Written by
LEE ROOD
Iowa’s former film chief has a message for state employees: Beware. You, too, could be convicted of misconduct in office.
Interviewed for the first time since his conviction in October, Tom Wheeler told The Des Moines Register last week that he believes the verdict in his high-profile case means any state employee could wind up being charged criminally “through no fault of their own.”
Wheeler said he had no training, no employee handbook and no legal coaching on the ramifications of screwing up when he was drafted to run Iowa’s film program.
“Nobody was clear about the minimum or maximum I was supposed to do,” Wheeler said Wednesday from the downtown office of his Des Moines lawyer, Angela Campbell. “The precedent of this law leaves the door open for the state to use the law well beyond what was expected.”
In September, Polk County jurors found Wheeler guilty of submitting falsified documents involving projects from filmmaker Wendy Weiner Runge. He received a deferred judgment and probation, meaning his record will be wiped clean if he stays out of trouble for the next two years.
Still, Wheeler said he has spent about $250,000 in legal fees, court costs and the like, and “it nearly destroyed my life.”
Now working at a hardware store in Indianola, Wheeler said he will never be able to pay his debts on his current salary. He said he will have to look for work out of state if he ever wants to get ahead.
But he also said he still believes film incentives were a great thing for Iowans, and he thinks they should be revived with better safeguards in place, such as formal audits before credits are awarded.
Wheeler was found not guilty on eight counts of fraud, conspiracy and felonious misconduct. Judge Douglas Staskal said at sentencing that Wheeler deserved punishment for shirking his responsibilities to Iowa taxpayers, but he acknowledged that jurors had “essentially exonerated Mr. Wheeler of any evil criminal intent” when they acquitted him of the other charges.
Wheeler said in the interview that he did not knowingly submit falsified records.
Jeff Thompson, a deputy attorney general involved in Wheeler’s prosecution, had no comment.
Wheeler’s interview came in the same week that filmmaker Bruce Elgin was ordered to pay $4.38 million in restitution to the state, but two others were awarded more than $5 million in taxpayer money in connection with the film program’s collapse.
Elgin, 42, of Washington, Ia., dodged a prison sentence when he was given a deferred judgment and two years’ probation for records tampering. Prosecutors alleged Elgin claimed $7.8 million in illegal expenses to gain state tax credits.
Meanwhile, the makers of big-budget movies “The Experiment” and “The Crazies” reached the largest settlements of all filmmakers whose productions were entitled to payments, but who were unable to collect after the state’s incentive program was suspended in 2009.
Magnet Media of Beverly Hills, Calif., producer of “The Experiment,” is to receive $4.1 million. Jekyll Productions, also of Beverly Hills, will get almost $1.4 million in cash and $2 million in tax credits for “The Crazies,” according to Deputy Attorney General Jeff Thompson.
The film program was run by Iowa’s Department of Economic Development, which employed Wheeler. A state audit released in 2010 found 80 percent of the tax credits awarded before the program collapsed — $26 million of $32 million — were issued improperly.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
By Mike Scott, Times-Picayune/NOLA.Com
Louisiana comes in at No. 1 in ranking of best states in which to film
By Mike Scott, The Times-Picayune NOLA.com
With just 10 days to go before the new year, Hollywood South is closing out 2011 on a high note, topping P3 Update Magazine's annual ranking of the best states in which to shoot a movie.
0106 film crew.JPGA local film crew preps for a scene in Mandeville on the set of 'Welcome to the Rileys.' Louisiana has earned the top spot on P3 Update's ranking of the best states in which to shoot a film.
The magazine -- a Hollywood-based monthly trade publication -- compiles its rankings based on "the most attractive combination of tax incentives, crew base, talent pool, infrastructure, accessibility, significant production revenue and overall popularity among filmmakers."
Louisiana's trend-setting tax incentives are what helped it gain a foothold in the industry, but it's not the only reason productions have continued flocking to the state in the nine years since the incentives were first adopted, P3 Update says.
"In addition to the Southern hospitality, Louisiana's success is largely due to the state's ability to attract repeat business with its attractive incentive programs, deep crew base and abundance of studio facilities."
Rounding out the top 10, in order, are Illinois, Florida, Georgia, California, Connecticut, New York, Utah, New Mexico and Michigan.
By Mike Scott, The Times-Picayune NOLA.com
With just 10 days to go before the new year, Hollywood South is closing out 2011 on a high note, topping P3 Update Magazine's annual ranking of the best states in which to shoot a movie.
