Fried Butter on a Stick

If you have yet to rent or purchase the new Jennifer Garner film, "Butter", you need to run, NOT WALK to your local video rental store, retailer or on-line video resource.  This independent film is hilarious in script, delivery and visuals - and it boasts and all star cast. 

Here's the thing.  The story line is about a small Iowa town's butter carving competition and the winner's advancement to the State Finals, to be held at the Iowa State Fair.  If you are familiar, even passively, with the Iowa State Fair and the obsession surrounding all things butter (yes, you can still purchase fried butter on a stick), you will appreciate the humor of this film.  UNFORTUNATELY - while this movie brings me much joy with it's wit and humor, it simultaneously brings me GREAT SADNESS.  While the entire film is supposed to take place in the Hawkeye State, only a few establishing shots were actually recorded at the legendary, Iowa State Fair on Des Moines' East Side.

 

Over the past several years, many states have established a trend which throws big tax credits to production companies and studios if they film big chunks of their projects in the state.  Kentucky passed an enormous tax incentive a few years ago and directly after it was signed by Governor Beshear, Disney opted to film portions of their big budget flick, "Secretariat" in Louisville.  This was the first time Disney filmed in the Bluegrass State, so it is more than safe to assume that the incentive worked immediately and brought very welcomed "Hollywood Money" to the fiscally ailing area.

Iowa did much the same thing in 2007.  But unlike Kentucky film makers, Iowans are apparently too stupid to effectively scam the Film Tax Credit.  I often chide Iowans for being "Too Nice" but come on now people, "Too Honest" too?  What the hell?  The Iowa Film Tax Credit went belly up from overwhelming graft in 2009 - just two years after being signed into law.  Among other things, film makers were "padding" their expenses with fake bills and turning them into the state for reimbursement. We're not talking about Chump Change either!  Of the $32 Million approved for the credit an astounding $26 Million was found to be improperly approved.  TWENTY SIX MILLION FRIGGEN DOLLARS!  Cheese and Rice - what the hell is wrong with my Iowa Film Maker brethren? 

So the majority of the film about the bizarre Iowa-centric obsession, Butter Carving, which takes place at the Iowa State Fair, was shot in Louisiana; which, coincidentally had THEIR OWN Film Tax Credit scandal right before the one suffered in the Great Corn State of Iowa.  The biggest difference between these two states though, is that after the Louisiana scandal, instead of throwing up their hands in frustration and shuttering the program, lawmakers chose instead to institute better controls and have since made the program permanent and better funded.

So my words of wisdom in this blog are relegated to makers of small, independent films, such as myself.  Please, for the Love of Dog, DON'T ruin these great opportunities for the rest of us by being a complete Jack Ass!  Rather than being a complete whore to the 'ol mighty greenback, producers, directors and writers - have a little pride in your work and a little decency.  These ass clowns who were prosecuted for their greed and corruption in the Iowa fiasco ruined what little chance the rest of us had to make a film in the state.  It's films like Butter that remind me of what could have been and make me want to seek out the Grifters who ruined the program and beat them within an inch of their pathetic, imprisoned lives.

I'm not bitter.  Really.

Heather Ryan
The Ultimate Talent Mentor
www.RyanTalent.com