Robert David Sullivan 2

Green mag touts Plymouth Rock Studios

Plymouth's recently approved movie studio is given the once-over by E magazine -- not because of its economic benefits to Massachusetts but because of its "green" qualities:

A few weeks before the [town meeting vote approving the project], Plymouth Rock Studios announced it had registered its entire development project with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and would be pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This means that Plymouth Rock Studios, slated to open in 2010, will be the world’s first totally green movie studio.

Ironically, the cover story for this issue of E is about wind power, where Massachusetts hasn't been such a great leader.

The Massachusetts film industry has been given a boost by a tax credit program covered last year by CommonWealth magazine.

Is Connecticut trying to poach Plymouth's "Hollywood East" title?

Boston photographer Steve Marsel has been posting news about a proposed film studio in Plymouth (now dependent on a town zoning change), but he has a plot twist. According to the Norwich Sentinel, eastern Connecticut is also trying to develop a movie industry; apparently, submarine building is not enough to sustain the local economy.

CommonWealth editor Bruce Mohl wrote about the Bay State's nascent film industry -- and the tax breaks it's enjoying -- in our Spring issue.