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Making A Movie In Michigan? There's An App For That

LANSING (WWJ) - Movie producers looking for a place to film in Michigan are now being told, "There's an app for that."

The Michigan Film Office has put together a mobile app that officials hope will make it easier to scout here, says spokesperson Michelle Begnoche.

"It really kind of is cutting edge, breaking ground, in how folks travel around states as they're looking for locations to use for shooting films," Begnoche told WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil.

"And we think that this will help give us a pretty big competitive edge for projects that are trying to decide where they're gonna bring their film," she said.

Begnoche admits Michigan needs that edge since the film incentives were scaled back.

The app, created by Reel-Scout Inc., is free and utilizes a mobile friendly platform that allows users from large and small projects alike to tap into the Film Office Locations database and Michigan crew and vendor directories directly from their iPhone.

Directors, location managers and scouts on the road can access 78,000 photos of more than 5,400 locations across the state and with the app, searching by region, city or landmark – anything a scene might call for. For convenient referencing, the app also allows users to map the locations directly to their phone – a feature that provides an advantage for users scouting in Michigan for projects. Users will also be able to submit new locations or modify existing photos in the database directly from their mobile phone.

"The Michigan Film Office team is constantly developing innovative ways to keep Michigan a top choice for productions," said locations manager George Constas. "This new iPhone app is an amazing tool that showcases the beauty and variety of our state, while at the same time creating a more efficient filmmaking process. This app will also show the world how synergy between producers, our film office, and local location managers can be maximized."

The app is available for download now on iTunes. Get more info at this link.

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