When the Credits are up for renewal, uncertainty over the future of the credits leads to a decline in Credit spending and employment growth:

• Since the introduction of the Post-Production Credit (PPC) in 2010, qualified and non-qualified spending tied to the PPC and the share of Film Production Credit (FPC) spending attributable to Post-Production activity grew at a compounded annual rate of 38% between 2010 – 2015. During the same period, ecosystem employment grew by a compounded annual rate of 3% per year.
• In the context of uncertainty over the PPC’s renewal, post-production spending tied to the credits declined by 20% between 2015 - 2016. During the same period, ecosystem employment declined by 8%.

However, a rapid rebound illustrates the strength and resilience of the post-production ecosystem.

• Following extension of the Credit, spending tied to the credits grew by 30% between 2016 – 2017, while employment grew by 5%, exceeding past growth between 2010 – 2015.

The Credits reinforce New York’s existing strengths as a hub for post-production:

• The growing popularity of episodic television positions New York for strength, attracting long-term episodic projects, staff, and other investments with high quality of life.
• NY’s deep and established PP talent pool is attractive to film productions that shoot both locally and out of state.

MADE IN NY POST-PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PROGRAM

Creating a more diverse talent development pipeline

As the post-production ecosystem has rapidly expanded since the introduction of the FPC and PPC, so has demand for post-production talent in New York—providing new opportunities to connect New Yorkers with quality economic opportunities in a dynamic industry.

The “Made in NY” Post Production Training Program, launched in May 2017, was designed to deliver a skills training and job placement program that helps underrepresented, low-income New Yorkers gain access to careers in visual effects, editing, and other post-production roles. Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) launched the program after working in partnership with New York City Small Business Services (SBS), the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and a number of other community partners to develop the program and a training curriculum responsive to the needs of industry and existing workforce.

The Post-Production Training Program has gained momentum quickly. Now on its fourth cohort, the program has enrolled 61 individuals to date. 95% of program participants are people of color, and at enrollment, 75% of all program participants receive public assistance and nearly half of participants have educational attainment levels below a bachelor’s degree. Upon completion of the five week program, which covers basic post-production training across a number of disciplines, participants receive a free year of membership in the Post New York Alliance, allowing them to start building a strong network of future colleagues.

In its first three cycles, the program saw a 93% completion rate, with an average of 72% of graduates entering new post production careers after graduation. Notably, the placement rate in the second and third cycles increased to 86%. The program’s current group will complete the program in late February and looks forward to achieving an even higher placement rate.

ALCHEMY POST SOUND

Building long term careers in the Hudson Valley

Alchemy Post Sound is a woman-owned post-production company located in the Hudson Valley. Focusing primarily on foley sound and ADR, with some effects and editorial work, Alchemy was established in 2013 by Andrea Bloome and her partner Leslie Bloome.

Over the past five and a half years, Alchemy has experienced rapid growth, with consistent film and television post-production work supported by the Credits. The company has sent 11 films to Sundance, and has two to three active television projects at a given time. Alchemy estimates that 80% of its television work is Credit-supported, and approximately 90% of all its projects do both film and post-production in New York State. To meet demand for its work, Alchemy has doubled in size to six full-time staff, with plans to hire additional staff this year. It has also invested in new infrastructure, expanding to three foley sound stages and support space that has allowed the company to expand its project pipeline.

Being located in New York state has been critical to Alchemy’s growth and expansion since 2013. The activity supported by the Credits has deepened the pool of available talent, while New York’s existing strengths in adjacent industries and high-speed internet infrastructure in rural areas provide opportunities not available in other emerging film and television production hubs such as Georgia.

Alchemy has recognized the importance of local talent, and has established college and post-graduate internships to help create the next generation of post-production workers. While the company’s current employment is evenly split between women and men, its talent development and hiring efforts have recently focused on creating opportunities for women. Alchemy also conducts outreach to regional underserved schools, to establish early interest and opportunities for young people who may not have considered careers in sound.