Local Filmworker Laments Rollback Of Film Incentives

DETROIT (WWJ) - A local man who spent some of his 15 minutes of fame working on the set of the new "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" movie, wishes there'd be a sequel for the state's film tax credits.

WWJ's City Beat Reporter Vickie Thomas caught up with Detroiter Walter "Freeway" Johnson, who worked as a production assistant on the movie. He told Vickie he plans to be among the first to see it.

"I'm very much interested in seeing the parts that I know that Detroit had to play," Johnson said. "I know it's a couple of scenes, especially with the train wreck, with the spaceship on the top of the building ... the explosion that they did down at Capitol Park."

Johnson, who now teaches at Wayne County Community College, is disappointed that state leaders rolled back the film incentives that were responsible for putting people like him to work.

"We losing major films," said Johnson. "We lost Batman, we lost The Avengers, we lost a couple of other good, big box office films."