5/7/07:
TEXAS may finally have an incentive - legislation providing
for (and funding) a new incentive has unanimously passed the Texas house.
Action in the senate must take place in May, as the legislature goes out
of session for two years in June
Texas has a substantial film infrastructure with major
sound stages, equipment rental
houses and crew. State and local sales taxes are waived
for film productions; a
simple application form must be filed in advance. (Not
all items qualify. Catering,
for example, is not exempt.) After 30 days of room occupancy,
the 6% lodging tax
will also be waived. There is an online production database,
and a printed production
manual that may be purchased for $20.
In addition to the state film commission, there are eight
local commissions: Amarillo,
Austin, Brownsville, Dallas/Ft. Worth, El Paso, Houston,
San Antonio and South
Padre Island. Information about each Film Commission
may be obtained from the
Association of Film Commissioners International website,
which is at www.afci.org
• Texas Film Commission
o Phone ? (512) 463-9200
o Website ? www.governor.state.tx.us/film
Incentive
information (Sales Tax Waiver)
Film
office
Incentives:
Sales Tax Exemption:
Texas offers production companies
an exemption from sales tax on goods and services purchased, rented or
leased for the production’s direct and exclusive use. This exemption applies
to goods and services used in the production or post-production of the
film or video master. Texas state sales tax is 6.25%, local sales taxes
range from 0.25% to 2%.
Productions eligible to qualify
for this exemption include features, television projects, commercials,
corporate films, infomercials or other projects for which the producer
or production company will be compensated, and which are intended for commercial
distribution.
From their website:
"Sales
Tax Exemptions and More
On most projects shot in
Texas, the production company is 100% exempt from State and local sales
taxes on much of what you rent or purchase. That's not a rebate; it's an
up-front exemption, and the claim
form is one single page. If you're here for more than 30 days, you're
also exempt from a portion of occupancy tax on hotel rooms. And you may
claim refunds for sales tax paid on fuel that was used off-road (think
generators and boats).
Another Incentive
The State of Texas does not
participate in financing films. But filmmakers keep coming back to Texas,
time and again, because of our biggest assets: our experienced, professional
crew, equipment vendors and support services. On most features shot in
Texas, 75-80% of the crew is hired locally. That high percentage means
savings in housing, transportation, per diems and time - you're using professionals
who get it right the first time. Very few other states can match the depth
of crew base that you'll find in Texas."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article
in Production Update Magazine - May 2004
TEXAS
Everything's Bigger in Texas -
Except Production Budgets
By Brooke Comer
Texas, the state known for sprawling
ranches, oil wells, urban skylines, miles of prairie and the mountains
of San Antonio, has always drawn its share of productions. The concentration
of industry in Houston and Dallas fueled industrials, and local and regional
commercials even before filmmaking began to venture out of Hollywood studios.
Now, when producers are looking for interesting new locations at affordable
prices, Texas is, with its customary affable hospitality, ready and waiting
to provide whatever its diverse landscape and deep talent base can offer
- which is just about anything anyone can ask for....................................READ
MORE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MovieMaker
2004 "Top 10 Cities for Moviemakers"
- Our fourth annual ranking of the best places in the US to
live and make movies (Movie
Maker Mag Website)
by James L. Menzies
Jump To:
1.
Austin, Texas Last year: #4
2.
New York, NY Last year:
3.
Boston, MA Last year: Unranked
4.
Philadelphia, PA Last year: #5
5.
Orlando, FL Last year: Unranked
6.
Las Vegas, NV Last year: #8
7.
Los Angeles, CA Last year: #7
8.
Portland, Oregon Last year: #9
9.
Chicago, IL Last year: #6
10.
Houston, TX Last year: Unranked
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEXAS
Janis Burklund, director of the
Dallas
Film Commission, has inaugurated a new "one-stop-shop" city permitting
policy to accommodate the film and video industry. The policy provides
assistance for applications and fees associated with closing streets and
access to city-owned buildings for filming purposes. Burklund, appointed
last November, reports to the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau,
headed by president/CEO Philip J. Jones.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dallas Producers Association is a professional organization providing promotion, advocacy, education and networking for our membership. Membership is open to any company or individual of high standing, based in North Texas, that has managerial, budget or creative control for the production of moving visual media.