Archive for June, 2010

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Last year, Hollywood’s largest prop house, 20th Century Props, closed after 40 years in business and auctioned off 93,000 props from films such as “Titanic” and television shows like “The X Files.” The owner said businesses had slowed because productions were leaving Hollywood for states like New Mexico and Louisiana that offer tax incentives.

In 2008, when FilmMaker Production Services opened, there were 38 film and television productions shot in New Mexico. That rose to 41 in 2009. For the year to date in 2010, there are about 15 productions listed at the New Mexico Film Office website.

Eric Witt, media industries liaison to Gov. Bill Richardson, said production levels are strong in the state. There are five films and television shows filming, including the third season of “In Plain Sight” and “Scoundrels,” as well as Disney production “Lemonade Mouth.” All three are shooting in Albuquerque.

“Cowboys & Aliens,” starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, is shooting in Santa Fe.

There has been pressure on budgets in the film industry, Witt said, especially at the studio level, but that has not necessarily translated into fewer productions.

Lisa Strout, director of the New Mexico Film Office, said FilmMaker Production Services is the only large-scale, commercial prop house in the state and will be sorely missed. But she added that production levels in the state have gone up over the past several months.

“I think there is a difference between not enough production and not enough production coming to the prop house, for whatever reason,” Strout said.

For a prop house focused primarily on contemporary goods, factors such as the type of productions, their budgets and the time period in which they are set can also impact business, she added.

“We have gone through yet another resurgence of period Westerns of late, as well as futuristic films that design and create props specifically for their unique look,” Strout said.

Ann Lerner, director of the city of Albuquerque’s film office, said FilmMaker Production Services has been a good partner in the community, hosting meetings and fundraisers.

“We’ll miss their presence here,” she said.

NBC Universal does have another company here, New Mexico Lighting & Grip Co., located at Albuquerque Studios.

Read more: Albuquerque’s FilmMaker Production Services closing – New Mexico Business Weekly

TUCSON, Ariz. — Following is a rundown of activities that occurred over the last 24 hours in the Tucson Sector.  This is only a thumbnail of each incident and an invitation to contact the Tucson Sector Communications Division for more information.

Significant Arrests

(NGL) Nogales agents arrested an illegal alien Monday who has an extraditable warrant for sexual assault from Dallas, Texas. The warrant was discovered using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). The Nogales Police Department took custody of the subject for extradition.

Agents from the Nogales Station also arrested an illegal alien Monday who had previously been convicted for manslaughter. The charge was discovered using IAFIS. The subject was held for prosecution.

(CAG) Casa Grande agents arrested an illegal alien from Honduras Monday who has a prior conviction for sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. The subject was held for prosecution.

Border Patrol agents continue using IAFIS to identify illegal aliens with serious criminal histories. The Border Patrol is committed to working with local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement agencies to bring these criminal aliens to the proper law enforcement resolution. Agents remain vigilant in order to prevent criminal aliens from entering our communities.

Significant Seizures

(TUS) Tucson Station agents and a Border Patrol Canine team were conducting checkpoint operations late yesterday when a canine alerted to a hidden compartment containing 246 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana, worth more than $197,000, vehicle and driver were taken to the Tucson Station for processing.

(CAG) Agents from the Casa Grande Station, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine (OAM), seized 11 bundles of marijuana yesterday after subjects abandoned their load and absconded. The marijuana, weighing 520 pounds and valued at more than $417,000, was taken to the Casa Grande Station for processing.

(NGL) Nogales Station agents discovered 197 pounds of marijuana yesterday west of the Deconcini Port of Entry. The marijuana, worth approximately $158,000, was taken to the Nogales Station for processing.

The Border Patrol continues to use a proper mix of infrastructure, technology and personnel to protect our Nation’s borders from all potential threats. Cooperation and coordination with CBP components, such as OAM, continue to yield positive results throughout the Tucson Sector.

Recoveries

(CAG) Agents assigned to the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Team found a deceased person yesterday and turned the scene over to the Tohono O’odham Police department (TOPD).

Smugglers continue to put peoples’ lives at risk in their attempts to profit from illegal activity.  As temperatures continue to climb, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol stands ready to render humanitarian aid to anyone found in distress.

To report illegal activity anytime and remain anonymous, call 1-877-USBP-HELP. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with managing and protecting our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while also enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Contact: CBP Public Affairs

Tucson Sector

Communications Division

520-748-3210

We ran on opinion piece in the Inside Tucson Business a couple weeks back talking about our new $192m convention center hotel and the state of the convention center business. We referenced Phoenix and their new 1000 room hotel and their $650m investment in the convention center.

