If you’re not a member of TXMPA, join today. TXMPA is at the forefront of the success of the current Texas Film Incentive program which has helped generate $610 Million in new in-state spending.

Given the current budget shortfall that is in the news practically every day, the film incentive program will likely face a serious test in the upcomming legislative session. Hopefully, the powers that be will see the benefit of $610 Million dollars flowing through our economy and the fact that the program has accounted for 55,000 jobs for Texans over the past two years.

Here’s the missive from TXMPA:

CHASE – 8pm Mondays on NBC
THE GOOD GUYS – 7pm Fridays on FOX

While we mourn the untimely loss of FOX’s LONE STAR (shot in Dallas) and ABC’s MY GENERATION (shot in Austin) earlier this Fall, and also say a fond farewell to FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (airing its final season now on DirecTV, and this spring on NBC), we’re proud to still have two Texas shows in primetime every week, and look forward to more on the horizon.

Currently, Lifetime is prepping a pilot for MEET JANE in Austin, and TNT is developing a remake of DALLAS. Meanwhile, CBS and CSI creator Anthony Zuiker are developing a new crime drama called DESPERADO set in San Antonio. Thanks to the incentives and our top flight crews, the word is out that Texas is one of the best places to shoot series television.

TV is great for Texas – the Dallas Morning News reports that even short-lived LONE STAR “pumped about $7 million into the local economy”. And it’s not just the big cities that benefit – read about how CHASE filmed at Trinidad ISD in Henderson County:

“This was a way to generate some good, positive things for Trinidad,” said TISD Superintendent David Atkeisson. “Obviously our focus is on books, but we also want to expose our students to experiences that might spur them on to future endeavors. The thing I was most impressed with was the professionalism and patience of the cast and crew working with our kids. It was a great experience.”

Texas

“Beyond the Farthest Star” – 00233502

Pathlight Entertainment, LLC – Low Budget

Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

Start Date: October 1, 2009

“Breaking the Press” - #00246726

Pumpkin Seed, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Dallas, TX

Start Date: August 3, 2009

“Cherry Bomb” – 00246793

Strike Anywhere Productions, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: September 16, 2009

Casting: Garrett Hargrove;  contact at cherrybombfilm.com

“Cowboy and Lucky” – 00247361

Red C Entertainment – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Waco, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting:  info at redctelevision.com

Epic – Low Budget

Start Date: September 2009

Location: Texas, Mexico (city not specified)

Casting:  epicmotionpicture at gmail.com

“Friday Night Lights” - #00246956

NBC Studios, Inc.

Start Date: 9/2/09

Location: Austin, TX

Casting: Beth Sepko  info at bethsepkocasting.com

“God Save the Red, Black and Blonde” – #00246098

Ordered Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting: Dan Jimenez;  daj5757 at gmail.com

“Imago” – #00244751

Upstart Filmworks, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Houston, TX

Start Date: August 1, 2009

“Jacob’s Edge” - #00246799

Long Distance Freestyle, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Dallas, TX; L.A. CA; Georgia

Start Date: September 15, 2009

Casting: Nick Anderson 310-422-5856

“Letter H, The” – #00233247

GCP Film, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Houston/El Paso, TX

Start Date: September 3, 2009

Casting: Rodney Acevedo  racevedo at gutcheckproductions.com

“Machete” - #00246735

Machete’s Chop Shop, Inc – Theatrical

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: July 29, 2009

Casting: Sonny Solomon  distraughtsound at wmconnect.com

“Minority Western” - #220674

FAD Productions – Ultra Low Budget

Locations: AZ & Dallas, TX

Start Date: December 2009

Casting Hernandez Agency 213-440-6288

“One Moon in Luck” aka “Shoot Out of Luck” – #00244805

Liz Destro – Theatrical

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: October 1, 2009

“Player’s School” – #00238898

Nexus Entertainment and Greg Carter – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Houston, TX

