The Multimedia Jobs Act (MJA) is new legislation that builds creative and tech-related industries to attract new jobs and talent to Michigan. This legislation incentivizes companies of all sizes to stay local in commercial advertising production and content creation. It also encourages production companies to consider Michigan for making feature films.

Why is it important to us?

As a multimedia production company in the U.P., passing this legislation will help us:

• attract and retain talent that would otherwise go to large cities to work in marketing and media;
• do our part to stimulate local economies by bringing crews in to spend money at local restaurants, hotels, and small businesses, as well as taking advantage of regional airport daily flight schedules;
• attract productions to the area that would otherwise go to regions with competitive media incentives already in place, such as nearby states, Eastern Europe, or Scandinavia, to take advantage of similar geography;
• provide a centralized physical location and consulting services for production companies looking to shoot in the U.P.;
• enable our company to grow and expand our studio, resulting in job creation, a positive impact on the regional and state-wide economy, and a U.P.-based option for Michigan companies looking to produce commercial advertising in Michigan.

Mountain Media House wants to hire the best and brightest coming out of regional film schools, such as Northern Michigan University and the University of Wisconsin system, and provide high-quality, locally-based marketing and media services to our U.P. industries.  We are also dedicated to creating workforce development programs that give people hands-on, on-the-job training on our productions. This workforce will be available to outside production companies, keeping their investments local during production.

How is it different from previous film incentive programs by the state?

From 2008-2015, Michigan offered film incentives. These incentives attracted productions to Detroit, such as Transformers and Batman vs. Superman. It also built a film production infrastructure in lower Michigan and helped train a generation of talent. It didn't work because major film productions exploited the tax incentive and left once production wrapped, leaving long-term investment behind in Michigan.    

• This new program closes the gaps of previous incentive programs.
• It is a transferable tax credit, not a tax break.
• It is issued after production wraps – after communities experience the economic benefits of bringing media productions to the area.
• The initial credit cap is $125M for each of the first three years and includes modest increases in subsequent years. The Michigan Film Industry Association (MIFIA) anticipates a $300-500m spend in the first year.
• It is a fiscally responsible and sustainable way to create high-paying jobs for people wanting to live in Michigan while contributing to the creative economy.
• Unlike many other states, this legislation includes commercials, corporate videos, and commercial photography and incentivizes companies of all sizes to stay local in commercial advertising production and content creation.
  

How you can help

Contact your members of the Michigan House and Senate to share your support of this legislation. The Michigan Film Industry Association has created a form to help contact the correct individuals and provides sample messaging. Visit https://mifia.org/take-action.