By Max Gelber, News Staff

‘ A 2005 Massachusetts film tax credit law brought excitement over the possibility of the state becoming the country’s ‘Hollywood East,’ even with the recent economic downturn bringing a halt to the construction of Plymouth Rock Studios, hope and interest in the future remain.
After a 2006 meeting between Massachusetts state officials and former head of Paramount Motion Pictures David Kirkpatrick, media reports of a $650 million studio project sparked the interest of Bostonians and later brought hopes of an economic resurgence and a slew of new jobs in a flailing economy. The 240-acre studio complex, christened Plymouth Rock Studios, would house close to 14 sound stages and be the the largest film and television production studio in the Northeast, according to the studio’s website.
As the decade came to a close, issues surrounding the once hopeful project were slowly revealed, most notably by two Boston Globe reports, one of which revealed the cancellation of a $550 million construction loan that has left the studios anticipated ground breaking at a stand still. In a January 2010 interview with the Concord Journal’s Wicked Local blog, project architect Stephen Newbold said the studio has already acquired all permits needed for the project, but that sufficient construction funding remained the only obstacle for the studio.
By the end of 2009, Plymouth Rock Studios had laid off nine employees and announced plans to relocate from its current headquarters by the beginning of the year, according to the Globe. Representatives from Plymouth Rock Studios could not be reached for comment.
Even with the prospects of the state’s biggest proposed project uncertain, interest in the possibility of new production jobs amongst the community still remains, and is even growing.
‘It definitely has created a little more interest in what we do and for those looking to change their careers and be a bit more marketable for future careers,’ said Kari Wilson, the Boston Branch Manager of Future Media Concepts, which provides training and certification in digital media programs used for production, post-production, DVD authoring, 3-D animation and other applications.
‘We are authorized by Avid and Apple, the most common for the film industry,’ said Wilson. She said that people who ‘want to learn’ study at Future Media Concepts because they make use of an authorized curriculum taught by certified instructors.
In late 2009 Future Media relocated to a new 3,000 square foot facility in Kendall Square after seeing a large increase in interest for classes.
‘We have about five rooms and they are definitely booked, we are seeing a need from people looking for employment,’ Wilson said.
Julie Arvedon, Casting Director and Director of Marketing for Boston Casting, the largest casting facility in the Boston area for principal and extra roles in feature films, commercials and reality television shows, also remains hopeful.
‘We have high hopes for the rest of 2010. There’s no way to predict, but we are hopeful for a blockbuster year again.’ said Arvedon, ‘Time will tell. I don’t think anyone knows at this point if we could bring a television studio that could shoot all year round … I don’t think anyone knows at this point where the chips will fall.’