
My name is Kyo Moon. I am a Local 600 DIT (digital imaging technician) in Boston. I moved to Massachusetts in 2009 and began my freelance camera career in 2011. Since then, I have moved my way up the ranks of the camera department with the help of many supportive ACs and DPs in the Boston film community. I have built a business that is growing every day, very soon to be incorporated. I rent gear to local productions, large and small, and to those that benefit from the Massachusetts film tax incentive. In addition to working as a DIT, I provide freelance coloring and post services, and I occasionally work as an AC on commercial and feature sets.
My wife and I were going to purchase our first home in the Boston area this spring, but since the security of the film tax incentive has come into question, we have had to give that up. If the incentive goes away, we will most likely have to move to a state that supports this industry. This will mean being forced to take my company elsewhere and uprooting the life we’ve built here in Boston.
It is important to let the film tax incentive run its course until at least 2023, as was intended and stated in the law. This will enable investments in this specialized industry to come to fruition, enable infrastructure to develop to its full potential, and allow the skilled labor force here in Boston to prove itself as a bona fide competitor in the industry. It is irresponsible to fund a tax credit program — which thousands of working families now rely on to make a living — only to abolish it before it has a chance to mature.
The film tax incentive means thousands of jobs for Massachusetts residents, substantial revenue and jobs for local businesses and vendors across the state, and critical opportunities for a skilled labor force to grow. Governor Baker, don’t pull the plug on my career — and the careers of many others like me.