Worcester’s Emerging Film Industry: Boon or Bust?

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Worcester is a city on the rise in terms of its relationship to the film industry; producers and directors are beginning to flock to the city and surrounding areas in order scout potential filming locations.

Because the city offers a wealth of different scenery back drops – essentially everything but the ocean – and is an easier city to navigate than places like Boston, Worcester is becoming increasingly popular as a movie destination. But as more and more films begin to set their eyes on Worcester, many are beginning to wonder whether the film industry is something that can truly benefit the local economy.

“I think that films definitely help; they bring in people that will spend money with local businesses and rent out locations and other things of that nature,” said Tim Murray, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I think that films coming to Worcester has definitely helped the economy, but I don’t think that it is an essential part of what we need to do moving forward.”

In addition to Worcester being an attractive option for film, Massachusetts as a whole has become increasingly popular, thanks to the state’s film tax credit, which offers a 25% production credit, a 25% payroll credit, and a sales tax exemption if the filming meets proper criteria.

Aiding Arts and Culture

Most recently, Worcester saw a huge boost in its movie culture and local economy when the movie “The Sea of Trees,” which stars Matthew McConaughey, kept its headquarters in the city for a total of seven weeks, filming at a variety of local locations throughout Worcester and Central Massachusetts like Clark University and the Worcester Regional Airport. Although figures are not totaled yet, city and movie officials are saying that the movie could have brought thousands, if not millions in revenue, to Worcester.

As the films get larger and larger and stay longer and longer, Worcester is starting to build a real movie scene and culture, adding another element to Worcester’s already stout arts and culture sector.

“Worcester is certainly a hotbed for the film scene,” said James Lewis, founder of the Worcester Film Festival. “I think that the film industry is something that can be a very positive thing for Worcester. I also think that this is something everyone in the city can benefit from; it has the potential to touch the entire city. Worcester has a real chance to define itself here; it just needs to continue to support films.”

Do the Ends Justify the Means?

While bringing a cultural flare and buzz to Worcester, there has been much debate as to whether or not having films made in Worcester creates a financial gain for the city.

Films do create a buzz – both locally and nationally – and production crews do spend money locally when filming, but it has been proven that much of the money that the state provides in tax credits is spent out-of-state.

In 2012, the year that data is most recently available, only about one-third of the $304 million in spending as a result of such tax credits was actually spent in Massachusetts, costing the state $78.9 million.

"Filming in Massachusetts does not provide a good bang for the buck for the economy," said Noah Berger, President of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. "We need to stop focusing on bringing in these expensive movies in for a few weeks and instead focus on other important investments to the economy of Massachusetts, like higher education. Especially in areas like Worcester where the city is working on building the economy, we should be focusing on funding things like the WRTA and the local area colleges and universities."

Worcester’s Emerging Film Industry: Boon or Bust?

Related Slideshow: Movies Filmed in Central Massachusetts

The Case Against Sam

Tumbledown

American Hustle

The Judge

Basic Math

Labor Day

Surrogates

Shuttle

The Game Plan

Shallow Hal

Geezers

A Civil Action

School Ties

Glory

Ah, Wilderness

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