Seattle Film Industry: What’s next after the SR99 tunnel opens?

January 31, 2019 by filmandmusic

Seattle Film Industry and Community:

Congratulations on making it through the three-week SR99 dual viaduct/tunnel closure! With the tunnel scheduled to open February 4^th, we wanted to share a few planning, background, and preparedness notes as we move forward with the next phase of the #SeattleSqueeze.

Film Productions in Seattle During Tunnel/Viaduct Closure

Even with the street closure and traffic control permit restrictions in the downtown core, the Office of Film + Music did not deny any permit applications and issued permits for 24 film productions in 7 Seattle Council Districts who hired 245 local cast and crew during the three-week January 11-February 4, SR99 dual viaduct/tunnel closure:

Production Type

8 Commercial / Advertising
4 Corporate / Industrial
3 Documentary
3 Short Film
2 Still Photography
1 Student Film
2 TV / Other
1 TV / Series

Local Cast and Crew Hired

Districts Filmed (showing productions with multiple shoots)

District 1 – 2 productions
District 2 – 4 productions
District 3 – 6 productions
District 4 – 7 productions
District 5 – 4 productions
District 6 – 5 productions
District 7 – 15 productions

Film Production in Seattle, Now Through 2024

As of February 4^th, the downtown traffic control/street closure permit restrictions officially end. Film permit requests from February 4^th forward for downtown Seattle will continue to be accepted and assessed on a case by case basis. Once the tunnel opens and residents and businesses settle into a new mobility norm, we will continue our work with SDOT, SPD, Metro, and other relevant agencies to identify in advance any new or updated restrictions.

In cases where a requested downtown location is not available for filming, the Office of Film + Music has contracted two location managers who are providing, in partnership with Washington Filmworks, regional options that can serve as location replacements. These location managers are also available for assistance to out of town or other productions who may need assistance navigating the region’s permitting and landscape.

Getting Around Town

Be sure to take advantage of SDOT’s mobility assistance information, and north/south tunnel portal entrance/exit scenarios, as you plan for production and crew moves and mobility:

Video: Plan your SR99 Tunnel route now
Blog: Updates on traffic and mobility in Seattle
Webinar: Seattle Squeeze Film Industry Webinar

As always, please contact the Office of Film + Music any time if you have questions or input.

2018 Look Back on Film & Special Events

January 17, 2019 by filmandmusic

2018 in Seattle Film

The Office of Film + Music coordinates permissions for film productions to operate on public City of Seattle property by issuing Master Film Permits. A strong Seattle film industry is at the center of the local creative economy.

Scroll through our Instagram snapshot of the numbers from 2018:

View this post on Instagram

2018 was an amazing year for #filminseattle! Filmmakers, let’s take a look back at what you achieved: . . . 🎞 537 permits issued – a 10% jump over the last 2 years! 👩🏽‍💼5,610 local cast + crew hired 💰56% of all permits were Commercial Productions – year after year, commercial work takes up the bulk of productions in Seattle 🎥 21% of all permits were for Feature Film or Episodic Content, including “Language Arts,” a feature film which was filmed completely in Western Washington over the course of 30 days in the Summer of 2018 🎬 The remaining 23% were for other content including student films, web series, music videos, PSAs, VR/AR projects, and more 🏬 312 out of the 537 permits issued in 2018 were to production companies that defined themselves as a small business 🏞 95 of Seattle’s 485 beautiful public parks were used for filming in 2018 – and parks were used 520 times across all permits ☀️ The top 5 most frequently filmed parks were Gas Works Park, Kerry Park, Volunteer Park, Discovery Park, and Golden Gardens Park 🏙 42% of all permits were from production companies within Seattle 🏔 19% of permits were from production companies within the rest of Washington State ✈️ The other 37% of permits were from national and international production companies – largely Los Angeles and New York – but also England, Singapore, and Australia . . A strong Seattle film industry is at the center of the local creative economy. Cheers to the great work in 2018, we can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2019! #wecanpermitthisforyou #seattlefilm #filminwashington

A post shared by Seattle Office of Film + Music (@seattlefilmandmusic) on Jan 15, 2019 at 5:13pm PST

2018 in Special Events

The Special Events Office operates within the Office of Film + Music, coordinating Special Event Permits for large or impactful public or private events (e.g., Seafair, Rock’n’Roll Marathon, Capitol Hill Block Party) and constitutionally protected free speech marches and rallies (e.g., Womxn’s March).

