Whether you see 2009 as a time for hope and optimism as we enter a new era or a time for misery and despair as jobs disappear and 401Ks vanish down the crapper, either interpretation makes it seem like an especially fine time to consider shucking it all and starting over in a new location. But why chuck darts at a map when you have the crack staff at Moviemaker magazine to help you weigh the pros and cons of your new home--especially if you're an independent moviemaker or aspiring filmmaker yourself? The magazine has run an annual survey on the ten best American cities for film people looking for a home base, and this year, in recognition of a nation-wide sea change, they've done it "a little differently — first, by opening up the playing field to 25 cities instead of 10 and, second, by focusing on those places that offer the perfect combination of employment opportunities, reasonable costs of living, strong quality of life, affordable home prices and, of course, financial incentives." The editors "arrived at the final list of 25 only after months of research, interviews and calculations which, in this fast-changing economy, were particularly challenging. We got there by using a formula into which we fed the following data: Cost of living, average salary, unemployment rate, job growth, median home price and crime rate. Next, we added in the number of film schools, festivals, movie-related vendors and local movie theaters. We then factored in the current production scene, i.e. production days, size of talent pool." The magazine also took into account cities' devotion to environmental issues and "financial incentives" offered to filmmakers; in these hard times, some cities are cutting back on the former, but Michigan made the list for the first time on the basis of its announcment of "the nation’s most aggressive incentive plan".

Here's how the list breaks down:

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