What do “Dazed and Confused,” “Rushmore,” “Boyhood,” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” have in common? They were all filmed right here in the Lone Star State.
On the flip side, movies like “No Country for Old Men,” “Holes,” and “The Highwaymen” are set in Texas, but were filmed elsewhere in the US. Why? Higher filming incentives in New Mexico, Louisiana, and Oklahoma make it cheaper to film.
That doesn’t sit right with sixth-generation Texans + filmmakers Chase Musslewhite and Grant Wood, who are products of UT Austin’s Radio-Television-Film program. Around two years ago, the pair founded Media for Texas in an effort to bolster statewide incentives.
You may have seen the organization’s star-studded “Good for Texas” campaign, or maybe you watched Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson vouching for incentives at the Texas Capitol.
That’s where Musslewhite and Wood come in, as they advocate for the passage of Senate Bill 22. We spoke with them to learn about why they believe local film production is important for Texans.
Editor’s note: Responses may have been edited for clarity or brevity.
What’s your background in film?
Musslewhite: “I always wanted to be a filmmaker. I’m from Houston, Texas, originally, and it was my secret, lifelong dream to turn the Astrodome into a film studio. ... Turns out, it’s been thought of, it’s been researched, it’s been looked into, it’s not a suitable place for a studio. I always wanted to tell Texas stories, and it wasn’t until the last couple of years, when I was looking into developing my features, that I realized how difficult it was to actually shoot in Texas.”
“Grant’s from Midland. ... When I met Grant, he was going through his photos, and he had one of a note that had been on his mirror ... that was like ‘number one dream, changing the film industry in Texas, increasing our film incentives.’ I saw that, and I was like, that’s crazy, because that’s what we’re doing now.”
How have your family roots shaped your desire to tell Texas stories?
Musselwhite: “I just had so many true characters in my life that were so full of life and so vibrant and so interesting and so unique ... but there are just so many stories that were being missed because people didn’t know about them. That’s why I always gravitated towards the Texas filmmakers that we do have, especially Wes Anderson, and his first film, “Rushmore.” He went to the same high school I did — that quirkiness is so specific to where the neighborhood we grew up in. It was shot all throughout Houston, the same places I went to growing up. There are just so many more stories like that across Texas.”
Wood: “Being from West Texas, you’re surrounded by all these really impactful, wonderful, interesting types of stories about people moving out to Midland throughout the course of the 20th century. We’re all out there due to the oil industry and they’re just such fascinating tales about people (who) grew up with nothing around them, and they go out there ... they drill oil, and they make a million dollars overnight. I mean, those types of stories do not exist anywhere else besides here in Texas.”
How did Media for Texas come to fruition?
Musselwhite: “At the end of the last (legislative) session, I noticed that there were a lot of groups that this wasn’t their full time job — it was studios who were trying to get a bill passed ... We thought there was really an opportunity to dedicate our full time to this and sort of be the bridge that connects a lot of different organizations. ...
Before we even launched, had sit-down lunches or meetings with just about anyone who had been involved in this arena, to not just get their blessing, but also say, ‘Hey, we want to do this together.’ ... We had about 200 meetings over the course of three months, with just anyone that was part of this sort of coalition.”
Why is it hard to make a film in Texas?
Musslewhite: "(Texas doesn’t) really have a competitive base rate — and by base rate, I mean the percentage of your project that the state helps finance. Compared to other states, our rate is a lot lower. Our biggest competitors, Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana, they’re all starting around 30% and they go upwards from there. Our base rate starts at 5% and it’s currently capped around 21%, so when you’re thinking on the scale of even $2 million or above, that’s significant. That extra 10% of your budget is very significant. It’s really hard to argue with the bottom line like that sometimes. ... That’s the number one reason why it’s hard to shoot here in Texas.”
How does film production impact the local economy?
Wood: “It’s pretty remarkable to see how much ROI this incentive program brings for the state of Texas. I’ll give you an example: When they were filming “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” Taylor Sheridan’s TV show, they set up shop in Strawn, Texas, population of 540 people. They placed about $1.4 million a day in a small town’s local economy. Whenever this type of setup happens, you’re shutting down the entire street, you are going to individual restaurants and shops, you are paying them for their day and a half on average wages, ... you are hiring all of your local police officers, medics, electricians, carpenters to build the sets. I mean, it just goes on and on.
Whenever you think about whether or not this is good for Texas, you really have to look at the long term effects provided when you are taking taxpayer money in Texas and then you’re recirculating it back into Texas taxpayer pockets, because this program only incentivizes Texas residents.”
Why should everyday Austinites care about the film industry?
Musslewhite: “If you’re at a loss of what to do with your life or with your career, the film industry is always a welcome home. I’ve had so many friends transition from their previous jobs to film. It really welcomes all sorts of types of people, from doctors, accountants, any type of creative obviously, carpenters. ...
I think it’s always interesting how people get involved in film shoots, either through being an extra or through renting their home — I know people who have paid their entire month’s mortgage in full for renting their house out for a single day.
A third more basic level that everybody can sort of get on board with is just being proud of your state as a Texan, and wanting to make sure that your state is represented correctly.”
What does your dream version of a thriving Texas film industry look like?
Wood: “The big one for me that we’ve got to look at is from the university level. (During) our time in UT RTF ... our last day of class, they asked, ‘Who’s going to LA?’ Nearly everyone raised their hand, they’re going to LA. Unfortunate as that is, it’s because the opportunities don’t exist here in Texas.
What would make me the happiest is, instead of asking ‘who’s gonna move to LA,’ (we ask) ‘who’s gonna stay here in Austin?’ and everyone raises their hand. (Then) they graduate and they are immediately shuffled into a well-paying job here in Texas, instead of having to go to LA or New York or wherever. ... Our goal 10 years from now is to be driving down the street and there’s a film production going on.”