Start Date: To be determined

“Pros and Cons” – #00246100

Going Bats Entertainment – Ultra Low Budget

Start Date: September 1, 2009

Casting: Scott Ross 972-877-6757

 stross at goingbats.com

“Rising Stars” – 00245871

Modern Verge, LLC – Ultra Low Budget

Location: Fort Forth, TX

Start Date: August 10, 2009

“Sodom: The Armageddon Prophecy” – #00246974

Trinity Films, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Austin, TX

Start Date: To be determined

Casting: Michelle Millette;  douglasthemovie at yahoo.com

“Under the Influence – #00238358

Just Make it Happen – LLC

Location: Little Rock, AK;

Start Date: August 24, 2009

“Up & Down” – 00236412

Potion Pictures – Ultra Low Budget

Start Date: 8/28/09

Location: Houston, TX

Casting: Johnette Duff  johnetteduff at aol.com

“Wilderness” – #00247393
Wilderness LLC – Modified Low Budget

Location: Central Texas

Start Date: August 17, 2009

Casting: Javier Bonafont –  WildernessFilm at gmail.com

Louisiana

“Battle Los Angeles” – 002458852

Battle Productions, LLC

Location: Louisiana

Start Date: September 10, 2009

Casting: Fincannon Casting

“Dead Whisper” - #00231285

Dead Whisper Productions – Theatrical

Location: New Orleans, LA; Big Bear, CA

Start Date: To be determined

“Hurting Kind, The” - #00244310

TNC Shreveport, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: To be determined

“Snatched” – 00247070

Film Flam Productions, LLC

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: To be determined

“Somnambulist” – #00247071

TST Productions, LLC – Low Budget Modified

Location: New Orleans, LA

Start Date: To be determined

“Straw Dogs” – #00247196

Straw Dog Louisiana, LLC – Theatrical

Location: Shreveport, LA

Start Date: August 17, 2009

The first ‘reel’ is my final edit…maybe… and one that I’m happy enough with to distribute to casting sites. I’ve always tried to keep demos to 5 minutes or so, knowing that few pepole will sit through more, if that much tape on a actor’s reel. This online version is a trim 1:43.

So, while I’d like to let scenes play longer, I’m trying to reach a ‘happy medium’ of showing enough to get the character played before having to move on to the next clip, and keeping the total reel to a manageable file size. I’ve had to leave off some clips I’d like to use for various reasons….they’re good material, but just way too old, or I couldn’t find a way to put them into the mix and still keep the time and quality combination at an acceptable level for internet distribution

The issue I faced, that everyone faces when trying to put decent looking material on the net is the issue of what settings to use for conversion and rendering of the footage so that you have the best results once YouTube gets through processing your clips. This is where YouTube itself is a big help.

A search on YouTube will result in quite a few video tutorials on how to optimize your video for YouTube. Frankly I haven’t been much of a YouTube user and I’m not up to speed with all the nuances of how to use the service. But I’m learning. If you’re like me and want to take a shot at editing and publishing your own demo, it’s definitely something that can be accomplished. But even if you take your footage to a professional editor, the best choice for most of us, you can use this information to make sure that the person who cuts your demo will give you at least a version of your reel that will play nicely on the net.

Here are the rendering settings I used in Sony Vegas 9 Platinum Pro Pack to get the results above…results with which I, at least, am happy:

File Type: MP4 – Some tutorials suggest saving as WMV, others as MP4. I had the best look with MP4. If you use WMV, try the WMv 9 setting in your software
Frame Size: 1280 x 720
Frame Rate: 29.970(NTSC) – same frame rate the source material was captured in
Field Order: None (Progressive scan)
Pixel Aspec Ratio: 1.0000
Bit Rate (bps): 10,000,000 -This may be adjustable in your software – I used as high a setting as possible and still keep the final rendered file under YouTube’s 1 gig file size limit.
Audio Sample Rate (Hz): 44,100
Audio bit rate (bps): 128,000

Below is a slightly different edit of basically the same material except for a clip from Dancer,TX Pop. 81 which is not in this version:

In case anyone is interested I’m using Vegas Video 9 Platinum Pro edition to edit. Each scene is a DVD rip using DVD Decrypter, DVD Shrink and MovAvi Converter in that order. I’m converting the rips to uncompressed .avi files, bringing those files into Vegas Video for the edit. I’m now playing with various rendering schemes in order to get the best quality for YouTube and other online distribution outlets. When I get that done to my satisfaction, I’ll cut a somewhat longer version for DVD distribution to my agent, etc.

