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Oregon film official defends job Jackson County commissioners feel Southern Oregon ill served By BILL VARBLE The man responsible for luring Hollywood to shoot on location in Oregon defended the job his office does to skeptical Jackson County Commissioners on Tuesday. "The competition is fierce," David Woolson said. Woolson, executive director of the State Film and Video Office, argued against a suggestion that Southern Oregon should have its own film commission separate from the state's office in Portland. He called the idea "unnecessary and counterproductive." The Film Office markets Oregon to the moving picture, television and commercial industries. Woolson spoke to commissioners Ric Holt and Sue Kupillas at the invitation of Kupillas. No action was taken regarding the Film Office, which is a state agency. Steve Wood, of Ashland, an independent video and film producer, has called for a film office in the Rogue Valley and accused Woolson of selling Portland film sites at the expense of Southern Oregon. Woolson denied that, saying he's selling one brand: Oregon. Kupillas said commissioners were not taking sides, but added, "having a separate Southern Oregon film commission sounded like a good idea." Julie Petretto, executive director of the Medford Visitors and Convention Bureau, which works with the Film Office, said the relationship between the VCB and the Film Office is a good one. "I was surprised to hear there was another entity that might be formed," she said. Woolson said multiple commissions would compete with each other. He said wooing production companies is a fast-moving process, and production companies want to deal with one office. He acknowledged some states have more than one film commission but said many are only liaisons or contacts at chambers of commerce, not full-service offices. He said his office has more than 40 liaisons around the state, including Ashland and Medford (see the Film Offices's Web site at www.Oregonfilm.org ). "In that sense, we have 45 film offices," he said. Holt asked why a media guide put out by the State Film Office had only two ads for Southern Oregon businesses. Woolson said it costs $30 to be in the guide. "It's up to them," he said. Kupillas said it would be easier for Southern Oregonians to attend Film Office functions in Eugene than Portland. Woolson said one is coming up in Eugene. Woolson said most of the 140 to 170 movies made each year by major studios are made in Los Angeles. He said about 260 film offices in the United States and elsewhere wind up competing for some 30 or 40 films a year. He said Oregon gets "maybe one or two" a year. Parts of the recent films "The River Wild," with Meryl Streep, and "Dead Man" with Johnny Depp, were shot in Southern Oregon. "What if we did have a film board?" Kupillas asked. "I'm not here to tell you what to do," Woolson said. "I don't think you can have two lead points. I don't get what value you have with another commission." Holt said he thought Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors and technicians could be an asset to movie producers. "I think we need to look toward the future and doing something different," he said. "If it means slicing up your pie a little, I'm for it." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA