Seattle Film + Music Blog Office of Film + Music and Special Events

Seattle Film + Music Blog

Meet the Seattle Film Task Force

by

Thank you, film industry and community, for applying and submitting nominations to be a part of the Seattle Film Task Force!  The Film Task Force members began work in February, with introductions from Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Members of the Film Task Force with Mayor Jenny Durkan, Office of Economic Development Director Bobby Lee, and Office of Film and Music Acting Director Chris Swenson
Members of the Film Task Force with Mayor Jenny Durkan, Office of Economic Development Director Bobby Lee, and Office of Film and Music Acting Director Chris Swenson

The Film Task Force is an group developed to advise the Office of Film + Music in its advocacy for, and policy related to, the support and growth of the local film industry and community.  This work includes recommendations for the development of a Film Commission, the Office of Film + Music’s 2020 workplan, budget, and permitting priorities, and Office of Film + Music initiatives to retain film business and attract more film production in Seattle, as part of the City’s creative economy future of work vision. 

Over 160 applications and nominations were received through a public process in December and January.  A selection panel of film industry and community stakeholders reviewed the applications and nominations, and delivered recommendations to the OED and OFM directors, who seated the members.

Share

Need a late-night pick-me-up? New ride-hail pickup zone pilot program coming to Capitol Hill

by

Did you know that Capitol Hill, between Pike and Pine Streets is one of the city’s busiest night life areas? Thousands of people visit the area on weekend nights.

We are working with our city partners including Uber and Lyft to add designated passenger loading zones for late-night pick-ups starting November 14!

As last call approaches and the bars, clubs, restaurants and theaters begin closing, large numbers of patrons start to head home. Many request ridehail services, such as Uber & Lyft.

Map of new ride-hail pickup areas in Capitol Hill for late night passenger load zones. Pickup zones can be found on E. Pine St. and E Union St. between Broadway and 12th Ave.
Map of the new ride hail pick-up zones on E. Pine St. and E. Union St. between Broadway and 12th Ave,

All hail the ride! You can catch yours Thursday – Saturday, Midnight – 3 AM!

Though these ride-hail services provide a safe option home for many, this late-night demand for high numbers of rides can contribute to area congestion, particularly along E Pike St. This can impact the ability of police patrol and emergency response vehicles to enter or access the area.

Working with the Seattle Police Department, the Seattle Office of Film Music, Uber, and Lyft, we have developed a new program to help distribute the high demand for rides, Thursday – Saturday between Midnight— 3 AM, to help keep people and drivers moving safely home.


  • E. Pine St. between 11th Ave and 12th Ave

  • E. Pine St. between Broadway and 10th Ave.

  • E. Union St. between Broadway and 10th Ave

Who does this affect?

Anyone requesting a ride-hail service within the geo-fence (see blue area in map) will be directed to the load zone closest to them, with the option of choosing another if it suits their needs better.

How does this work?

Simple! You request your ride and input your destination as normal. An in-app process will then display a map notifying you of the closest pickup point. You may choose that zone or another zone or leave the geo-fence area for a ride.

Once you arrive at the designated zone you will see a new orange sign below the regular passenger loading signs to make it clear that you are in the right place to catch your ride. As always, double-check the license plate, car make & model, and driver photo to make sure you are entering the right car.

“With this dedicated curb space pilot, riders out late in Capitol Hill can find a convenient ride home at the touch of a button, while helping to alleviate traffic congestion in the busy nightlife area. We’re proud to support this initiative with SDOT. It’s part of our commitment to collaborate with cities in developing innovative transportation options for the communities we serve.”
– Ben Kemp, Sr. Central Operations Manager, Uber

How long will this pilot last?

During the first 30 days, the City with Uber and Lyft will monitor the program closely. We will then review how this pilot is working and make adjustments accordingly.

For questions or comments, please contact us at latenightpickup@seattle.gov.

Share

2nd Annual Seattle Film Career Day connects young people with industry leaders and experts

by

Written by Jacqueline Wu.

Projection of the words Film Career Day on a screen in McCaw Hall.
2nd annual Seattle Film Career Day in partnership with One Reel and the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), and support from Seattle’s Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and Office of Economic Development (OED). Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

On Friday, October 25th, the City of Seattle’s Office of Film + Music (OFM), in partnership with One Reel and the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), and with support from Seattle’s Office or Arts & Culture (ARTS) and Office of Economic Development (OED), hosted Seattle’s second annual Film Career Day. Approximately 350 youth ages 13-24, educators, and film industry professionals gathered at the Cornish Playhouse and McCaw Hall at Seattle Center for the day-long event featuring expert panels, networking opportunities with industry professionals, and the new experiential learning element.