Here’s a snapshot of the numbers from 2018:

In 2018, 521 Special Event Permits were coordinated
This included 426 Special Event Permits, 82 valet permits, and 13 charter vessel permits
Total attendance at special events in 2018 was estimated at 2.3 million by event organizers
The most popular neighborhoods for special events were Downtown, Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, South Lake Union and Capitol Hill
50% of events were free and open to the public
55% of events occur during the summer months – June through September
There were 62 free speech events in 2018
19 events used public waterways
1,662 street segments were used for events
There were 64 run/walk/cycling events throughout the year

2018 was an amazing year for film and special events in Seattle. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2019!

Inaugural Seattle Film Career Day connects young people with industry leaders and expertise

November 1, 2018 by Laura Bet

Film + Music Office Director Kate Becker speaking on stage introducing the four Sound + Vision panelists

Film + Music Office Director Kate Becker introducing the Sound and Vision panelists.

Last week, the City of Seattle Office of Film + Music, in partnership with the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and One Reel, produced the first Film Career Day. Hundreds of students, educators, and young adults gathered at McCaw Hall and the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center for the day-long event featuring expert panels and networking opportunities with industry professionals.

“We are delighted to offer Film Career Day as a new opportunity for young and prospective filmmakers in the region,” said Kate Becker, Director of the Seattle Office of Film + Music. “It’s more important than ever that we connect youth, especially young people of color and women, with all the exciting creative opportunities waiting for them in our local film industry.”

“As the first generation born and raised into a world dominated by digital video, these kids are cinema-savvy and ten steps ahead of their teenage forebears,” said Marty Griswold, Executive Director at One Reel. “These are kids who just want to get there. Many are already equipped with the explosive creativity and skills to do it. Our job during Film Career Day was to point them in the right direction – and step out of their way. Based on the feedback we’ve received since then, I think we were successful!”

A large room of people seated in circles, talking.

Speed networking at McCaw Hall.

“The inaugural Film Career Day opened the door to the film industry to hundreds of youth from the Seattle area. I was blown away by the dialogue that was created between the young aspiring filmmakers and the industry professionals we invited to speak on the panels,” said Kyle Seago, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NFFTY. “I heard from many industry people that they had never seen such excitement and curiosity about their jobs before. It’s exciting to know that an event like this can serve a major role in growing the film and media industry in Seattle and beyond. Two-way exchanges of information and resources are vital to keeping a creative economy alive.”

Film Career Day began with NFFTY’s speed networking session, giving attendees the chance to meet industry experts, share their stories, and build relationships. Keynote speakers Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, and Brice Budke, the writer/producer/director team from Seattle production company Shep Films, discussed how they got their production company off the ground and how they overcame obstacles along the way.

Keynote speakers Chris Caldwell, Zeek Earl, and Brice Budke.

Shep Film’s first feature, Prospect, filmed entirely in Washington, premiered this year at SXSW and will be in theaters this Friday, November 2. “It was an emotional grind,” said Earl, describing their long journey to get the green light to film Prospect. “We kept shooting commercials, making money, developing our skills, kept working on our script. It kept getting better and better and better, until we really had our plan down. And we got the green light.”

The rest of the day featured six different panel sessions. Panelists tackled tough questions facing local young people who are pursuing a career in film—for example: Is film school worth the money and time? What are the pros and cons of starting a film career here in Seattle, versus moving to cities like LA or New York? What kind of film work is available right now in Seattle, and how can you find it?

“It gave me a lot to think about,” said one young woman who attended the “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” panel on where to build a career. “I didn’t think so many jobs were on the corporate side. It sounds like that’s where jobs are, if you want to get started [in the film industry].”

