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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

Reelscene: Tell us about the Birmingham Jefferson County Film Office and how will it be set up.

Ted VonCannon: Well the Film Office is directed or commissioned by the City and the County with the Metropolitan Development Board will operate, and we will develop an agency that will market and showcase the Birmingham-Jefferson County region to the world. There will be a staff which will be hired very shortly. The Office will operate under or with the Metropolitan Development Board. There will be an advisory council which will help assist and direct the agency but hopefully we're going to be kicking into gear in the next few months as soon as we can begin to get staff on board.

Reelscene: And what type of agency will it be set up as, a non-profit organization, how is the Metropolitan Development Board set up?

Ted VonCannon: Of course, the Metropolitan Development Board is a 501-c-6 agency that sells and markets the Birmingham-Jefferson County region to the world. This will be a part of that organization in which we will hopefully market for film production purposes the region again to the rest of the country, in particular to the film production companies, is they look at particularly in our part of the company to find locations to shoot movies and other film productions.

Reelscene: Most film commissions are responsible for things like tax breaks and permits, is your Office going to handle that?

Ted VonCannon: Obviously  those tax breaks would have to be done by governmental entities. But we would certainly work with the State and the local governments to make sure that we're not at a competitive disadvantage with our sister cities that we are competing with. So absolutely that's important. Obviously those 'breaks' as you say or those situations would be acted on by government. But we would be a catalyst to make sure that we can compete with our communities in our part of the country.

Reelscene: There have been several plans formulated over the past few years, so which particular consultant did your agency hire?

Ted VonCannon: A young lady, Theresa Long, assisted us along with Allison Powell who is an attorney, but this was a document that was developed with the help of a lot of folks. And there were opportunities that we looked at or rather agencies we looked at from about eight or nine mostly in the Southeast. We tried to look at what was good about those agencies, what was bad, what was good fits for the Jefferson County-Birmingham region, and we think we have picked the best out of those agencies and are going to utilize that, obviously we will go through a shake down cruise as we get staffed up and we'll make some mid-stream corrections as we need to.

Reelscene:: And you mentioned that there was going to be a Film Council, what's the purpose of the film council?

Ted VonCannon: The Film Council will be advisory in nature, to make sure that we are going in the right direction and will provide guidance for our staff and for the MDB as well.

Reelscene: Ands what's the criteria for the Film Council?

Ted VonCannon: There are eight members, I think there are two from the City, two from the County, I am on that board, and there is a representative from the Chamber and a representative from the Visitor Convention Bureau and a representative from the Sidewalk Film Festival which is the largest festival in Birmingham. And those could change and add on to as we need to.

Reelscene: Where will the Film  Office be located at?

Ted VonCannon: The Office will be located on top of Red Mountain at 500 Beacon Parkway in the World Business Center as part of the Metropolitan Development Board offices.

Reelscene: And you say your searching for an Executive Director, do you have an idea of who you want or are you searching outside the State?

Ted VonCannon: Well certainly it's a very open if you will, nation wide search. We're going to find the best candidate that we can, obviously, that would fit our needs.

Reelscene: Thank you.

Copyright 2005 by Paul Godbey, all rights reserved