Businesses eager to become suppliers for Michigan’s growing movie industry need to be able to deliver their products and services quickly, a panel of film production experts said Wednesday.

“Speed is the No. 1 thing,” said Michael Williams, a Los Angeles line producer who has worked on two films in Michigan. Making a movie is “a little bit like an army moving into a foreign country.”

Williams spoke at the Uptown Palladium 12 theater in Birmingham, where the Detroit Regional Chamber held an event to help local companies learn how to get involved in the movie business.

Williams told the audience that it’s not uncommon for production companies to make deals with suppliers in an hour and expect delivery of the equipment or other products by the end of the day.

In Michigan, “businesses were largely caught off-guard by the speed at which we move,” he noted.

Speed isn’t the only important factor.

Filmmakers look for vendors that can deliver what they promised on time because delays can cost producers hundreds of thousands of dollars, said Jeffrey Spilman, managing partner of S3 Entertainment Group, a services provider in Ferndale. “There’s no room for ‘I’m sorry’ in this business,” he said.

Reputation plays a crucial role in the industry. Producers usually talk to other producers who have made movies in Michigan to find out what vendors they should work with, Williams said.

He urged companies to make sure they are on the Michigan Film Office’s production directory.

Because producers sometimes use the Internet to find vendors, Williams also advised businesses to have a Web site that is ranked high on Google’s search engine.

He and Spilman cautioned that companies need to do their homework before making deals with production companies to make sure they are working with legitimate firms. They recommend getting deposits upfront from producers.

Contact KATHERINE YUNG: 313-222-8763 or kyung@freepress.com

The Ferndale-based film studio has made a proposal to the state, which controls the 135-acre parcel, to invest millions of dollars into the State Fairgrounds infrastructure and continue operating the State Fair. That would mean a minimum of $500,000 annual commitment to improving the grounds and investing $4 million to build two, 20,000-square-foot sound stages in the next few years.

“We have the ability to get a studio up and running within the next 6-8 weeks,” says Jeff Spillman, CEO of S3 Entertainment Group.

He adds that a large number of jobs will be created with this project now dubbed State Fair Studios. It would also generate revenue for the state through a lease that would eventually lead to the sale of the land. Spillman declined to discuss terms of that potential lease.

This latest plan is now competing with a plan for Huron-Clinton Metro Parks to take over the property and another for Hantz Farms to install a 40-acre urban farm on the land. Spillman says he and his investors are open to keeping the Joe Dumars Field House and urban farm at the fair grounds as part of their project.

Metro Parks is considering a takeover of the State Fairgrounds, proposing a deal where it would lease the land for $1 a year and run the annual Michigan State Fair. At the same time, the organization would work toward turning the property at Woodward Avenue and 8 Mile Road into a year-round Metro Park, the first in the city of Detroit. The park could include amenities such as a fishing area, cross country skiing, and athletic fields.

One of the major complaints Detroit and the inner-ring suburbs have had is that they pay taxes for Metro Parks, but most of that land is at the outer fringes of the region. Turning the State Fairgrounds into a Metro Park would go a long way toward remedying that complaint.

Hantz Farms is proposing to take over 40 acres and turn it into Detroit’s first major urban commercial farm. The firm also has plans to turn large swaths of abandoned urban prairie in the city into commercial farms, too.

The Metro Parks board is set to vote on the idea next week. If it doesn’t pass then Spillman says he and his investors are ready to step in right away with their plan.

“From what I understand (the Metro Parks plan) doesn’t have the votes to go forward.”

Source: Jeff Spillman, CEO of S3 Entertainment Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

State Fair Studio Proposal on channel 7

S3 Entertainment Group (S3), Michigan producers of The Wannabes starring Savvy, will host the casting call at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6th at their newly opened S3 Studios located at 29235 Stephenson Highway in Madison Heights, MI 48071.  The Wannabes starring Savvy will specifically look to cast individuals ages 18-22, who look like high school students, as well as adults ages 30-60, of all ethnic backgrounds to serve as extras on the television show. Those who plan to attend should bring a photo and contact information and must be available to work Tuesday-Friday upon short notice.  Workdays are typically 10 hours, paying $100 per day and all filming is done in Howell, MI.

Regardless of previous experience, the casting call is open to all dedicated individuals looking to partake in the excitement of the growing Michigan film industry.

The Wannabes starring Savvy has been shooting at the Parker High School campus in Howell, Mich. since last year and is currently airing overseas in Australia. The show will soon begin airing world-wide.

“We are excited to hold this casting call and provide opportunities for local talent,” said Christine LeMaire, a partner in Stern-LeMaire Productions and executive producer. “It has been encouraging to uncover gifted and talented actors in the area and have the facilities available for production in Michigan’s growing film industry.”

For more information on the show please visit www.thewannabes.tv

About S3 Entertainment Group
S3 Entertainment Group (S3) is a Michigan-based production company and a premier liaison in bringing film productions into Michigan. With offices in metro Detroit and Los Angeles, S3 serves as a gateway to help filmmakers get everything that they need in Michigan in order to have a successful production experience. S3’s wide variety of services includes a production studio; production services; equipment and gear rental; and film finance. S3 has worked on many of the films that have shot in Michigan and provided production services for Clint Eastwood’s film, Gran Torino.

S3 Entertainment group has announced its first ever statewide short script competition.

S3 is looking to create 100% Michigan-made projects. The competition requires entered screenplay length to be no more than 20 pages and the deadline to send in scripts is Wednesday, March 10th, 2010. Entered scripts will be judged by three guest film industry critics on originality of ideas, structure, talent with creating dialogue, character development, and the use of a Michigan-based storyline.

The winning script will be announced on Wednesday, March 17th with production of the short-film beginning the following week in the newly opened S3 Studios in Madison Heights, Mich. The winning film will also be shown at the first annual “S3 Entertainment Film Festival” to take place in early spring.

S3 is looking for the best and brightest writers in Michigan to enter their short scripts to help them pursue their goal of making a short film. All scripts should be sent to screenplay@s3eg.com in .doc or .pdf format.