AUSTIN, Texas -- The governor’s office wants local leaders to do their part to be “film friendly.”
- City leaders learned best practices to market their area
- Governor wants more cities to be "film friendly"
The Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program currently does not offer as much money to media industry professionals and filmmakers as before. The Texas Film Commission, which works under the oversight of the governor, trains community representatives about the media industry standards and best practices.
READ MORE | Some Worry Film Makers Are Fleeing Texas
The commission hosted a Film Friendly Texas Workshop on Tuesday at the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center.
“When a film project is filming in the community, it is like an instant injection of economy development opportunity. A film project can be like a moveable factory on wheels, it can be a moveable feast of economic development opportunity and job creation opportunity,” said Kim LeBlanc, the production and community relations specialist for the Texas Film Commission.
The state has a certification process that wants to add assurance to industry professionals seeking business. The steps include drafting a permit application and submitting photos of potential locations.
During the workshop, city leaders from across the state learned how to develop filming guidelines, how to market their towns, and how to accommodate filmmakers once they are on location.
“It helps communities to be able to welcome projects in a way that’s going to be mutually beneficial for residents and for visiting filmmakers alike,” LeBlanc said.
Johnny Rodriguez, executive director of the Floresville Economic Development Corporation, was among the 50 people who attended the workshop.
“It makes economic sense when you have a downturn in your economic generators, such as retail, or you may have residential downturn in the market and you start looking elsewhere, so a good [economic development] professional always has back up plans,” he said.
