Matthew Newton ’97 took his degree in Film Studies and headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. However, he’s back in New Hampshire now, as director of the state’s Film & Television Office.
Film & Television Office? Yes, and its got a two-fold mission: Its first is to promote New Hampshire as a filmmaking destination, and its second is to support the state’s media production industry. “Every state has some sort of film office that acts as a liaison between productions and the state’s workforce, businesses, and other government agencies and association,” Newton explained. “New Hampshire’s Film & Television Office is here to assist with permitting, location scouting, and all other local logistics that might come with motion picture and television filming, commercial filming, or photo shoots.
“There are certainly a lot of challenges that come with promoting a jurisdiction as a filming location—it used to be just about what it looks like. Now, it’s about the bottom line, and many states are offering tax credits to lure production in to film. New Hampshire, with its many benefits, currently does not offer such a program, and it’s put us at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to bringing in the big, Hollywood films. However, we’ve instead seen an increase in smaller, lower-budgeted projects and have carved out a little niche in the independent filmmaking scene. Filmmakers are always calling me up looking for a relaxed environment where they can create.
“I think we’ve done a nice job in pulling together the state’s media production industry—from seasoned professionals to beginning amateurs to student filmmakers—they are all important. We’ve worked hard to pull all those folks together and facilitate conversation and networking between them. Being a former KSC film student, I’ve always taken an interest in student filmmaking and am proud that we’ve been able to launch the New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival, now in its fourth year. The number of student submissions from around the state has been huge, starting with two hours worth of film submitted our first year, to nearly six hours submitted in 2011. It’s really given these up-and-coming filmmakers a chance to produce their works and have them screened in a number of different venues. Now, we’re taking a look at starting something similar for those making films in the college setting. Stay tuned!
“KSC has played an important role in starting me down the path that got me here. There’s always that debate in the film industry—do you go to film school or not? Sure, maybe you can be just as successful by just working in the industry without going to film school—however, I made the personal choice to gain that college experience, and it was the best decision I ever made. Being able to make films in a structured environment, and the relationships that were forged from that experience—it was an amazing time and that experience helped me get my first jobs in Los Angeles. Today, the film program at KSC has exploded, and it’s become a great resource for production professionals to tap into when looking for crew. I’m thrilled to be a resource for today’s students, as they look for locations and other help for their own projects.”
Newton invites KSC students to connect with him on Facebook or Twitter. Or drop him a line via the “comments” link, below.