AN ACT CREATING A SKILLED WORKFORCE FOR CONNECTICUT'S FILM INDUSTRY.

This bill requires the Office of Workforce Competitiveness (OWC) to establish a program to support educating and training a skilled professional workforce for the state's film and digital media industries. It must do so in consultation with the Labor, Education, Higher Education, Economic and Community Development departments and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. The program must target:

1. professionals trained in the feature film industry;

2. professionals trained in film and video-related media, but not experienced in feature film production;

3. individuals interested in entering the film industry; and

4. middle school, high school, and college students.

1. include online resources and information;

2. be designed to develop workforce relationships between film producers and labor organizations;

3. train state film production professionals to increase their presence in major feature film productions in the state;

4. include a seminar taught by feature film industry professionals to provide (a) information about work on feature film productions and the labor organization application process and (b) on-set internship opportunities with industry professionals;

5. provide three-phase training in various regions of the state for feature, infomercial, and commercial productions;

6. provide access to film studio resources;

7. include digital media, animation, and post-production education and training for middle and high school students and public college and university students; and

8. include digital media internships for participating students and externships for teachers.

The Education and Higher Education departments must develop the program curriculum after consulting with the state's colleges, universities, and digital media companies.

OWC must report on the program's development to the Commerce and Higher Education committees by October 1, 2008. The report must evaluate the needs and available programs and curricula at public colleges and universities and include lists of (1) the state's film production companies and film industry labor organizations, (2) available paid and unpaid internships, and (3) available film studio resources.

sHB 5843, reported favorably by the Finance Committee, requires the Department of Economic and Community Development to establish a virtually identical program.

sHB 5509 (File 44), reported favorably by the Higher Education and Education committees, requires OWC to establish a similar training program to support film production and digital media, including three-phase training and internship programs.

Yea

Nay

(03/04/2008)

Yea

Nay

(03/28/2008)