There’s something interesting happening in Portland around “digital storytelling” that feels very similar to the tech startup scene a decade ago. And it’s gaining momentum. The latest hint is that the Oregon Governor’s Board of Film and Television—or Oregon Film, for short—now has permission to give tax credits to video game and post production houses.
On October 7, HB 3367 becomes law. This is significant in several ways for Oregon’s film, television, and digital media industry. The most obvious change is the increase in the annual amount of OPIF tax credits to $10million a year. (By the way, we’re selling the remaining $4million of tax credits for 2013 beginning on October 21. Here are the details of the tax credit auction.)
What may prove to be just as important of a development, though, are the changes happening within the “local filmmaker” program which is commonly referred to as the Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Fund (iOPIF). iOPIF has now been modified to include local “media production services”. Media production services, as defined in the bill, will include post-production services and interactive video game development.
[UPDATE]
More info on the tax credits, thanks to KGW The Square, Live at 7.
http://www.kgw.com/templates/belo_embedWrapper.js?storyid=225126782&pos=top&swfw=470http://swfs.bimvid.com/player-3.2.15.swfhttp://www.kgw.com/templates/belo_embedWrapper.js?storyid=225126782&pos=bottom&ref=http://www.kgw.com/thesquare/Talk-Box-Oregon-Film-Tax-Credits-225126782.html
[/UPDATE]
Sound interesting? There’s an information meeting tonight (Tuesday) at 7PM. You login via Go To Meeting or can call in. To join the conference call, dial 866-305-2467 and use the pass code 994481. The meeting id is 252-367-767.
For more information, see the Oregon Film post on the expansion of the Indigenous Oregon Production Investment Fund.