Yours truly has another quick appearance as Grandma Saracen’s doctor, Dr. Campbell in this Friday’s episode, A HARD RAINS GONNA FALL., directed by Michael Waxman.

I’ll be on tonight, Jan. 23, as Dr. Campbell, Grandma Saracen’s doctor and will return in Episode 11 near the end of the season.

Be sure to visit the TXMPA site and get involved in the effort to bring film production back to Texas.

Click Here for Garcia’s Full Article in the American Statesman

As movie production scrambles to New Mexico, Louisiana, Michigan and New York, where filmmakers enjoy generous tax incentives ranging from 20 percent to 40 percent, Texas’ once-robust movie and television industry is hemorrhaging. Insiders are hearing a chilling “sucking sound,” as Austin filmmaker Robert Rodriguez puts it, and are taking up political arms to stanch the bleeding.

The Texas Motion Picture Alliance was formed in late 2006 to lobby the state Legislature for tax incentives on behalf of the film, video, television and gaming industries. The group won a 5 percent incentive, but it’s not enough — “just a foot in the door,” Rodriguez says…

…We recently conducted a casual round-table discussion at the Austin Film Society with Jeannette Scott, an Austin-based set decorator and the Central Texas representative of the alliance, and honorary alliance chairs Rodriguez, Avellan and Rebecca Campbell, director of the Austin Film Society. The conversation veered from hard numbers to focus on anecdotal evidence of what has become a dire talent-drain from Texas to other states.

…Considering that the state Legislature convenes only every two years, “This is a critical time,” Rodriguez says.

Chris Garcia: Is the state of Texas filmmaking worse than ever? Ten years ago, it seemed so flush.

Jeanette Scott: It’s absolutely grim. Local animal wrangler Bobbi Colorado tells me that they’ve had their best year ever, and it’s all been in Shreveport, La. She just finished two movies there and she’s going back. I’ve been working in Texas film for almost 25 years, and I used to turn down jobs. I watched the industry in Austin grow with this wonderful excitement and energy. Now it’s just gone. It’s so alarming. Lots of my friends in the business have sold their homes and moved to Santa Fe, N.M.

Robert Rodriguez: I go to Los Angeles a lot and studios and producers don’t even look at the details of your movie anymore. They hear that Michigan is giving 40 percent incentives, so everybody flocks to Michigan. And Michigan doesn’t even have crews. People run out there like lemmings because it’s more savings.

Rebecca Campbell: They won’t even look here. Like Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It!,” which is about Texas roller girls in Austin. She didn’t even scout Austin. People didn’t want her to see (Austin), because they knew they weren’t going to be able to say yes to it. They went straight to Michigan and only came to Austin to shoot exteriors for about five days. It’s heartbreaking.

…..

Avellan: Robert and I have spent years training people to become great crew, but now there’s a huge brain drain. It is so sad to see our guys leave….

……

Campbell: Austin proper is doing its part by upgrading Austin Studios , but without the state doing its part in matching the incentives, one city can’t stand up to Michigan, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Avellan: If they would pass something that can compete, all of Texas would be working, because films that were supposed to be in X, Y or Z would arrive all over Texas. People would rather come here. I just know that. There are too many producers who have shot here and want to come back. Our rates for equipment rental are much lower than other areas.

Scott: What’s outrageous is that we’ve spent 25 years building up this industry and good will and getting our name out there. And now we’re just letting it dissolve. It’s a viable industry; it’s not a fluff industry. People come from somewhere else with tens of millions of dollars and they put it into your economy, and then they go away, all in a very short time. It’s a great business. It’s great for Texas.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS….SEASON 3 UPDATE

I was happy to get the call last week that Dr. Campbell, the character I played in Episode 2, “Tami Knows Best” would be reappearing in episode 11, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” now shooting here in Austin. Filming in working hospital in the middle of the day was interesting…may not so much for the real patients…but this crew moves so well and so fast, that I think any interuption was minimal. Look for Matt to have deal with his grandmother’s deteriorating mental health.

