Guest: Oklahoma film industry growth isn't just about tax incentives
Oklahoma’s Legislature is once again taking positive action to support our state’s growing film industry.
House Bill 1362, which would nearly triple the tax incentive available for shows and movies filmed here, will make producers and directors from across the country consider doing their work here.
Government support is greatly appreciated and necessary, but we also must acknowledge the work private companies have done to create an ecosystem rivaling any other market in the nation.
Productions that want to come to Oklahoma now can access state-of-the-art LED walls for virtual productions. The actors may be in Oklahoma, but they can look like they’re in Paris or on another planet, without having to imagine it all — the cast sees what the viewer will see at the end.
Postproduction houses use tools developed for the video game industry to put dinosaurs, ghosts and talking animals into scenes with human actors. Audio producers make scenes come alive with music and sounds to draw in the audience and make everything more convincing.
We have a wide variety of studio spaces to support everything from major movies to independent films and even commercials. And our state’s diverse terrain means stories can be set in a big city, on a farm or anywhere in between.
Most importantly, the public-private partnerships have worked over recent years — many productions have landed in Oklahoma. When they arrive, they hire local workers for everything from finance to construction. Now, we have the key piece of movie magic: people who know how to make it happen.
Our educational institutions have helped people translate skills they already have into valuable work in the entertainment industry, meaning even more work can come here, creating more jobs — and more tax revenue for our state.
In other words: Our first act as a filmmaking state has gotten off to a great start. The audience — people who make shows and movies — are interested in our story, and they want to learn more.
It’s up to all of us — lawmakers, film office leaders, educators and entrepreneurs — to keep the momentum going and help our tale end with Oklahoma as one of the leading sites for film and video.
Emily Taylor is the owner and operator of Boiling Point, a film studio in Oklahoma City.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guest: Oklahoma film industry growth isn't just about tax incentives
