’s neighbors. (Arizona’s Right-to-Work status is not often a factor as big productions are union tied anyhow, but the status can
make it easy for producers big and small to take advantage of not having to pay union scale and benefits).
“Take The Lone Ranger, Disney’s huge recent remake,” Connolly said. “Nevermind that it was a box office flop. [Director] Gore Verbinski wanted a train location. I’d scouted all over Northern Arizona for them. The producers sent a train guy to check out the Verde Valley Railroad in Clarkdale. They loved the line and wanted to bring their own steam locomotive. As it looked like the producers were about to negotiate with the private owners of the line, an executive producer called the state film office, which was open part-time at that time. “He asked me about incentives and when he discovered there currently were none in Arizona, he said, ‘We’re going to Utah!’”
Aside from a few scenes filmed in Monument Valley and on the Navajo Nation at Canyon De Chelly, Connolly tells of similar exchanges with producers of another Disney tentpole-turned-flop, John Carter, the Edgar Rice Burroughs and Percival Lowell inspired 2012 sci-fi film. “If we had just one of these films come here, that would be huge money,” Connolly added, noting that a robust film office, with a marketing strategy and effective budget, is as important as anything.
He also very much understands the arguments for a better, more closely audited tax credit and incentive system than once existed in Arizona, but he and others know incentives and credits are needed. “That’s the only way we can compete with New Mexico and Utah, no matter how many amazing, unique locales we have to offer, even when they are written into the script.”
A good example of an iconic Arizona location being blatantly bypassed for the remake of a renowned Western was James Mangold’s 2007 version of
3:10 to Yuma, filmed largely in Santa Fe, N.M. “We’re training a lot of skilled filmmakers and film crews up here,” said Dr. Jon Torn, assistant professor of Electronic Media and Film at Northern Arizona University’s School of Communication and son of legendary Hollywood actor Rip Torn. “I’m sure many of them would love to stay and make a career here in Arizona. And they could, if only Hollywood would come here instead of New Mexico and Utah. But they’re not, and they don’t, and the tax issue is a huge part of that.”
While Connolly hopes for a return to the boisterous promotion once conducted by the state’s film office – including a hot air balloon that read “Film in AZ” – he also longs for it simply to reopen. “We had four state commissioners at one time. We could sometimes get use of the governor’s plane to show producers locations.
There were no big incentives then,” he added.
Though also caught up in recent regional and local budget cuts, communities with iconic scenery like Sedona – which has hosted nearly 100 film shoots in its history but few since 1970 – are still ready and able to work with more, larger productions. With its funding cut in 2010, the Sedona Film Office became part of the Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President and the city’s Certified Film Commissioner Jennifer Wesselhoff said that in 2013, the city assisted nearly 70 film crews for dozens of filming days in Sedona for an estimated economic impact of $500,000, compared to almost 80 film crews, producing 40 film days, generating approximately $800,000 in 2012.
“Our film office was quite proactive in the past with soliciting film production and marketing Sedona as a filming location. Therefore, for the last several years, we have not been proactive in marketing Sedona to filmmakers,” said Wesselhoff. “We need an active and productive state film office and we need to market Arizona as a film-friendly destination – and that includes developing statewide tax incentives.”
She does point to the need for USDA Forest Service permits while shooting around most of Sedona, an important but surmountable obstacle to filming. Lowell Observatory’s numerous TV and film productions, from Discovery/SCIENCE shows to the BBC to the 2011 3D IMAX about orbital debris Space Junk 3D, require the cooperation of the Forest Service as Lowell’s research telescopes reside on National Forest land.
One film that did not try to replace the red rocks with a New Mexico locale, for example, was the 2011 feature, Sedona, a labor of love for many locals that was a well-reviewed and entertaining take on the one-of-a-kind sights, people, and vortices of the town and its surroundings.
“Sedona is an incredible place to shoot. You can’t beat the backdrop!” said Tommy Stovall, the writer/director/producer of Sedona. He also advocates for increased local and statewide advocacy for attracting film productions, but echoes Professor Torn’s remark about talent. With NAU, Coconino Community College, and Yavapai College’s Sedona Film School, there are ready-made fleets of production assistants happy to participate.
“[Having local production talent] helps a lot. It’s convenient and saves money for producers. We used as many locals as we could on our crew and it was nice to have a project here we could all be a part of,” added Stovall. (For more information about the movie, Sedona, visit www.SedonaMovie.com).
Flagstaff Film Commissioner and CVB Marketing and Public Relations Manager Heather Ainardi is also quick to point out the local talent pool is vast. “[The area’s] experienced crew base is also important. These include make-up artists, actors, set design and construction, videographers, etc. Most productions will bring their key crew with them, then hire locally when possible.”
Among the most noted local artists that often work with outside productions are photographers John Running, Rachael Running, Dave Edwards, James Q Martin and videographer Ed George. Their kind of notoriety is what Flagstaff is seeking to be known for among film producers: professional and able to get the job done.
“In order to get back into the movie business, Arizona and state-wide film offices need to market the resources we have to filmmakers,” added Ainardi, a supporter of SB1098 like all other local officials. “However, more importantly than the movie business, we need to be able to communicate our ability to be a filming location to production companies that oversee high-budget projects, which don’t necessarily require incentives to make a location decision.”
In a proactive move to address and better tackle the situation regionally, Coconino County Supervisor Mandy Metzger began convening a “film working group” in 2012. Now known as the Northern Arizona Film Collaborative, the group’s goal is to “explore and expand the opportunities for an active film industry in Northern Arizona,” explained Metzger. Aside from promoting existing assets, talent, and locations, Metzger said the group is prepared to create a regional
film commission, better document Northern Arizona’s film legacy, inventory film-related assets and address limitations, and assist with promoting the area and attracting productions.
“Northern Arizona really holds tremendous opportunity for filmmakers of a variety of genres and their related industries. The challenge is how do we attract the production companies to our area where we already have talent, expertise and infrastructure. We are working on the possibilities with real purpose. Given the engagement of community members, the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County and NAU, I expect to see significantly improved interest in our area over the next year,” added Metzger.
The next year will continue to be an exciting time for Gillett, even if the big opening didn’t go as well as expected, with a critical backlash and stiff competition for the same viewers. The weekend delivered the expected whirlwind, of mind and body, personally and professionally, as Due opened with $9 million, with more to come around the world. Yes, reviews have been mixed, but the $7 million film is in the black, Gillett points out. “Regardless of how the film is labeled, reviewed, and even how much money it makes, I’ve made the
active choice to measure the success of the film in a different way. I’m here, living a dream I never though would be a reality. And I can’t wait to make the next one,” he added.
His career behind the camera is just starting, while his hometown and surrounding areas look forward to spending even more time in front of the camera. FBN