ARTS provided transportation for students from Franklin High School and Seattle World School, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds had the opportunity and access to attend Film Career Day.

“We are excited to have brought young people interested in film-industry careers together with film and content creation professionals for a second year,” said Chris Swenson, the City of Seattle’s Film + Special Events Program Manager. “The future of work in Seattle will rely on today’s youth being prepared for careers in video content, new media, and visual storytelling. We are delighted to continue our partnership with NFFTY and One Reel, and to offer Film Career Day as part of the biggest youth film festival in the country.”

Over 350 participants checking into the 2nd annual Film Career Day at Cornish Playhouse.
Over 350 participants checked into the 2nd annual Film Career Day at Cornish Playhouse. Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

Film Career Day began with NFFTY’s speed networking session, giving attendees the chance to meet panelists and other experts, share their stories and build relationships. Afterwards, the day featured two break-out sessions with panels and experiential learning elements.

Panelists tackled tough questions facing youth who are pursuing a career in film – for example, is film school worth the money and time, or is it better to work up the ladder through on-the-job experience? What makes a story great, and what pitfalls can beginners avoid? What does it take to get hired into a film or media project, and where can one find out about opportunities to gain experience? What is the best way to get your film out there?  

Teens and young adults working with UW Video's two-camera interview film set.
Teens and young adults working with UW Video’s two-camera interview film set. Photo by Chris Swenson.

This year Film Career Day added experiential learning elements provided by the University of Washington (UW) Video and Seattle motion capture company MoCapNow. UW Video lent their technical support to set up a traditional two-camera interview film set. Youth gained a first-hand experience with professional camera and post-production equipment in sound and editing.

Teen's first-hand experience with MoCapNow's motion capturing device.
Teen’s first-hand experience with MoCapNow’s motion capturing device. Photo by Chris Swenson.

MoCapNow is a Seattle-based animation and motion capture company that works in video games and film, with experience working with companies such as Rockstar Games, Microsoft, and Sony Computer Entertainment America. Most notably, MoCapNow did the visual effects for King Kong (2005) and Happy Feet (2007). Youth were able to explore emerging technology in virtual and augmented realty, being on the cutting edge in filmmaking and visual storytelling.  

“If they have access to a computer, they can start to tinker and get into animation and motion capture. Just start making stuff!” said Ander Bergstrom, co-owner of MoCapNow.

Keynote speaker Rayka Zehtabchi and moderator Laila Kazmi sharing their experiences in the film industry.
Keynote speaker Rayka Zehtabchi and moderator Laila Kazmi sharing their experiences in the film industry. Photo by Jacqueline Wu.

This year’s keynote speaker, Rayka Zehtabchi, is the first Iranian American woman and youngest director to win an Academy Award. Her award-winning documentary Period. End of Sentence, focuses on Indian women fighting to end the stigma surrounding menstruation by manufacturing sanitary pads in order to attend school. In the keynote, Zehtabchi shared her story as a young Iranian American woman in the film industry, her career after winning an Academy Award, and advice to young filmmakers.

“There are not a lot of opportunities for people like us (women of color),” said Zehtabchi.

“I am grateful because there are more opportunities to me now than there have been in the past for people like us, but still not a lot. But I think it really starts with you, as an artist, you go out and create your own opportunity. When someone is not giving it to you, go out and go make your film or go out and collaborate with other filmmakers like you.”    

During lunch, attendees also had the chance to browse through a table fair hosted by local schools and organizations including MoPOP, and Three Dollar Bill Cinema, to learn about part time jobs and internship opportunities and chat with current and former film and animation students.

“I just heard about Film Career Day and I just thought it was a really good opportunity to elevate some voices,” said Dayana Capulong, 23, Film Career Day attendee. “In this specific industry, it’s really important to have diverse sources of power to make complex and simple, but beautiful narratives for those that really don’t get that representation. I was here during the networking and was really trying to think about the impact of the media that we’re a part of, because we’re handcrafting stories about real people and that goes on to have a ripple effect about peoples’ beliefs systems and actions towards injustice and that’s why this is a real important industry.”

The Office of Film + Music thanks all of the partners, panelists, teachers, and volunteers who made the second year such a success, and looks forward to making Film Career Day even bigger and better next year! If you have ideas for things you’d like to see at 2020’s event, shoot us an email at filmandmusicoffice@seattle.gov.  