Panels also gave attendees a chance to ask questions and hear from professionals who play various roles in the film industry, from producers and directors to composers and costume designers. The “Sound and Vision” panel featured Mayor’s Film Award winner and costume designer Ron Leamon (Blue Velvet, Man in the High Castle) and film composer Mike McCready (Sadie, We Bought a Zoo); the “Should I Stay or Should I Go” panel featured Mayor’s Film Award winner Jennifer Roth (Black Swan, The Wrestler).

Drawing on Seattle’s reputation as a leader in Virtual and Augmented Reality technology, local experts including Xuny Haley, Operations Manager at CoMotion at the University of Washington, Kim Voynar of WonderTek Labs, and Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks, held a panel on VR/AR filmmaking.

Big local and national names participated in the inaugural Film Career Day, including surprise guest Mike McCready at the “Sound & Vision” panel. While McCready is best known from Pearl Jam, he has also been composing music for film and television for years.

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

One Reel has collaborated with the City to host career days, including Music Career Day, for many years. The first Film Career Day presented a new opportunity to partner with NFFTY, who’s experience and expertise were invaluable to connecting with the youth film community.

The Office of Film + Music 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 2019’s event, shoot us an email at filmandmusicoffice@seattle.gov.

Seattle director Megan Griffiths on the making of ‘Sadie’

May 21, 2018 by Laura Bet

Screening at the Seattle International Film Festival this year, Sadie is Seattle director Megan Griffiths’ sixth feature film, and tells the story of a 13-year-old girl living with her mother in a trailer park and struggling with the prolonged absence of her military father. Described in Variety as “equal parts coming-of-age story and slow-burn thriller,” the film’s titular character (played by Sophia Mitri Schloss) is intensely loyal to her dad and willing to go to extreme measures to keep her mother away from a new boyfriend.

Griffiths began working on the script for Sadie in 2009, her theme of inescapable violence in American culture just as relevant then as it is today. “I have been working with my producer Lacey Leavitt for eight years to get Sadie to the screen,” Griffiths says. “We were joined in 2016 by [producer] Jennessa West, who was a true champion of the film as well and pushed us over the finish line. It’s difficult to get any film made, and this was no exception, but ultimately we pulled together an incredible team and made a beautiful film that we’re all very proud of.”

Sadie was filmed in Washington, primarily in an Everett trailer park. “The film was written for Washington and we never considered shooting it anywhere else,” Griffiths explains. “Washington is home for myself and my producers, and we all love and support the industry here whenever we possibly can.” The production hired about 100 crew members and shot for 19 days, mostly in Everett but also at various locations in Burien, Shoreline and Seattle.

Griffiths describes Sadie as a “long labor of love,” and is thankful to its all-local (and 50 percent female) crew for getting it made at last. “I think it represents the best of our city’s film community, and I’m so proud to take it out into the wider world to show what our local industry is capable of.”

You can catch Sadie at SIFF on both May 27 (preceded by an interview with star Melanie Lynskey) and June 6.

Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces 2018 Mayor’s Award for Achievement in Film

May 18, 2018 by Laura Bet

Yesterday, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Tracy Rector as the 2018 recipient of the 13^th Annual Mayor’s Award for Achievement in Film.

“Tracy’s tenacity, creativity and passion represent the very best of Seattle’s talented film industry,” said Kate Becker, Director of the Office of Film + Music. “Her leadership in centering the voices of indigenous people and using media as an instrument for social change exemplifies the remarkable power of storytelling in all its forms.”

The Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film recognizes an individual or entity for exceptional work that has significantly contributed to the growth, advancement and reputation of Seattle as a filmmaking city.

Rector is a mixed race (Choctaw/Seminole) filmmaker, curator, community organizer, and co-founder of Longhouse Media. She has directed and produced over 400 short films and is currently in production on her fifth feature documentary. Her work has been featured on Independent Lens, Cannes Film Festival, ImagineNative, National Geographic, Toronto International Film Festival, the Seattle Art Museum and in the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian.

Rector’s Longhouse Media focuses on galvanizing the indigenous and local community through film production. Tracy is a 2016 Stranger Genius, has received the National Association for Media Literacy award for outstanding contributions made in the field of media education, is a Firelight Media Fellow, WGBH Producer Fellow, Sundance Institute Lab Fellow, Tribeca All Access Grantee, and is the recipient of the Horace Mann Award for her work in utilizing media for social justice.

