Michigan Film Credits – It’s Show Time for 3PLs

Over the last year or so Michigan film incentives have brought “Hollywood” to Motown.  While the industry of film making and entertainment in Michigan is just getting underway, it’s something that could be a great growth opportunity for our state.

It seems like making films is a demanding business with tight deadlines.  Film makers are tasked with making a quality product, responding quickly to changes, and of course coming in under budget.  Does this story sound familiar?  For those of us in the logistics industry those demands sound eerily similar to other clients we work with in the automotive industry, food industry, chemicals industry…you get the point, right?

This leads me to think that 3PLs could be the perfect partner for the burgeoning new film industry too.  Just imagine the producers shopping list of items for his movie, and of course he would need these things with little or no notice:

1. We need flexible space to use for a variety of needs, from staging props to storing filming equipment and maybe we’ll use the space for a temporary sound stage too.
2. We need flexible labor to load or unload trailers of equipment.
3. We need transportation equipment to move trailers to a location and then back out when filming is complete.
4. We will also need flexible office space to house staff during filming.

All of these items have been provided by logistics companies in Michigan before, but the usual purchaser would have been from the automotive industry.  Flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to supply chain demands is a key benefit to partnering with a 3PL, no matter the industry you’re in.  So, in the future instead of meeting automotive production deadlines we will all have to get used to the new deadlines that will be coming from the film industry.  Deadlines like “I need a load of flowers delivered to our location at 5:30am on Tuesday because the lighting at sunrise will be just right, and don’t bring any red ones because Ms. Jolie doesn’t like the way they look with her dress” will be the new norm for the Michigan logistics world.