Reelscene News, Birmingham-Jefferson County Film Office created by MDB

A regional film office for the Birmingham and Jefferson County area was announce at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning April 22, 2005 by the Metropolitan Development Board. The press conference took place in the lobby of the Alabama Theater.

Entering the theater one went into a darkness, a darkness not just from your eyes adjusting from the difference between the morning sun in the street to a building's interior, but to a darkness of an unlit cavern. Leaving the soft natural light spilling in from the doors one pressed deeper into the unlit lobby. Past the darken refreshment area, a harsh artificial light spotlighted the far end of the lobby as if illuminating a long forgotten chamber. The lights from the TV news crews illumined the Grand Staircase and next to it, a podium, behind which was a large art design for the new Film Office done in a purple and white motif. The tripods and video cameras were standing like the demarcation line of light and shadow. The TV crews hunched up to their viewfinders; their stations logos displayed on their backs. Taking a step back out of the pool of TV lights one was again in a twilight between the artificial illumination and the subdued natural illumination coming from the doors. Here was where the twenty five to thirty people attending stood for the press announcement. The darken refreshment counter had a catered brunch of coffee, pastries and more set up.

First at the podium was Tom Hamby of the Metropolitan Development Board.

I'm Tom Hamby, I'm president of the Metropolitan Development Board and this is indeed an exciting day to be in Birmingham an Jefferson County here in the Alabama Theater. There's a lot of interesting things to see and do in our area of the state. Obviously this venue is one of them. There's a lot of beauty, there's a lot of diversity, there's a lot of opportunity in that beauty. Today, we'd like to announce the creation of the Birmingham-Jefferson Film Office.

(applause from those attending)

It's our sincere hope that through the effort of the office, new landscapes, new cityscapes will be explored and utilize by the film industry in this country. And we believe that will significantly improve economic development and contribute to the well being of our citizens and our economy here in Birmingham.

Last fall, the City and County were looking into the film office operations, came to us and said can we get together, can we help. The approach that the Metropolitan Development Board, we hired a consultant and looked into a number of cities and looked into how best, most effective we could make a film office work. And we patterned it after several, several cities. And we determined that being attached to a non-profit group like the MDB, which would have the infrastructure places, does traditional economical development, that this would be the appropriate place and the appropriate way to pursue this venture. So the Film Office has really a job that would be two fold. The first phase is to encourage incoming productions by providing locations, scouting assistance, research, connections with the local industry, companies, business with facilities and local governments to facilitate these companies coming in to make films. Second, the purpose of this Office will be to recruit productions to the region through marketing, promotional campaigns, by calling independent studio executives from anywhere from Los Angeles to New York City. So we're going to put Birmingham on the map and make people aware. It's not that, the Southeast certainly is already on the map, but you know some of our sister state have had tremendous success in this area of economic development making movies and TV productions. And when you look around our state, and again you look at the diversity, the beauty and the uniqueness, it's just a huge opportunity that we've been missing. So we're going to give our sister States some competition and we're excited about that.

(applause from those attending)

The next phase of this project will be for MDB to do a search for an executive director and then to get on with the process so with no further comments from me, and again this is not the first, this certainly great co-operatively effort between the City and the County, and I think that when we all pull together, the City and County and local business, when we all pull together you will see a rare positive outcome. And to talk a little more about their roles in this, this morning we are fortunate to have several government officials here with us this morning, first Chairman Langford will come up to speak then I think Councilman Smitherman going say a few words on behalf of the City, and then Commissioner Smoot who's has been one of the fireplugs behind this thing, sparkplug in keeping it going, and Bert Miller is here with us too. Bert's been involved with this. So at this time with no further ado I'm going to ask Chairman Langford to come up and give his thoughts on what is really a historic day here in Birmingham.

Jefferson County Commission Chairman, Larry Langford came to the podium to speak.

Some lesson are hard to learn but fortunately in Jefferson County and the surrounding municipalities, were about to get there.

Alabama is the best kept secret on the planet. You look at this State, we're the only state in the United States that has 77,000 miles of navigatable water ways in just one state. More species are here in Alabama than any other state in the Union and 50% of all turtles species found in the entire United States are all found right here in Alabama. This is way past time. I could say a lot of things, but I believe that the people who pushed this thing ought to get the full credit. Once we take out the of the equation, whose idea it was, as long as it works for all of us, then we can begin to move the calendar forward.

This is an economic issue for us. It has nothing to do with film, though that's the commodity that will be sold. In Jefferson County, we're non-attainable in clean air quality, we need non-polluting business to come into Jefferson County. These people will come in, spend money, live in our hotels, employ our people then pack their bags and leave to make room for the next group. So let me give to you all the person who really push this, came to the Commission and said, we have to do this. The person, who wore me out at night, called me, plead me, Commissioner Smoot, she fought for it, she should be getting the credit.

(applause from those attending)

Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Smoot came to the podium.

The Commissioner is too modest. I think this is a great day for Birmingham.

