In July 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of Empire Visual Effects, a postproduction and visual effects company based out of Buffalo’s Tri-Main Center. The announcement was a major milestone for New York’s burgeoning post-production industry, representing an expansion upstate by a dynamic, growing sector. Empire Visual Effects was part of Governor Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” initiative, which will ultimately invest $1 billion in Western New York, aimed at the economic revitalization of the area. As part of the agreement, Empire Visual Effects has partnered with nearby Daemen College to mentor students and forge a true post-production community in Buffalo.

One year after the initial announcement, business is booming at Empire Visual Effects, and projects continue to roll in, benefitting the company itself, students at Daemen’s International Center for Excellence in Animation, and Buffalo at large. One recent triumph was Pepsi’s Grammy Halftime Show, which aired earlier this year. Empire was tasked with making the relatively modest crowd of 150 extras seem like a stadium-full of screaming fans – a challenge it passed with flying colors, and for which it received glowing, well-deserved press coverage.

Since then, it has been a busy few months for Empire Visual Effects — from the rotoscope and paint work it has done on series like HBO’s The Leftovers and the CW’s The Tomorrow People to similar post work on major films, including Darren Aronofsky’s Noah (a participant in the New York State Film Production Credit Program), and the upcoming thriller A Most Violent Year from acclaimed director J.C. Chandor. “The projects have been getting larger as our team has grown steadily,” said Managing Partner Ben Porcari.

Additionally, the partnership with Daemen has become one of Empire Visual Effects’ greatest strengths. Students at the college receive training geared towards the company’s needs and work on high profile projects. “Our partnership with Daemen College has been fantastic,” said Porcari. “The skill level of the artists graduating from their VFX Certificate program is outstanding. Daemen’s recent $2,000,000 investment in technology will definitely make it one of the best equipped schools in all of New York State.” This unique partnership offers an unprecedented opportunity to budding VFX artists in Western New York, giving them a “foot in the door” in one of the most exciting up-and-coming industries the state has to offer...

For the entire article, click on this link to read it on the NY Loves Film site. 

10 Firms Established New Operations in NYS Including Three Upstate; More Than 240 New Jobs and Nearly $100 Million in Spending in NYS

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today released new data showing post production business is booming in New York State as the industry continues to experience significant growth. The data, compiled by the Post New York Alliance, shows a major increase in new permanent postproduction jobs since July 2012, resulting in the creation of more than 240 new jobs – with more than 70 jobs created in the last six months alone. This new post production business is expected to lead to nearly $100 million in new spending in the state. Since July 2012, postproduction companies have reported spending nearly $25 million to expand or lease additional space to accommodate the increased business demand.

“The State’s film and television postproduction industry is taking off – bringing more businesses, investments and new jobs to New York than ever before,” said Governor Cuomo. “Over the last 18 months, we have achieved record-breaking post production investment and employment gains including tens of millions in investment and more than 240 new jobs for New Yorkers. As we continue to create new economic opportunities for communities across the state and promote New York as the top destination for businesses to locate and grow, these figures make it clear that the Empire State has become the place to be for the film and television industry.”

The legislation to strengthen the post production tax credit program, which Governor Cuomo championed and signed into law in July 2012, was designed to help New York State compete for post production business and jobs, a fast-growing segment of the motion picture and television industry. The law boosted the available post production tax credit from 10 percent to 30 percent (for post production work in the New York metropolitan commuter region), and from 10 percent to 35 percent (for postproduction work done Upstate.)

Since taking effect:

· Nearly 100 productions have applied for post production work in New York – almost six times the number of applications received during a two-year period under the previous tax credit;
· 10 post production companies have established new operations, including three Upstate -- Empire Visual Effects in Buffalo, Edgeworx Studios in Kingston, and Crazy Horse Effects in New Paltz; and
· At least five New York-based post production companies have undertaken major expansions, including one company that built and will operate an onsite post production facility at Broadway Stages in Brooklyn and had also overhauled a screening room at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, creating the largest Digital Intermediate color correction theater on the East Coast.