It looks like Phoenix is offering some pretty big incentives to book a convention through 2014. Are we ready to compete in this arena?

Still searching for that perfect convention destination between now and the end of 2014?

It’s time to look again at Downtown Phoenix! There are new incentives for the Phoenix Convention Center, and headquarter hotels…and free board meetings! There are even cash incentives for contracting by June 30, 2010. Seeing is Believing so we’ll even fly you in and provide accommodations to show you why you should meet in Phoenix.

The Phoenix Convention Center offers over 900,000 square feet of convention and meeting space in a brand new facility.
The Phoenix Convention Center has rolled back prices to pre-opening promotional rates (up to 45% off)
Additional sliding scale discounts for F&B expenditures15% off discount on IT and Communication services provided by Phoenix Convention Center

An additional 33% discount off convention center rental for groups meeting between Memorial Day and Labor Day!

We’re offering you the chance to See It to Believe It. It’s time to compare Downtown
Phoenix to the competition!

By Joe Higgins and Chris DeSimone, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Friday, June 4th, 2010

If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ve figured out we are not professional journalists. If you listen to our radio program, you’ll quickly realize we aren’t radio pros either. We are a couple of small business guys who can no longer sit and watch as the region we love squanders its potential. The lack of vision and leadership is hurting the future for our families.

We, along with many of you, have come to the conclusion that Tucson is on a one-way trip to being the Detroit of the desert. Suburban areas are flourishing while the city core stagnates and rots.

Don’t blame us. We had nothing to do with Tucson’s overdependence on the growth industry. We didn’t chase away our youth for lack of opportunity. We had nothing to do with Motorola leaving. Or the movie industry going to New Mexico. Or IBM relocating. We haven’t been a part of downtown redevelopment but, like you, we watched as Albuquerque and El Paso actually did things in their downtowns while Tucson planned and planned. Print this story

 
The last few years in Tucson have been like watching a car wreck happen in slow motion. You know it’s going to be messy but you’re not sure how bad it will end up.

Tucson is what it is. This economic recession has ripped the bandage off a problem and the open wound has been exposed.  You have the same three choices as we do: move away, sit back and coast or work to fix it.

For our part, we’re in the “fix-it” mode.

So far we, individually or as a team, have sat on commissions, worked on task forces and served on nonprofit boards. We’ve risen to management in organizations, we’ve created hundreds of jobs and opened or developed dozens of locations for small businesses. We’ve run for public office, campaigned for candidates, spoken to government officials, bureaucrats, neighbors, environmentalists and other movers and shakers.

We’ve found a whole bunch of people who feel the same way as we do. We’ve also found a few people who wish we’d get in line with their ideas. And we’ve even run into a few who are downright obstructionists.

Now is the time and this is a call to do one of three things: lead, follow or get out of the way.

There are groups out there right now thinking, planning and organizing how to chart a new course for this region. We are encouraged by the work of the up-and-coming leaders at the Pima County Republican and Democratic parties. We are energized by the work of the religious community and their efforts to organize politically. We know of business groups that are looking to improve the development process, create more jobs and improve relationships with Mexico. Private capitalists, not governments, are talking about how to leverage Tucson’s economic assets.

We need the business community to plug in. If you have already made your fortune in Southern Arizona, give a little of your time and experience to help the next generation. If your business isn’t there yet, reach out for  help; there are many options.

Republican or Democrat, neighborhood or business, old or young, we all need to get away from the single-issue loudmouths who dominate the political debate. No more political doublespeak and elected officials who worry more about their next re-election than what’s best for the long-term of the region. We have had our fill of groups that are supposed to represent us but have become too comfortable. We believe education of our children is the single most important opportunity for Tucson to become a healthy community but are frustrated with throwing money into a black hole. We respect our role as environmental stewards but we also need jobs.

Most importantly, we need those with the power to tax and regulate to understand we can’t take much more. Pushing down one more tax, one more form, one more fee may not seem like a big deal to a government official but it’s getting to the point where it’s not worth the risk, sleepless nights and always being the last one paid.

We are down in the trenches trying to fix this mess now. We need like-minded folks to join us. That’s the only way anything is going to get done.

Contact Joe Higgins and Chris DeSimone at wakeuptucson@gmail.com. They host “Wake Up Tucson,” 6-8 a.m. weekdays on The Voice KVOI 1030-AM. Their blog is at www.TucsonChoices.com.

Copyright © 2010 Inside Tucson Business

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