Greg Bordonaro
Hartford Business Journal
May 17, 2010
Connecticut’s fledgling film industry is prepping for its much anticipated turn in the spotlight.
The state has set the stage with tax credits. Connecticut’s first studio to be built from the ground up is expected to open soon in South Windsor. But will it have the workers?
Some industry officials agree that Connecticut doesn’t yet have the union workforce to fill all the high-skill, high-pay jobs that Connecticut Studios is expected to create.
It’s a dilemma all too familiar to Andrew Gernhard. He is constantly searching for new talent for his Rocky Hill-based company Synthetic Cinema International, which has shot and produced about eight films in Connecticut since 2004.
His company, which mostly concentrates on monster flicks, employs about 40 people during the production process of a single movie. Nearly 75 percent of his crew is locally hired, but the rest are imported from nearby states.
Even though Synthetic Cinema is well known locally and receives dozens of jobs applications a week, Gernhard said it hasn’t been easy finding homegrown talent.
“It’s hard to find qualified people in Connecticut. There is not much of a workforce here yet,” Gernhard said. “We need more skilled people who have experience. Big films are bringing people in from Boston, New York and Los Angeles.”