【沪江标准VOA】2月16日：美国影视娱乐业的经济价值(2)
There is Still No Business Like Show Business(2/2)
"The film industry is a giant engine of economic growth, employing more than 750,000 people and boasting a surplus balance of trade with every single country in the world."
The attendees here met in small groups as well as in formal symposia, and included filmmakers, lawmakers, cinema arts students, and other industry constituents from around the world.
California Senator Diane Feinstein reflected on both the art and the commerce involved in filmmaking. "Great movies, I believe, shape who we are as Americans, in our own eyes and in the eyes of the world. And this industry not only impacts American culture, but it impacts our economy."
An economic impact report released at the conference finds that the U.S. film industry generates more than 1.3 million American jobs, pumping $60.4 billion dollars into the U.S. economy, and generating $10 billion dollars in tax revenue.
Those revenues could be substantially higher, said the report, were it not for the global phenomenon of copyright theft. Illegal downloads and pirated DVDs cost the industry billions, a matter that is sure to be addressed in future conferences.