I'm not going to take up too much of your time. I'm just kind of overwhelmed by all the excitement the County and the City has done on this, this last week and certainly having a great company led by Tom Hamby and the corporate community. I think we have all work together as Tom said it best, it's just a beautiful thing, a positive thing when we work together, this is what happens. And you know what has hurt my heart for so long since I've been in this community is that it has been happening around us for years, for decades. And it doesn't do anything for the quality of life of our people. the people we represent if we don't start working as a team and working together for the betterment of the community.

Commissioner Langford and the Jefferson County Commission in general has been an excellent body to work with and yes we have our screaming and our interesting moments. But one thing I can say about the Jefferson County agency, it is a body of people that gets things done.

And again, you know, it's not about whose idea it was, it's really about giving back to this community things they have to go to other communities to get. So to the film community that's in the room, thank you for your support, we look for great things for you.

Tom, thank you for your leadership. Ted VonCannon as always, a catalyst for all of us, who push you out there, ' I can do this, man ', just kind of things a catalyst gets together. I want to particularly thank Councilor Bert Miller and Councilor Smitherman who I have a great relationship with. We sat down with fish & chips at the Fish Market some time ago talking about this and then went to the Commission.

Again, it's about vision, faith, leadership but most of all it's about courage. So I'm looking for great things from this group.

(applause from those attending)

Birmingham City Councilman Bert Miller interjected-
I must correct one thing, instead of fish & chips, actually it was catfish & hushpuppies.

Commissioner Smoot laughs-
I'm sorry, catfish & hushpuppies.

Birmingham City Councilman Carole Smitherman came to the podium.

Councilor Miller will speak for the City of Birmingham but I want to take note that this is a very historical leap forward for Birmingham and Jefferson County. This is the second time that we have met this week on a joint project to move the County forward and move the City forward in an economic development plan. The first was on yesterday with the Engel Ironworks. We thank Commissioner Smoot and Commissioner Langford, and now today with the Film Commission. We can only hope that this a historic,.. of a wonderful partnership and relationship between the two entities. Because Birmingham really is in Jefferson County, and we do want the Commission and they have responded very well to our request for assistance, for partnership and for just improving the quality of our people so we thank them for what they do, we thank the Council and the Mayor both for what we have seen as a visionary moment for our people and we thank you.

(applause from those attending)

Birmingham City Councilman Bert Miller came to the podium.

Good morning. And they say we couldn't work together. Boy it's a great day in Birmingham. When I first took office, it's one of my goals t help form this Film Commission. And I get tired of going to see movies about Alabama filmed in other states. That's all about to change, am I right?

Someone in the crowd responds-
Yes, sir.

Councilman Miller continues-

Well give yourselves a hand Alabama.

(applause from those attending)

It's a great day. It's a great day for Birmingham. it's a great day for Jefferson County and I'm excited, I'm excited. I'm going to hone my acting skills, because I'm a great actor.

(polite laughter)

I'm not going to say because they say everything I want to say. I want Shelia, Carole and Larry, we get a group shot together and show the people the County and the City are together, Shelia come on up, Carole come on up,.. Tom, come on Tom.. Ted come on

Councilman Miller starts to call on people to come up front.

Commissioner Smoot joins in-
Ted,... Amy,... Andy,.. Powell

Councilman Miller looks past the glare of the TV lights calling to the back of the lobby-
Karen from City Hall

Commission Smoot calls-
Amy

Councilman Miller searches past the line of TV crews to the attending crowd-
Where's Alan Hunter?

Standing in the darken crowd Alan Hunter responds-
No

Councilman Miller-
Alan could you come to have someone big,..come on.

Commissioner Smoot joins in-
Alan, Alan Hunter,.. kept calling me, calling, email me, email me, email me,..

From out of the shadows comes Alan Hunter and comments to Commissioner Smoot-
Sorry, persistence pays off.

They all stand together for a group photograph.

Councilman Miller continues-

People this is what it is all about working together for one common goal to better our City, our County and our State. And through this particular project right here we're going to do that, So I want to say thank you for all y'all support. I've been very ill when I heard about this I got up out my bed to come be a part of it, and thank you all very, very, very much. Let's roll.

(applause from those attending)

The group breaks up. Tom Hamby comes to the podium to close.

Thank you very much, I appreciate everyone being here. I am reminded of an anecdotal story. As most of you know I grew up over in Georgia and I don't know whether you know this or not but there's an old TV show called "In The Heat Of The Night". Popular show, where guess where that thing was filmed, a little town called Covington, Georgia. Which just shows that any little town that had a nice courthouse like we got a lot of nice courthouses, but I harken back, the local tire store, for example, all those Heat of the Night cars, every time I wanted to get my old truck worked on I had to fight to get all the Heat of the Night cars out of the way. That's the kind of infrastructure, economy that these kind of things drive us, don't think about. Like Mr. Langford says, it's really not about making movies, it's about economic development, so we're got a great opportunity, thank you for coming, thanks to everybody.

Press material was handed out.

An almond pastry was quite tasty.