Share

10 Year Extension for the Washington Motion Picture Competitiveness Program

by

by Slade Burgess

Washington’s film incentive program has been extended for 10 additional years, providing $3.5M in yearly funds for local film hiring and allowing Washington Filmworks (our state film office) to remain in operation. The announcement came in the final hour of budget negotiations, after months of lobbying and a well-organized campaign led by Washington Filmworks. The current program was set to sunset on June 30, 2017.

Washington’s film industry is a significant asset in local job creation. Since beginning in 2007, Washington Filmworks’ incentives have created more than 17,500 jobs totaling an estimated $52 million in direct wages and benefits. The approved funding will support the continued success in film job creation in the state of Washington and locally in Seattle. In 2016 alone, Seattle permitted film productions reported 4,490 local crew hires and 2,447 local talent hires.

Mayor Ed Murray sat down with Seattle film industry leaders in June

Mayor Ed Murray met with Seattle film industry leaders on June 15, 2017

Mayor Murray stands with Seattle film industry leaders
Two weeks ago, Mayor Murray joined film industry leaders for Mayor’s Film + Music Day. The Mayor heard directly from multiple small business owners and film industry professionals about the current state of the industry and the importance of the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program (a.k.a. the film incentive) in driving local job creation, as well as the economic impacts to numerous small businesses. In the last 10 years, the program has spent approximately $116 million in direct in-state spending.  According to information gathered during the legislative campaign, while the film incentive directly supports film production jobs and businesses, that only accounts for five percent (5%) of the spending is on direct film-related businesses.  The large remainder of money is dispersed throughout local businesses through activities like lodging, restaurants, and travel (to name a few).

In addition to the economic benefits of stabilizing and growing our city’s film industry, the incentive also allows our state film office to remain open. While managing the state incentive, Washington Filmworks also provides support in location scouting, a crew database, and connects filmmakers to needed local resources to support their production. Last year alone, the state film office generated an estimated $7.2 million of direct spending in communities across the state.

Bring it on, filmmakers.  Seattle is open for business!

Share

Seattle Police Department Offers Security Training Program for Nightlife Businesses

by

The Seattle Police Department is offering a Security Training Program on Sunday, July 21, beginning at noon, at the Seattle Police Department headquarters. The class is not just for security personnel. Security training is imperative for individuals who work physical security or screen patrons at the door. It is also extremely beneficial to any employee who regularly interacts with clientele. Maintaining a highly-trained staff, ready to deal with difficult situations, is vital to the safety of both the patrons and the employees. Topics of instruction will include screening patrons, handling problem situations, and tips on shutting down and dispersing patrons. Registration and a $60 feel is required. For more information, click here. 

Share

Major Music Initiative to be Announced November 14

by

City of Music partner Seattle Chamber of Commerce will announce a major music initiative on November 14 at The Triple Door. RSVP to be a part of it! Space is limited! Sound Check Registration

Share

MORE ARTS = STRONGER ECONOMY, NEW RESEARCH FINDS

by

Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, recently shared insights from his group’s study of arts trends nationwide. His message to business leaders emphasized the importance of investing in the arts as an industry, rather than treating arts as a luxury during times of prosperity and avoiding arts when the economy struggles. Increasing public and private support by using economic impact studies to leverage investment can help. But not every good idea needs to cost millions of dollars. “The city of Seattle sees itself as a music town, and it has a Music-On-Hold program. When you call a government office and get put on hold, you listen to music by Seattle musicians. They change it every quarter. It’s so popular the mayor does the voice-overs, and they sell the music on a website. Sometimes, it just takes coordination of existing resources,” says Cohen.

Share

IN GOOD COMPANY, MAYOR MCGINN RECOGNIZES DICK’S DRIVE-IN FOR LONGTIME BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

by

SEATTLE CHANNEL
Last week Mayor Mike McGinn recognized Dick’s Drive-In for their longtime business leadership and investment in the Seattle community, while embodying Seattle’s pioneering spirit and reflecting Seattle at its best. A part of the Seattle Jobs Plan, the In Good Company program is an ongoing showcase of businesses that spotlights one locally-owned business every month for being unconventional, transformative, and exemplary. Click the link above to watch Seattle Channel’s profile of Dick’s Drive-In as part of the recognition program. 

Share

Apply Today:Office of Film + Music & Office of Economic Development Internship Opening

by

CITY OF SEATTLE
The Seattle Offices of Film + Music and Economic Development are accepting applications through March 11th for a combined communications internship. Interns participate in a variety of activities for OFM & OED, including marketing, communication, and outreach tasks supporting the City’s economic development mission. The program runs for six months, from March 26th – September 30th. Most successful participants have a background in economics/political science, communications, and film/music/interactive media. Visit our site for all the details.

Bookmark and Share
Share