The Michigan Film Office is looking for agricultural locations to be used in feature films. There would be no “Field of Dreams” without the field. From your historic family farm house, to livestock barns, and crop fields the Michigan Film Office is reaching out to our rural land owners to find locations for this growing industry. A complete form is attached.

What you need to know
Significant dollars are added to the state’s economy each year by film and video production companies and commercial still photographers who choose to work in Michigan. One of the ways those production dollars get into Michigan’s economy is via the fees paid to private property owners for use of “locations.” Production companies and photographers produce feature films, documentaries, television shows, television commercials, print ads and catalog photographs. Locations can be as common as an overgrown field, the interior of a barn or the front yard of a classic farm house. Locations in Michigan can also double for a Texas longhorn ranch, a buffalo farm or waves of wheat fields in Iowa. Allowing the use of your home, land or business as a location can be exciting, and a profitable venture. Productions usually spend money on local businesses which can be a positive opportunity for the entire community.

Money Walks and Talks
Location fees will vary for many reasons: the size of the production, the production budget, the length of time needed at a location, whether interiors or exteriors will be used, the size of space needed, use of furnishings or other personal property, etc. The Michigan Film Office does not become involved in the location fee negotiation process other than to provide advice given within this guide. Making money by allowing use of your property is encouraged, of course. It also should be considered that many productions choose to use locations here precisely because it can be less costly than using locations that may be closer to their home base. Like all businesses, they have budgets to meet and are looking for a good deal. Over inflating prices could cause a company to choose another location; it certainly would mean the company would not choose to select that location again.

Remember hosting a film or television shoot can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but can have some surprises if you’ve never done it before. We will be glad to help explain any aspect of location filming, so please don’t hesitate to ask.

Submit Your Location
If you are interested in listing your property with our office please follow the instructions below to submit digital photos.

Digital photos guidelines (jpg format):

• Shoot single images in a landscape orientation.
• Shoot both the interior and exterior of the property. Remember to always include an establishing shot of the property shot from across the street, and a reverse of it shot from the property to show both the property itself and its immediate surroundings. Use the same rational for the back of the property.
• Shoot the space, and not individual decorative details. Stand at one end of the room, off from the corner, when taking the photo, and then shoot a reverse from the opposite side of the room.

Submitting your location:

• Burn JPEG files onto a labeled CD
• For multiple locations please separate your pictures into separate folders
• Fill out the Property Data Sheet to send with the photo
• Mail to:
  
  Michigan Film Office
  Attn: Michael Grabemeyer
  300 North Washington Square
  Lansing, MI 48913

* If submitting digital photos is not possible please contact our office.

Your photos will be added to our library, and be available for viewing by location professionals worldwide seeking the perfect location for their projects. You will be contacted by the Michigan Film Office if they are interested in using your property for their production. There is no cost to listing your property with our office. Please feel free to call or email our locations department if you have any questions.

Best Wishes,

Michael Grabemeyer
Michigan Film Office
(517) 373-8680
grabemeyerm@michigan.org

Tony Garcia
Michigan Film Office
(517) 373-0239
garciat@michigan.org