ISSUE #45
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Hello and welcome back to an all-new installment of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH brought to you by GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
We’ve got two events for you all this week!
First, on THURSDAY (2/22), we’re so excited to finally be able to host another FILM SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE. C’mon out to this FREE social event and connect with local like-minded film fans and/or filmmakers.
Then, this SATURDAY NIGHT (2/24), we are celebrating another TWIN PEAKS DAY with a special COSTUME PARTY screening of David Lynch’s FIRE WALK WITH ME. Much like last year, coffee will be provided, and we highly encourage you to come dressed as your favorite Twin Peaks characters. The winners of our costume contest will receive a variety of prizes — from free movies to free coffee!
Last year’s Twin Peaks Day event was our most attended event to date, so if you’re hoping to get in on the fun this year we highly encourage you to RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW (plus, they’re always cheaper online anyway)!
Speaking of Lynch, keep reading to hear about a board member’s first-hand encounter with the inimitable filmmaker and more...
A BRIEF PHANTOM THREAD AFTERWORD
[BY: LAUREN PATCHETT]
After that screening, all that I have left to say is: wow.
I’m grateful to have seen it on the big screen, in such a beautiful theatre...and surrounded by many first-time viewers. The laughs, the “awws,” the finishing applause!
‘Never cursed’ indeed.
PART 2: SO MICHIGAN MIGHT GET FILM INCENTIVES...
This article is a continuation of a column from our previous issue. Be sure to check out PART 1 from ISSUE #44.
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ERIK HOWARD:
How does this affect me as a member of the Grand Rapids Film Society?
As a member of the GRFS, this legislation would usher in a new era of Michigan-based productions that are actively seeking crew members like yourself. You also may see in the coming years new studios opening up seeking new employees to help on all kinds of shoots and productions. From Netflix to independent studios, the possibilities are rather endless for which companies decide to put down roots in Michigan. We would also begin to see a lot more open-ended corporate videography like commercials which have always paid really great money for aspiring filmmakers. Currently the commercial space is dominated (at least in GR) by some of our big spenders like the Devos family and the Meijer corporation, but an incentive to film commercials in this state would bring in all types of creative productions as well as creating new production houses focused on corporate videography (hello Detroit’s automotive industry!).
Don’t think I forgot about your independent productions as well! Let’s say you’re gearing up to make a feature in this new incentive-rich environment and end up making good contacts with producers either based in or outside of the state. Through those contacts, you’d be able to save money on your own production, keeping that incentive for your own production’s taxes to make the financial hit a lot softer. For once, you’d be rewarded for creating in the state as well as creating contacts that can be relied upon should you create again. People will be looking for productions like your own because you’re incentivized to make them. By hiring your friends as a local crew and working with one of the production houses in the state, you’d be a part of a healthy ecosystem of filmmaking where things shouldn’t appear as expensive or out-of-reach as they may be now. Your stories would be brought to life, and you’d feel damn good about doing it.
Case in point: in an ideal world, you would see a lot more opportunity for employment amidst well-connected crews across the country. They’d be coming to you for expertise and recommendations instead of you joining the masses of L.A. or New York where everyone’s got a dream of hitting it big. You’d be able to make a living in filmmaking, working across crews or production houses as an actual career versus what can be a free hobby paid for in “experience.”
Now I do want to establish a warning here. This hearing was successful in that it got voices of filmmakers heard by Lansing but do not think for a moment it was all positive. There is a lot of animosity and memories of previous film incentives which were ultimately smeared by the Snyder administration. In fact, there were at least two people who testified/asked questions of MiFIA’s legislative chair Alexander Page that were clearly without support. From either not enough conclusive data to just a total waste of dollars while other pressing issues plague the state, this in no way is on a fast track to becoming law.
