Back Lot or Industry? - Iowa's Place in the Film Business

When supporters of an Iowa Film Incentive talk, it is usually along these lines: "We need film incentives so film producers (Hollywood) will come to Iowa, shoot their films, spend money, and support the Iowa Film Industry". They usually talk and think of Iowa as solely a location. They speak of economic impact in terms of purchases at local businesses. All this is well and good but it certainly does not create an industry, at least not a permanent one. This is because if the flow of films ebbs, those Iowans working in the business will have to either go elsewhere to seek opportunities or find another line of work.

Regarding Iowa as strictly a shooting location and placing ourselves entirely at the whims of the production slate of Hollywood studios is a very limiting way of thinking. To consider Iowa as being exclusively a location brings a few problems and limitations with it. Weather is one of them. Most productions are likely to be shooting during the warmer months of the year. This leaves film workers idle during the winter months.

When considering Iowa as a location most producers imagine only farms and small towns. This hardly makes Iowa unique as there are similar farms and similar small towns in other states and in Canada.

Even in thinking of Iowa as just a location, the thinking is limited because Iowa encompasses more than farms and small towns. There are many wooded areas that could stand in for other locations (think "Robin Hood"). There are areas with sheer rock faces (the bluffs along the Mississippi), and places with tall buildings (Des Moines and Cedar Rapids). Beyond that, most people forget that it is possible to build sets to represent other places. For example, for the film "Aaseamah's Journey" an Iraqi village was built. That's right, in Iowa! Just because this is Iowa doesn't mean that filmmaking with imagination can't happen.

About this "film industry" of ours: Although many call it such, presently it is made up of just a few small companies that produce local and regional television commercials and industrial films. This hardly qualifies us as a mecca for film production. Having feature film productions come in from Hollywood is unlikely to change this much. What is needed is our own indigenous film industry - one with projects that originate within our own borders. If any of these achieve success it may be enough to create the conditions to build permanent businesses and infrastructure.

The film business is not just camera crews on location. There are other facets of the business that function before, during, and after principal photography. Most of these functions are not dependent on locations (mountains, deserts, oceans) or weather and many could certainly be in Iowa.

Functions that take place before shooting and could be anywhere include, and are not limited to, screenwriting, storyboards, film completion bonds, insurance, and budgeting. Why couldn't some of these activities take place in Iowa? Being in close geographic proximity is not as much of an issue as it once was because of technological improvements with communication.

During principal photography, not everything needed is location dependent. During the days of the studio system, sound stages were heavily used and many films today still employ sound stages for part of their production. Because sound stages offer more precise control over shooting conditions and protection from weather, they would be an ideal addition to Iowa's film infrastructure. Besides augmenting the needs of visiting Hollywood productions, they could also make it possible to produce Iowa originated productions year round. If some stages were built with unique characteristics, such as an extra large studio tank, or special equipment for green screen or motion capture, it might be possible for Iowa to attract some movie business that doesn't involve farm and small town locations.

Sound stages also encourage television production. Television shows would be good for the Iowa film community because they typically employ film workers for longer periods of time than feature films and thus provide more stable employment. Television should not be ignored when we talk about a film industry.

A film doesn't end when the cameras stop rolling. There are many processes needed to finish a film and there is no reason they can't happen in Iowa. Films need to be edited, sound mixed, and color corrected. Films need to be scored and, if it is not released digitally, lab work must be done. Why can't at least some of this be available in Iowa?

Lastly a completed film must be marketed and distributed. Distribution is where the real power lies in the industry and it is the function that completes the production chain. Why not have some distribution companies in Iowa? The established companies may have most of the advantages but nothing ever stays the same. With imagination Iowa could have a piece of this business. With distribution in place we could say we truly have a film industry.

So what is Iowa's place in the film business? Back lot or industry?