If you are not a member in our Facebook groupMission 1 Billion you’ll want to join that too for announcement, important updates and get to know all the fine people in our growing group.
We’re setting one up in Linkedin too! Announcements for events, speakers, educational opportunities; acting, writing, stand-up classes, production classes and more in the official groups.
Our mission is to help educate filmmakers and actors, through classes, events, networking events, speaker events and more. BUT not just that our purpose is to support production and help people monetize their efforts while also supporting charities. Our purpose is to help each other help each other and all do better as a result while helping people in need too. You can join us and become a part of something grand.
Come on out. Join with the others. We look forward to meeting you and seeing you there. PLUS, there are more events I will share soon. Together we can go further than we can alone.
Here are a few pics from our evening. Join us on Aug 6th. Address on graphics
Looking forward to seeing and meeting you AT our next meeting!
Thanks to all who participated this evening! By all accounts it was a wonderful success. Lot’s of busy filmmakers gathered. Some drove hours to join us. We had a great time. Some had to leave early. Some stayed late. See you next time too and am looking forward to it.
Dan Brezgel and I are glad to meet you in person. Old and new friends showed up. Shared their work. We viewed reels. Members poke on the projects they were engaged in. We networked to collaborate, cooperate and help each other begin or complete their productions.
It was a good evening for productive and friendly networking was awesome. I got to catch up, as did others, with some friends and colleagues I’ve not seen in some time and meet some fascinating new ones. Producers, directors, writers, sound engineers, actors, singers, comedians are some who participated last evening.
Participants exchanged information, discussed how they could work together on features, documentaries, shorts, series and streaming content. It is great to be a part of people connecting and finding the ways and the resources to move forward. Our greatest resource is each other.
So again thanks to all those who came out. We didn’t get pictures of all who showed up and that was unfortunate. We will to do better that next time.
Speaking of next time:
Wednesday August 6, 7-9 pm at Schmidty’s in Brookfield! We are in the side barroom. Put it on your calendar and make it a point to join us. To send reel link please email Mission1billionus@gmail.com
If you are not a member in our Facebook groupMission 1 Billion you’ll want to join that too for announcement, important updates and get to know all the fine people in our growing group. Here is the official website https://missiononebillion.org/
Our mission is to help educate filmmakers and actors, through classes, events, networking events, speaker events and more. BUT not just that our purpose is to support production and help people monetize their efforts while also supporting charities. Our purpose is to help each other help each other and all do better as a result while helping people in need too. You can join us and become a part of something grand.
Come on out. Join with the others. We look forward to meeting you and seeing you there. PLUS, there are more events I will share soon. Together we can go further than we can alone.
Here are a few pics from our evening. Join us on Aug 6th. Address on graphics
I want to say welcome to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat. We are updating the website and the pages. Please be patient while we do. You can visit Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube as well as RexSikesTV.com for the latest shows. WordPress has made changes we’re not happy about and are attempting to find ways to make posting easier. As soon as we find the work around we will be up and running. So far, it’s been difficult but we continue to pursue it so we can keep you updated on all the new discussions and shows. Currently there are some new shows at this website. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex
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We encourage you to subscribe to both and hit bell for notifications of new shows. and hopefully we will have everything resolved soon with this site
Also visit https://www.RexSikesTV.com That site is undergoing a big upgrade and we are excited that it will launch soon!
PLUS there are all sorts of exciting changes coming to these sites AND to filmmaking and filmmaking events and community soon. Stay tuned to learn more.
Wisconsin wants back in the game. More than a decade after ending its film tax incentives, the state has passed a new incentive program aimed at bringing productions north and competing directly with Illinois.
Governor Tony Evers signed the legislation into law on July 3 as part of the state’s 2025–27 budget.
It’s a return to the incentive space after a long absence. Wisconsin last offered a tax credit between 2008 and 2013. The credit is set to become available in early 2026, giving them time to prepare. The department will need to be built from the ground up in the coming months. The legislation calls for the creation of a state film office, as that office does not exist and they are now looking for someone to head up the office.
Those film productions who qualify for the Wisconsin film tax credit are feature film, short film, scripted or unscripted television series, documentary, and commercial advertising. They must meet certain minimum spending requirements: feature films need to spend at least $100,000, while short films need to spend at least $50,000.
The program offers a 30% refundable tax credit on in-state wages, production costs, and capital investments. It includes a $1 million cap per production and an annual $10 million program limit, which is significantly smaller than what Illinois offers.
Here in Illinois, the industry tells a very different story. The Illinois Film Production Tax Credit, in place since 2009, remains one of the strongest in the country. In 2024 alone, Illinois logged $653 million in production spending, $351 million in wages, and roughly 18,200 crew hires. The Illinois Film Production Tax Credit is uncapped, transferable, and includes a 15% wage bonus for hiring in economically disadvantaged areas. Since 2017, it has generated more than $4.5 billion in economic activity.
That structure hasn’t just attracted shows and features—it’s built a foundation for long-term, year-round work. Crews are busy. Vendors are busy. Talent is staying in-state.
Wisconsin’s new incentive could bring regional competition, especially for smaller productions looking to stretch their budgets. But with spending caps and no film office yet in place, it may take time to gain traction.
Illinois still leads the Midwest in film and television production.
NOTE BY REX: The incentives in WI were offered from Jan 2008 until June 30 2009 when the then governor removed them retroactively back to Jan 1 2009. There were no incentives from that time UNTIL the present when Governor Evers signed them into law recently. Walker became governor in 2010 and said he’d look into the incentives in 2013 but not before. In 2013 he did not approve the incentives but passed on them. Thankfully, the push for incentives in Wisconsin continued and today we have a new pilot program.
Reprinted from Barb-ReelChicago.com Read more at Reel Chicago Website
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New York Just Supercharged Its Film and TV Tax Incentives
New York State has officially expanded its film and television tax credit program, making it one of the most generous and competitive in the country. This is great news for producers, post houses, composers, VFX teams, and especially indie filmmakers.
Here’s what you should know
The annual cap has increased to 800 million dollars, including a dedicated 100 million dollar fund for independent productions. That’s 20 million for films under 10 million dollars and 80 million for larger indie projects.
Documentaries are now eligible for the main film production credit.
There are bonus incentives for:
Multiple NY-based productions totaling at least 20 million or 100 million dollars Hiring five or more musicians for in-state scoring VFX or animation work where 10 percent of the budget or 500K is spent in New York Post-production with at least 75 percent of editing or one million dollars spent in-state
The 500K cap on above-the-line wages has been removed.
Best of all, tax credits will now be paid out in the same fiscal year for new applications, and the program is extended through 2036.
This is a big moment for the New York production community. Whether you’re working on a feature film, a limited series, or an animated short, these changes can significantly reduce your costs and make in-state production more attractive than ever.
We post updates like this every morning at 9am Eastern. Follow us to stay informed and ahead of the curve.
I want to say welcome to Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat. We are updating the website and the pages. Please be patient while we do. You can visit Rex Sikes’ Movie Beat on youtube as well as RexSikesTV.com for the latest shows. WordPress has made changes we’re not happy about and are attempting to find ways to make posting easier. As soon as we find the work around we will be up and running. So far, it’s been difficult but we continue to pursue it so we can keep you updated on all the new discussions and shows. Currently there are some new shows at this website. https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestlifewithRex
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