I’d also encourage you to recognize that this program does indeed have a ten-year sunsetting agreement built into it, meaning that the first decade of its existence won’t be as fruitful as it would be 2-30 years onwards. This cap means that if in ten years the legislation is reviewed and is found to not be meeting targets or success, it could very well go away again. While that sounds negative, what you must remember is that by setting a firm ten-year plan on this legislation, business and production companies know exactly how long they can reap the rewards of this incentive program. And if they decided that these incentives are worthwhile, they can build and plant themselves in the state which is enough proof to legislators that the system is indeed working. It puts this in the hands of businesses and filmmakers alike, encouraging creativity to prove that this legislation works and is efficient in providing for Michigan businesses. Don’t be too dissuaded by this sunsetting agreement and just realize that it would guarantee ten years of hopefully prosperous activity in the film sector while easily being primed for an extension in Lansing.
So how long until this can possibly become a law?
Sorry to burst the bubble everyone, but this could absolutely take a very long time once again. I encourage you to remain cautiously optimistic given the overwhelming support the committee received in the hearing as well as the bipartisan support in Lansing for this proposed legislation. I’d say expect this to be heard at least once more in the committee, possibly with more intensive data-driven testimony to help the committee feel much better about sending this off to the House of Representatives and the state Senate so that they can begin to discuss a legislative package that has all data presented and can lead to confident decisions. We are talking about cold hard cash here, and no matter what positives can result from a piece of legislation it will always depend on how the money is acquired and spent. I wish I had a good answer to the question, but keep an eye out through the next few months as we wait and see if this can advance out of committee and begin its trek to the Governor’s desk.
If you made it this far, thank you! This is a HIGHLY synthesized version of events as well as the legislation being proposed, but this is really important to digest as the conversation continues to grow around Michigan filmmakers’ progress to return incentives to our state. Navigating Lansing isn’t easy, but understand that your future as a creative has taken massive strides over the past few years or so. My personal plea to you is stay right where you are and keep creating with us at the Film Society. The connections and stories you are creating right now may seem fruitless, but as we continue this statewide journey to return to a time of creative prosperity it begins with us right here. Stick with one another, continue to write or create, and continue to call Michigan your home — because should all go well, you’ll be able to stay here and have a vibrant career as a Michigan filmmaker.
SPECIAL GUEST CONTRIBUTOR — HANNAH SCOUT DUNAWAY:
From the moment I entered the city of Lansing and got stuck for eight minutes at a stop sign off a highway exit ramp, I knew it was going to be a day like no other. I rushed to our first meeting location and was ushered into an elegant boardroom filled with MiFIA members. My role was simple: testify in front of the Economic and Small Business Development Committee in support of the Multimedia Jobs Act. Being the youngest person in a room is always a little scary, but the wave of nerves (and mild nausea) that hit when I realized I would be the youngest person speaking was next level.
We walked to the hearing as a unit and were immediately greeted by a hoard of people entering the elevators going up, each one looking to snag a seat in the hearing. The energy in the room was palpable — excitement and anxiety radiating off of everyone there. When I chose to attend Grand Valley State University for a Film/Video Production degree, I never could have imagined where it would take me. Sitting in a mildly uncomfortable chair in a congressional hearing room was the last place I thought I’d end up, but I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I testified alongside representatives from other Michigan universities and film schools and was given a platform to share my perspective as a student. Speaking directly to our legislators was an out-of-body experience...it wasn’t until a woman sitting in front of me did the “Anchor Up” hand sign that I was brought back down to earth.
The excitement didn’t stop after the hearing ended; in fact, it just kept escalating. I was asked to be interviewed by a local news station in Lansing and met countless filmmakers and industry professionals, each person sharing their story and filling me with the courage that what we said that day truly does mean something. The support I’ve received from my classmates, coworkers, and my own filmmaking band has been unreal, and I’m honored that I was trusted to share a student perspective on the public stage. I drove home from Lansing that day feeling differently from how I arrived and immediately drove to set for a night shoot on a submarine in Muskegon. Michigan is where my filmmaking journey began, and I truly hope to continue on as a Midwestern filmmaker and use my art to showcase just how amazing my home state is.