The award was presented by Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan on behalf of Mayor Durkan at the Seattle International Film Festival Opening Night.

To learn more about the award and previous winners, visit seattle.gov/filmandmusic/film/mayors-film-award.

Producer Lacey Leavitt on the making of Outside In

April 4, 2018 by Laura Bet

Seattle director Lynn Shelton’s latest film, Outside In, opens at SIFF this Friday, April 6; the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, and had its U.S. premiere last month at SXSW. It stars Jay Duplass as a convicted felon attempting to reassemble his life after 20 years of wrongful imprisonment and explores his relationship with his former high school teacher, Carol (played by Edie Falco), who was key to securing his freedom.

Critics are praising the performances in the film, particularly Falco’s, as does Outside In producer Lacey Leavitt. “When [Falco] became Carol, she completely transformed, including down to her walk. She’s absolutely captivating on screen and seeing it for the first time on set really took my breath away,” Leavitt says. “All of the actors—Jay, Kaitlyn [Dever], Ben [Schwartz]—they all just completely inhabited the world Lynn and Jay created.”

Leavitt recently started a production company called Electric Dream Factory and has been making films in Seattle for the past decade. She often works closely with Shelton and other local filmmakers, including Megan Griffiths (whose new film Sadie premiered at SXSW as well). Outside In is Shelton’s seventh consecutive feature shot in Washington State.

The film was shot primarily in Granite Falls, a town with a population of about 3,000, shooting for 20 days in October and November of 2016 and totaling over 500 days of work for local crew. Nine out of the film’s fifteen roles were played by Washington actors, and editing and audio post production were completed in Seattle.

Leavitt describes the town of Granite Falls as a character in its own right in Outside In. “Lynn always wanted to make this film in [Washington] state,” says Leavitt. “When she was describing the feel of the script to location manager Dave Drummond, production designer John Lavin, and me, I just knew it was going to end up being Granite Falls. I spent a lot of my childhood there and I just knew that’s what Lynn was describing.”

The small-town, overcast setting helped set the film’s tone, and Leavitt describes a supportive environment on set. This helped the crew get through the strange time in which they were making the film: “Honestly I think the biggest challenge we faced in shooting the film was that the 2016 Presidential Election was going on at the same time. That was a very challenging time to focus on almost anything else but the news, and shooting this film was also one of the best things we could have done.”

“I love living in Seattle and filming in Washington State, as does Lynn,” says Leavitt. “We do it every chance we possibly get.”

Catch Outside In starting this Friday night at SIFF Cinema Uptown.

Seattle filmmakers premiering at SXSW: Shep Films’ Prospect

March 8, 2018 by Laura Bet

2018 is a big year for Seattle at the SXSW Film Festival—three films from local directors are premiering there this week. One of those films is the sci-fi Western Prospect, the first feature-length project from local production company Shep Films.

Shep Films was created by Pacific Northwest natives Chris Caldwell and Zeek Earl. Graduating in the midst of the recession in 2009, Caldwell and Earl started their company small: they began filming commercials and built up their production apparatus over time. They were eventually able to produce their first short film, “In the Pines,” which screened at SXSW and other festivals in 2012.

Prospect began as a short film, which premiered at SXSW in 2014. It tells the story of a teenage girl and her father attempting to strike it rich on an alien moon before they run into danger. The short film caught attention at the festival, which led Shep Films to begin working on a feature-length script.

Even with support from established industry professionals, getting Prospect off the ground took time. “The first major challenge was getting the movie financed, being a first-time team,” says Earl. “We had several false starts.”

Having the script and a successful short film helped the team make their case to financiers and ultimately get funding. “I think particularly if you’re a first-time director, it’s useful to have this proof-of-concept short,” says Caldwell. “I think [with] the script alone, it would have been more difficult to get financed.”

Caldwell and Earl were set on making the film in Washington from the beginning. “The alien landscape for the majority of the film is the Hoh rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula, which is a location that both Chris and I had personal experience with hiking and backpacking. It was always this fun idea to cast that part of Washington as this alien planet,” explains Earl. “The forest itself is a big part of the movie.”

