Michigan Continues Movie Success:Detroit Free Press

Postproduction key to state film industry

BY JULIE HINDS
FREE PRESS POP CULTURE WRITER


"Piranha 3D" was filmed in Arizona at Lake Havasu. So why did several members of the crew spend about six months in Ann Arbor last year?

Because it was an economical and enjoyable place to do editing on the horror movie about the vicious fish.

As Michigan strives to become Hollywood Midwest, much attention is being focused on the filming that's bringing famous actors and prominent directors to town.

But there also is an emerging market in film and TV postproduction -- work that ranges from editing to sound mixing.

"Piranha 3D," which opens today, is the first movie to come to Michigan specifically to do postproduction work and receive the state's tax incentives for filmmakers, according to the Michigan Film Office.

Postproduction could expand in metro Detroit and the rest of the state.

"I think the biggest challenge is awareness and getting your foot in the door," said Allan Rothfeder, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Grace & Wild Inc., the Farmington Hills parent company of Grace & Wild Studios, which provided editing equipment and technical support for "Piranha 3D."
That's a wrap! Now to Mich. for postproduction

You've heard about the celebrities who are making movies here. But have you heard much about postproduction?

Probably not. It isn't as glamorous as being in front of the camera, but it's crucial to what you see in movie theaters and on television.

Postproduction involves an array of work that's necessary to complete a film or TV show, from processing and transferring the dailies to editing, sound mixing, special effects and music.

And it's one of the keys to building a long-term film industry in Michigan.

"The postproduction work, the film processing work, the audio work has really got to find its way here to make a sustainable business model for Michigan to be a leader in filmmaking," said Kirk Miller, president of Kinetic Post, a postproduction company in Southfield that's doing some work for "Home Run Showdown," a baseball-themed movie filming in the state.