UMass Boston Study Finds State’s Film Industry among Fastest Growing in Nation

Boston, MA (Vocus) February 10, 2010 -- A study released today by the University of Massachusetts Boston (http://www.umb.edu) tracking the growth of the state’s film industry finds that Massachusetts is among the fastest growing locations for film and television production in the United States, experiencing greater growth than some states with more generous tax credit programs. The study also finds that the film industry has created new jobs, while the state and national job base is shrinking, and that it provides new career paths for graduates in this college-rich state.

The study, titled "Film and television production in Massachusetts: An industry overview and analysis (http://www.management.umb.edu/faculty/workingpaper/foster_pacey/UMBCMWP1046.pdf),” is coauthored by Professor of Management and Marketing Pacey C. Foster and Professor of Economics David Terkla, with the assistance of Robert Laubacher of MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

“While the bulk of film and television production still takes place in Los Angeles and New York, other states are increasingly competing with these traditional centers through tax credit and other incentive programs,” the report’s authors state. “… Massachusetts had the fifth largest growth rate among the top 25 most active states in the country.”

Among the study’s findings:

- Massachusetts is among the fastest-growing locations for film and television production in the United States, and, notably, some states with more generous tax credit programs have not experienced as much recent growth as Massachusetts.

- Employment in film and television production has increased in Massachusetts during a period when total state employment has declined. There is also evidence that jobs in film have offset some of the severe job losses in construction and transportation.

- Local non-fiction television and post-production companies have experienced particularly dramatic growth in recent years, and, because organizations in this sector tend to spend a large proportion of their production expenses locally, they represent a particularly important sector for local economic development.

- The growth in local film and television production has stimulated growth among a cluster of local film service companies that support these productions. It has also lured some larger national film service companies to the Commonwealth.

A link to the full report can be found on the UMass Boston homepage, www.umb.edu. To contact Professor Foster, call 617-287-7089. To contact Professor Terkla, call 617-287-6952. For a live or live-to-tape interview with one of the authors from the UMass Boston TV production studio, contact Communications Director DeWayne Lehman at 617 291-7258.

About UMass Boston

With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s seven colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 15,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.

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