Entertainment Co. Eyes Michigan For Local Studio
FERNDALE, Mich. — A Los Angeles based entertainment company, who now has a home in Ferndale, Mich., is gearing up for Michigan to become the next Hollywood.
Taking advantage of the state’s film industry’s incentives and tax breaks, S3 Entertainment Group executives felt Michigan would be the perfect place to open another office and help the state to compete effectively to bring film and television production here.
Jeff Spilman is a Detroit native who moved to L.A. to launch the entertainment company.
Now years later he finds himself home, taking over a 22-square foot building in Ferndale.
Spillman says he knows what the big studios need and it’s not here yet, so he’s transforming a space in Ferndale to make the Hollywood elite feel comfortable.
Talks are underway about possibly transforming a site like the abandoned Pontiac Silverdome, using the space to create projects on the silver screen for Universal Studios.
Representative Andrew Meisner says, “I think we could definitely see an environment with film shooting, editing and training program opportunities going on. We’re seeing Michigan’s workforce transformed before our very eyes.”
There is already good news for cities like Detroit with crews booking hotels, spending money in the city, and local actors and extras, who just a few months ago had trouble getting work because of the economy are now in demand.
Goldie Hawn is scouting Detroit locations and Drew Barrymore is filming in Ann Arbor this summer. Barrymore’s movie about roller derby girls called “Whip It” that also stars Ellen Page. Meanwhile Clint Eeastwood is renting space in Troy.
S3 was started by entertainment executives in Los Angeles and business executives in Michigan in 2005. They have teamed up with other companies to be full service from production crews, travel plans, financial and insurance services.
“The new tax incentives have put Michigan on the map in the film industry. Now, we need to show producers that they can get everything they need in terms of labor, equipment and other services so that they’ll have great success working here in Michigan,” said Jeff Spilman, principal of S3EG.
For more information, visit www.s3eg.com.
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