Last night was the second big meeting by The Alliance Austin, a cooperative of Central Texas casting directors, talent agents and acting coaches. Speakers at this meeting were:

Representative Dawnna Dukes, Texas State Representative, District 46
 http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dis…

Nan Bernstein, Producer ­ Friday Night Lights
 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076987/

Bob Hudgins, Texas Film Commissioner
 http://www.governor.state.tx.us/film/

The bottom line message was that we in Texas have a big fight on our hands to increase our film incentive in the coming legislative session. If you haven’t done so, please join the TXMPA

One of the most sobering statements made last night came from Texas Film Commission head, Bob Hudgins. Although the current Texas film incentive authorized by the state was capped at $20million over two years, Hudgins says its not likely that even that paltry amount will be expended. Why? Out current 5% incentive is so low that we are not even attracting enough production to deplete the $20Million that is available. We MUST have an increase in our INCENTIVE PERCENTAGE in order to compete with our primary competition in Louisiana and New Mexico.

Having worked in the film version of Friday Night Lights and having watched the TV show, I thought I had a feel for the process…hand held cameras, a fast-moving shoot, an almost harried pace, but I wasn’t completely sure what the director had in mind with his question. “We don’t rehearse” continued director Reiner and, (to paraphrase) ‘we keep it loose’, confirming my expectations…all except the ‘we don’t rehearse’ part. Even on the film of FNL there was some rehearsal before cameras rolled.

Immediately, I was approached by a props person who wanted my attention ASAP (I was being wired for sound) so she could go over use of the blood pressure device and stethoscope I’d be using in the scene. The words “no rehearsal” quickly came to mind.

Fortunately I have a bit of experience with these devices…at least the blood pressure device (who hasn’t had their blood pressure taken in a doctor’s office?). But I also have some experience in taking my 91 year old mother to visit her doctors. With a quick tutorial on placing the blood pressure cuff, etc. some quick blocking to set lighting and one of the cameras that would capture different parts of the scene, we were rolling.

I have to say the whole atmosphere was pure fun. Of course I was a little unsure of how working with props I’d just been handed – working out the action of taking the blood pressure, removing the cuff, placing the cuff out of the way, removing the stethoscope and relocating it and on the fly, incorporating those actions with the dialogue – would all work out.

But there was a real freedom in the fact that there was no rehearsal. There was no established ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to get the job done. No marks set on the move from the examination room and out into a hallway for the second half of the scene. So there was no pressure to do it ‘right’. I spotted up my position and got a feel for where I needed to land and that was that. The actor (me) was just free to play the scene and work with the other actors and with the elements (props, physical limits of the space, etc.) that were present.

How fun is that? Well, quite a bit, actually. Add to the mix that the series regulars are very accustomed to this style of filming and understood that, while certain dialogue had to be included to advance certain plot points, there was a lot of freedom to improvise and it makes for a ‘be on your toes’ atmosphere. So, to the new guy on the set (me again) it was important to do what every actor is always supposed to do anyway….listen and react. Just very organic ‘acting stuff’.

I can see how someone with little or no experience could be a bit unhinged in this kind of atmosphere…the uncertainty every actor feels on their first job or two would easily be magnified on this type production. But for a more experienced actor it’s great fun. The appreciation for how hard and well the crew works is amplified as well. These men and women are MOVING FAST and getting the job done extremely well. They have this process DOWN.

I hope this doesn’t come off like the director and crew weren’t doing anything because that is certainly NOT the case. The director was doing what good director’s do…tweaking action and performance issues where necessary between takes…letting the actors know that we were on the right track…just make this slight adjustment and let’s go again. Camera, sound, grips and gaffers, props, makeup, wardrobe, etc. were all there working their butts off to make it all SWING.

Now, I only worked on one scene in this episode so really I have no idea if they shoot exactly this way all the time, every day. But I expect it’s a consistent process. The thing that is interesting to me from the actor’s POV is that I have no idea what the footage looks like. Since there were on traditional camera setups I found it hard to visualize what was being captured.

