The Louisiana Entertainment industry is one of the state’s greatest assets.Leading the charge for monetizing the entertainment industry is Sherri McConnell who is the Director of the Office of Entertainment Industry Development.The office includes the television and movie sectors, music, live performances and digital interactive media.
Recently, Bayoubuzz interviewed McConnell who discussed the efforts being made in her department and some of the rules and opportunities within the industries.Bayoubuzz’s initital focus covered the famous music industry.The balance of the interview will be featured this week.
McConnell called music-the most “obvious and indicative form of creative culture” and said the office’s goal is to “make a business out of our creative culture”.She said that “we have always taken our music for granted” and what economic development is doing is trying to “create an industry” by adding value, cultivating, nurturing and exporting music.
She mentioned the efforts being made by the Tipitina’s Foundation, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and GNO Inc as being models.
The Director said there is a “revolution in the music industry” and one goal is to teach to distribute products online.She said that online distribution and promotions might not make the musician “a superstar” but it can certainly make a the musician “a living”.
Director McConnell discussed the assets of music.She said the state wants to get music into film and take advantage of the film tax credit by placing the music into film and television but also producing music for film production produced elsewhere so the musician can take advantage of the music tax credits.McConnell gave an example that if a movie production occurred outside of Louisiana, it could still take advantage of the music tax credit by scoring of the music in the movie.
McConnell emphasized that it is important to teach “entrepreneur skills” to make the entertainers “successful business persons”.The focus in terms of music (as it is within the other creative arts covered under her office) would be for artists to become successful business people and ultimately monetize their assets so ultimately it would help make Louisiana a more economic vibrant location for its creative class which reside within.
Part I of Multi-Part Interview With Entertainment Director, Sherri Mc McConnell
More on Tuesday:Music and Other Enterainment Tax Credits