0106 film crew.JPGA local film crew preps for a scene in Mandeville on the set of 'Welcome to the Rileys.' Louisiana has earned the top spot on P3 Update's ranking of the best states in which to shoot a film.
The magazine -- a Hollywood-based monthly trade publication -- compiles its rankings based on "the most attractive combination of tax incentives, crew base, talent pool, infrastructure, accessibility, significant production revenue and overall popularity among filmmakers."
Louisiana's trend-setting tax incentives are what helped it gain a foothold in the industry, but it's not the only reason productions have continued flocking to the state in the nine years since the incentives were first adopted, P3 Update says.
"In addition to the Southern hospitality, Louisiana's success is largely due to the state's ability to attract repeat business with its attractive incentive programs, deep crew base and abundance of studio facilities."
Rounding out the top 10, in order, are Illinois, Florida, Georgia, California, Connecticut, New York, Utah, New Mexico and Michigan.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Put Down That Bottle...There Is Still Hope For Us!
There is reason for hope that the Iowa Film Office will be revived. I spoke with someone in high authority today who said there are discussions underway regarding the funding of that office. Jay Villwock and I will meet very soon with someone at one of the very highest levels in state government so that we can bring the Iowa film family together to help get things going. Stay tuned!!!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
From Michael Gonyea at Examiner.Com
Film incentives saved from cutting room floor
Amid a flurry of activity on the final day of the 2011 legislative session, Michigan Lawmakers approved a measure designed to revive Michigan’s stalled film incentive program.
The bill, much more clearly than the one it would replace, defines the criteria to be used in allocating the incentives.
The 2012 fiscal year budget (which began in October) set aside $25 million for the program.
But the Michigan Film Office decided on Sept. 30 that it would stop taking applications for incentives until the process for providing grants was clarified.
The new direct grant program isn't as lucrative for producers as the old 42 percent across-the-board tax credits were. But assuming Gov. Snyder agrees to sign the measure into law; it will at least put the film office back in business.
Among its key provisions, the bill provides higher incentives for producers who spend a greater portion of their overall budget on Michigan businesses and workers. A major criticism of the previous program was that it offered no such incentive. The bill also requires that all productions make reference to the Pure Michigan tourism campaign.
Advertisement
The true economic impact of the credits won’t be known for several years. Michigan's film industry must ramp up to realize their full value. Building studios, adding post-production facilities, and training the workers that will be needed to staff them can’t happen overnight.
And estimates on the economic value to hotels, restaurants and other businesses serving production companies vary widely. But if one has faith in the natural assets Michigan brings to film producers, and if the Legislature keeps incentives in place for the long term , the result will likely be a net positive for its taxpayers.
Finally, there’s the cool factor. How does one gauge the intangible value of having celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, George Clooney and Drew Barrymore, among many others, filming and hanging out in Michigan?
Quiet on the set
Roll camera
Ready...aaaand action
Amid a flurry of activity on the final day of the 2011 legislative session, Michigan Lawmakers approved a measure designed to revive Michigan’s stalled film incentive program.
The bill, much more clearly than the one it would replace, defines the criteria to be used in allocating the incentives.
The 2012 fiscal year budget (which began in October) set aside $25 million for the program.
But the Michigan Film Office decided on Sept. 30 that it would stop taking applications for incentives until the process for providing grants was clarified.
The new direct grant program isn't as lucrative for producers as the old 42 percent across-the-board tax credits were. But assuming Gov. Snyder agrees to sign the measure into law; it will at least put the film office back in business.
Among its key provisions, the bill provides higher incentives for producers who spend a greater portion of their overall budget on Michigan businesses and workers. A major criticism of the previous program was that it offered no such incentive. The bill also requires that all productions make reference to the Pure Michigan tourism campaign.
Advertisement
The true economic impact of the credits won’t be known for several years. Michigan's film industry must ramp up to realize their full value. Building studios, adding post-production facilities, and training the workers that will be needed to staff them can’t happen overnight.
And estimates on the economic value to hotels, restaurants and other businesses serving production companies vary widely. But if one has faith in the natural assets Michigan brings to film producers, and if the Legislature keeps incentives in place for the long term , the result will likely be a net positive for its taxpayers.
Finally, there’s the cool factor. How does one gauge the intangible value of having celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, George Clooney and Drew Barrymore, among many others, filming and hanging out in Michigan?
Quiet on the set
Roll camera
Ready...aaaand action
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