Post production includes all of the editing after filming is complete, such as visual effects, color correction, sound editing and mixing. The industry also sustains thousands of other jobs, from engineers and messengers to creative and support staff. The strengthened law was designed to expand state support by specifically focusing on attracting post production work to communities in all corners of the state. At a time when other states are experiencing production flight, New York’s strengthened credit supports a robust industry cluster that has become a major source of direct and indirect employment and economic opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people.

Yana Collins Lehman, managing director of Trevanna Post and executive board member of the Post New York Alliance, said, “The New York post production industry has never been busier than it is at this moment. The tax incentive has driven film and television projects to the state at the exact rate we hoped it would. The incentive is also successfully emboldening companies to expand all over the state. The Post New York Alliance can't thank Governor Cuomo enough for letting the world know, New York is open for business.”

Paul Moore, Eastern Executive Director of The Motion Picture Editors Guild, said, “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s support of the post production tax incentive program, members of the Motion Picture Editors Guild Local 700, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have experienced a 30 percent increase in hours worked with more than 94,000 additional hours in 2013 than 2012.”

Benjamin Porcari, Industry Director, The ICEA at Daemen College, said, “Empire Visual Effects is off to an amazing start and has brought a new level of digital production to the Upstate New York region. The growth of New York-based opportunities due to the post production tax credits has led to a rapid growth of staff as we continue to provide advanced paint, roto and compositing services. Recent projects for New York visual effects and post companies include supporting work for both a major feature film and the Pepsi Grammy’s Half-time show. We are looking forward to the rest of 2014!”

Productions consistently cite the enhanced credit as key to their decision to bring their post production work to New York instead of another state.

Todd London, Senior Vice President, VFX & Post Production, The Walt Disney Studios, said, “We are very pleased that the New York State Post Production Credit Program has made it possible for us to bring our post production work on Into the Woods back to New York. It’s exciting to come full circle and finish this film in the same place where Into the Woods first found success.”

Buffalo's Tri-Main Center

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that through the Buffalo Billion initiative, a new post production, visual effects and animation company will be established at the landmark Tri-Main Center in Buffalo. Empire Visual Effects, which will partner with Daemen College, has pledged to create 150 new visual effects and other postproduction jobs within five years jobs that will pave the way for the creation of a new post production and visual effects industry in Western New York. New York State awarded the company and Daemen College a $4.5 million capital grant to facilitate the project.

The project is also supported by several pieces of legislation Governor Cuomo championed and signed into law in the past year which strengthened incentives to attract post-production film and television activity to the state. The new laws are designed to help attract postproduction work to communities, particularly in Upstate New York.

"We are pleased to welcome Empire Visual Effects to the City of Buffalo as they plant their roots in Upstate New York," Governor Cuomo said. "The establishment of Empire Visual Effects is evidence of the great potential of transforming Upstate and Western New York into a major film, animation and postproduction destination for the industry. I am confident the momentum, coupled with our Buffalo Billion commitment, will drive even more investment and projects to this region. This will mean more good-paying, high-tech jobs for New Yorkers in an exciting field."

“I want to thank Governor Cuomo and his unrelenting staff, who are committed to supporting an environment of opportunity that creates jobs in this great state,” said Marcelo Gandola, Co-chair Post New York Alliance, advisor to Empire State Visual Effects. “This is an outstanding day for Upstate and Downstate NY, and the film and television post production industry as a whole. I thank Daemon College who took the first step in creating the essential education piece of this process. Ben Porcari, Jonathan Hoffman and Pete Conlin have created what I feel will be a standard in the VFX/post production industry. New York State, the Post New York Alliance and the film and television industry should be proud of what has been accomplished here. I’m humbled to be part of this project and know I will look back at the success of this venture and this pivotal moment.”

To read the full press release, please click here.