Caldwell also stresses the community aspect of their decision to film in Washington, “We’ve developed a good group of collaborators who are all based out of Seattle.”

Earl adds, “Even though the crew and filmmaking community in Seattle is small, it’s a very passionate, positive community.”

In collaboration with Seattle film crew and local creatives, Shep Films found ways to produce the props, costumes, and sets needed for their original world. “We needed the machine that could build all this stuff. The result was us pulling together our own shop, and it was kind of this eclectic mix of people from all backgrounds,” says Earl. People with backgrounds in everything from cabinet-making to cosplay worked together in the film’s warehouse in Wallingford. “All these unusual skillsets came together, which was probably the most exciting and gratifying part.”

The strength of Washington’s film community shines in its dedication and compassion, in Earl and Caldwell’s telling. “The crew went above and beyond,” says Caldwell. “L.A. producers would show up, and they’d be looking around amazed at how good the vibe is on set.”

Shep Films was met with support and advice from the local film crews and industry, as well as the Seattle Office of Film + Music as they learned the ropes of producing a full-length movie. “It’s great to have an advocate who can help us get through hurdles to get it done,” says co-producer Brice Budke, describing the Office of Film + Music’s support in navigating bureaucracy to secure long-term production and crew parking and assisting in securing film locations. “It’s nice to have one contact who can advocate across departments.”

Shep Films also got help and advice from a local producer and Mayor’s Film Award recipient Lacey Leavitt and other established Seattle filmmakers along the way. “It’s crazy because Lynn [Shelton’s] movie Outside In and Megan [Griffiths’] movie Sadie are both [screening at SXSW] too, and there are people who worked on all three films, and they’re all playing at South By this year,” says Earl. “So it’s pretty exciting.”

You can watch the trailer for Prospect here, and check out their other projects at shepfilms.com.

MovieMaker rates Seattle as a top 10 city to live and work as a moviemaker

January 20, 2016 by Joe Mirabella

Seattle ranked number 7 on MovieMaker’s annual top 10 cities to “live and work” as a moviemaker.

They wrote:

Rainy, brainy Seattle is making a comeback this year after slipping off our list in 2015. With nearly 3,000 local crew hires in 2015 and 2,000 local talent hires, more features and TV series are moving through the coffee capital of the world: like Syfy’s Z Nation, a unit on Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, and the long-awaited reboot of Twin Peaks.

“I’m thrilled MovieMaker added Seattle to their top 10 cities to live and work as a moviemaker,” Kate Becker, Director of the Office of Film + Music said. “Mayor Murray supports the viability of the Seattle film industry and is working hard to make Seattle the premier destination for film production with the support of innovative policies that encourage the industry’s growth and keep talent and jobs in Seattle. That, combined with the region’s diverse location options, support for gender parity in our market for moviemakers, and deep talent pool are the reasons Seattle stands out.”

Check out the rest of their review of Seattle here.

Breaking News: Washington State Film Incentive Passes

March 9, 2012 by filmandmusic

WASHINGTON FILMWORKS
The Washington State Film Incentive Bill has passed! The 92-6 vote is all due to the amazing community and industry turnout in support of this jobs building program. Special recognition to Amy Lillard and everyone at Washington Filmworks for their tireless work since last June, and to Frank Chopp for making sure the bill got to the House floor for a vote. Governor Gregoire has 20 days to sign the bill in to law.

REEL GRRLS SEEKS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

September 27, 2011 by filmandmusic

REELGRRLS
Reel Grrls is a Seattle-based nonprofit that strives to empower young women to realize their talent in the world of media by providing hands-on workshops related to every aspect of filmmaking. Reel Grrls is seeking an inspirational and visionary leader with a passion for film, digital media and the empowerment of young women to fill The Executive Director position. The Executive Director provides strategic leadership, direction, and guidance to Reel Grrls, oversees all organizational functions and programs and forges strategic partnerships with funding sources, governmental agencies, partner organizations and all stakeholder constituencies.

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

Seattle Film + Music Blog