DAMN FINE PHONE CALL
[BY: MATT EVERITT]
When COVID first hit, I traded what I thought was my dream job for an office job, a life I thought I was done with after getting to shoot concerts on the road with some incredible bands. There I was — on May 19th, 2020 — walking into a beige office and clocking in for work. It was my personal hell...so bad I bleached my hair.
One of the few balms I had in those days was David Lynch’s YouTube ‘Weather Reports.’ I’m not exaggerating when I say it was one of the few things I could safely look forward to day-in and day-out. I know there are plenty of you out there who were buoyed by his delivery of the L.A. weather every day. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Lynch would log on every morning, from the exact same spot, with the exact same camera setup, with the exact same shirt, and a nearly identical delivery of that day’s forecast. He signed off the same way, “Have a great day everyone!” And you know he meant it.
So there I was, on that mundane Tuesday morning, wrapping up my morning watch of the Weather Report when YouTube autoplayed another Lynch video. This video featured him working on some projects in his workshop, including a urinal that he mentioned he was using epoxy on. As luck would have it, my soul-draining office job was creating content for an epoxy company. I ran out of my seat and found out who had the YouTube login, sent them a link to the video, and told them to comment and offer to help him or send some product his way if he ever needed it.
LESS THAN ONE HOUR LATER, his producer replied and said that he wouldn’t say no to some free product. Furthermore, he wanted to call and say thanks.
It was at this point I think I passed out. I remember being on the floor, crying. When I got back up, I had to explain everything going on which is when I realized most people don’t know who David Lynch is.
Have you ever tried to explain someone like David Lynch to a person without any context?
It’s really hard.
I ended up saying “He is the greatest living American director.” I still stand by that statement.
Fast forward to an hour later, and we were huddled around a conference table on a speakerphone call with David Lynch. It lasted about eight minutes. I was able to talk to him and thank him for everything he’s given us. It was one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me.
And here’s why I’m sharing this story: he went out of his way to thank us, freely talk through so many things including his film work and his workshop, and he followed up with individual gift packages to everyone on the team and made the world a smaller place for all of us.
We often hear about the monstrosities behind high-profile directors. It’s more common to hear about outbursts, predation, and obnoxious behaviors from artists of Lynch’s caliber.
Lynch’s work often presents a world beset by horror and evils beyond our comprehension. Yet in each of his films, there’s a defiant and gentle beating heart that wishes for better situations for all his characters. The Criterion Collection has this to say about Fire Walk With Me: “Nightmarish in its vision of an innocent torn apart by unfathomable forces, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is nevertheless one of Lynch's most humane films, aching with compassion for its tortured heroine, a character as enthralling in life as she was in death.”
Knowing what I know now, having a personal experience with David Lynch has only strengthened the human heart of his films for me. This is a man who values small moments with strangers and sharing his gratitude with actions.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WHAT: Join us for another FREE GRFS social event and chat about filmmaking, screenwriting, and cinephilia with other like-minded members of the GR film community.
WHEN: Thursday, February 22nd, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Front Studio Annex — right next to the Wealthy Theatre!
TWIN PEAKS DAY: FIRE WALK WITH ME (Lynch, 1992)
WHAT: Our 2nd Annual ‘Twin Peaks Day’ celebration! Come dressed as your favorite character for a screening of the David Lynch-directed feature film that acts as both a prequel to the iconic television series and a final installment in the story of the show’s original run.
WHEN: Saturday, February 24th, 8:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
NARRATIVE AGENCY: FILMS BY KATE LEVY (ARTIST SHOWCASE)
WHAT: The first-ever event in our new 'Artist Showcase' series, " join us for an evening with filmmaker Kate Levy as she presents a program of her short films with commentary for each work followed by a discussion and Q&A.
WHEN: Friday, March 1st, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every MONDAY, and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS.
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Look for ISSUE #46 in your inbox on NEXT MONDAY, 02/26!
Until then, friends...