I mentioned this to Louanne Stephens (Grandma Saracen) and she said something to the effect of “If they weren’t getting what they needed, they’d let you know. They really make the actors look good on this show.” This comports with my own experiences and I mention it here because a lot of less experienced actors are reading these posts.

You may think that if the director isn’t giving you props between every take that he’s not happy with you. Generally that is not so. In my experience on TV and even on film (where there is generally a bit more time to work), if the director says nothing to you, you know you’re on the right track. It’s only when they want something tweaked or changed or if they really don’t like what you’re doing that the director will spend any face time with you between shots.

They’ve got too many other things they’re juggling to ‘atta boy’ all the actors all the time. You may see them giving lots of ‘atta boys’ to the lead actor / actress, but unless you’re the lead, don’t expect it and don’t read anything untoward into the lack of it.

Just do your job and when you wrap, accept the ‘great job’, ‘nice job’, ‘good work’ or whatever comes and move on, understanding that you had a successful turn at bat. Enjoy that and wait for the show to air and see how successfully it all comes together.

Again for the less experienced who may be reading:

It’s always interesting to walk onto an established show to do a day, a few days or even a week. Make friends with the ADs and the set PAs. Make sure you check in ON TIME, drop your gear and get ready to…wait. You’ll probably do a lot of waiting, so get used to it. Find something productive to do. If you’re paperwork is waiting in your trailer fill it out. Go over your lines, read a book, etc. Stay accessible and don’t make anyone have to find you.

You’re an ‘outsider’ to some extent, a guest, and you’re visiting someone’s family for a brief period of time. It’s in your best interest to be the guest everyone wants to have back not the one they’re happy to see leave. As an actor you have a job to do but you have some quick calculations to make. My ‘radar’ is always at a peak in these situations because you need to get in, do your job and not drop the proverbial t**d in the punch bowl before you leave.

I have to say that my radar on Friday Night Lights was free can clear of any on-set ‘issues’ that you sometimes encounter…often immediately upon arrival. (Who’s mad, who’s hung over, who’s late…again, etc. etc.) The atmosphere was friendly, supportive and professional. I think that atmosphere shows in the product that these folks have been producing.

For Texas actors and other film professionals, we need Friday Night Lights to continue its run. Here’s hoping that this season will continue the excellence duly noted by the critics and that an even stronger fan base and audience will be forthcoming.

That’s my story from the set of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Tami Knows Best. Season 3, Episode 2.

Whatever the case, it’s just another example of the changing landscape for film and TV distribution.

“We’re all grateful that, through whatever corporate machinations that occurred between NBC and DirecTV, there will be a third season of Friday Night Lights this fall. But how exactly is that going to work?

Here’s the deal straight from Sunday’s FNL panel: Thirteen new episodes of FNL will air on DirecTV starting in October, on a channel called The 101. Then, the same 13 episodes will be shown on NBC beginning in February 2009. So, essentially, if you don’t have DirecTV, there is the potential for some serious spoilers. “Just download it [illegally],” suggested cast member Zach Gilford, much to the chagrin of the NBC and DirecTV handlers in the house. “But then it would be in good conscience to watch it on NBC when it airs there,” he added. Helpful!

DirecTV promotional materials indicate that the two versions may actually differ slightly, although executive producer Jason Katims said they haven’t quite established how just yet.

Katims said that “senior year” would be a recurring theme of Season 3, which fast-forwards eight months from last season’s finale. Hence the recent announcement that Jason Street (Scott Porter) and Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) — whose characters would have graduated in the intervening months — would not be returning as series regulars. Porter and Charles will, however, appear in four episodes that will explain their exits. Katims also said he will definitely leave the door open for the possibility of Street and/or Smash to reappear.

Minka Kelly announced that “Lyla’s done with her ‘born-again’ phase, and her relationship with Riggins is now out in the open.” “I didn’t even hear that,” said Taylor Kitsch, who plays Riggins. “I’m interested to see how it plays out.” Aren’t we all?” — Mickey O’Connor