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Loring is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and creative producer. His work has been commissioned by a diverse range of clients- from Havas Worldwide to Wisecrack, inc.- and has been screened around the world. Through a background that blends project development with physical production across multiple formats, Loring has developed a uniquely eclectic skillset as a visual storyteller.
At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
For visiting productions in any state, sourcing the right resources or personnel can be challenging and time-consuming. Producers and their teams are often forced to literally investigate potential options, leaning on word-of-mouth and recommendations that may or may not be reliable.
In Texas, the statewide film office cuts through the noise and confusion by providing a direct line to trusted professionals in the region. They’re tapped into local networks in a way that out-of-town filmmakers simply cannot be. By serving as a conduit to these networks, the Texas Film Commission can connect filmmakers to the hyper-localized expertise they need to take their production experience to the next level.
The Texas Film Commission empowers filmmakers with a variety of powerful tools, services, and programs.
Let’s check out three specific resources that you could use to upgrade your next production.
The Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) makes a compelling financial argument for filmmakers to bring their projects to Texas. Under current guidelines, the program offers a base incentive of 5%–25% on qualified expenditures, but a series of stackable uplifts can increase the total grant rebate to a maximum of 31%.
This incentive program is open to the full range of “moving image productions,” specifically including film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video game, and extended reality projects. The variety in the program’s eligibility also opens the door to more flexible approaches to savings, especially when combined with the state’s separate Sales Tax Exemptions program.
As mentioned above, the TMIIIP is administered directly by the Texas Film Commission, a distinct advantage that sets this Texan incentive program apart from many of its competitors in other states. To learn more, check out our in-depth guide to navigating Texas film incentives.
Film Friendly Texas (FFTX) is a certification and marketing program administered by the Texas Film Commission to forge better relationships between communities and visiting productions. Established in 2007, the program uses ongoing training and guidance about industry standards and best practices to prepare communities to better accommodate professional filmmaking.
The Film Friendly Texas program is a win-win for everyone involved. It empowers local municipalities to reap the economic benefits associated with the production industry, while simultaneously streamlining community coordination for visiting productions. It’s an important initiative that improves the Texas filmmaking experience as a whole.
The Texas Film Commission understands the value of digital resources. They maintain active online directories for locations, production services, and local crew. Each of the directories is public and searchable by many individual factors or keywords, allowing out-of-town productions to start prep from anywhere as soon as possible.
Beyond the databases, the Texas Film Commission’s official website is absolutely loaded with other valuable information. From deep dives into permitting and safety procedures to a full breakdown of the state’s financial resources, the Texas Film Commission works hard to put maximum information into the hands of interested filmmakers.
To contact the Texas Film Commission, you may submit a direct inquiry through their website. For the fastest response time, it is recommended that you pre-select a topic for your inquiry from the following list:
Filmmakers can also keep up with the latest updates from the Texas Film Commission on social media. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, or even Steam.
While the Texas Film Commission supports filmmakers statewide, the overwhelming size and diversity of Texas ensures that hyper-local resources will always be valuable.
Below, we’ll introduce 11 regional Texas film offices that you might want to keep in mind for your next shoot in the Lone Star State.
The Austin Film Commission supports filmmakers in the City of Austin, one of the most well-known production hubs in the state.
Visiting filmmakers can contact the Austin Film Commission for valuable administrative support, like securing permits with the city’s film friendly process or hiring local crew with the Austin Film Commission Production Directory. They even offer assistance with the Austin Creative Content Incentive Program, a local incentive that qualifying productions can leverage in addition to statewide programs.
The Brownsville Border Film Commission serves productions in and around the City of Brownsville. Located at the southern tip of Texas, Brownsville touts a variety of unique locations facilitated by its year-round sub-tropical climate. The Brownsville Border Film Commission specializes in assistance with city coordination and permitting.
The Conroe Film Commission supports productions in and around Conroe, the fastest-growing city in the state of Texas.
Described as “the perfect blend of starry nights and city lights,” Conroe enjoys both a vibrant downtown hub as well as the breathtaking natural surroundings of Lake Conroe, the Houston National Forest, and the W. Goodrich Jones State Forest. Filmmakers in search of the best of both worlds should contact the Conroe Film Commission right away.
The Corpus Christi Film & Music Commission serves the film, music, and entertainment industries in the Coastal Bend area of Texas. The Film & Music Commission is dedicated to the promotion of film and music opportunities in the region, striving to evolve local film ordinance and encourage new market development.
The Dallas Film Commission is “the central point of contact for entertainment production in the Dallas, Texas area.” Their expert staff are the go-to resource for any logistical or administrative questions that a production might have when visiting Dallas or the many towns and cities that surround it.
The El Paso Film and Creative Industries Commission, also known as creativELPASO, exists “to promote, support, and develop the Film, Music, Design, and Photography industries in El Paso to contribute a positive economic benefit to the city.”
Their film division offers assistance and resources to production companies in the region, providing streamlined access to the area’s unique filming locations.
Film San Antonio, the official San Antonio film commission, champions filming in the City of San Antonio. They work with the film, television, commercial, and digital media production industries, providing services that range from securing permits to administering San Antonio’s local incentive programs.
Established in 2015, the Fort Worth Film Commission serves the production industry in Fort Worth, the 11th-largest city in the United States.
Having generated many millions of dollars in economic activity since its inception, the Fort Worth Film Commission has developed a striking variety of valuable services that includes assistance with locations, pre-production, and post-production.
The Greater Amarillo Film Commission provides assistance to production companies either shooting a project in Amarillo or using Amarillo as a basecamp for filming throughout the Texas Panhandle.
Rooted in “Boots on the Ground” support, the Greater Amarillo Film Commission offers services that include location scouting support, government agency coordination, securing permits, and identifying specialized personnel.
The Houston Film Commission supports filmmakers in the City of Houston as well as the greater Houston region and Harris County. Their office can help production companies navigate city requirements, like securing excessive noise permits or coordinating with the Houston fire department to use pyrotechnics.
If you’re in search of the perfect tropical filming location, the South Padre Island Film Commission might just be for you. They facilitate production on South Padre Island, helping filmmakers identify their ideal locations from the island’s collection of unforgettable beaches and beachside communities.
The Texas Film Commission is an invaluable resource for both local and visiting productions. From the High Plains of the Panhandle to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the office is working hard to make sure that the state of Texas continues to thrive as a premier destination for filmmakers everywhere.
For more on production in the Lone Star State, check out our guide to navigating Texas film incentives or visit Wrapbook’s Production Incentive Center. Our free Production Incentive Finder and Incentive Comparison Tool can help you home in on the perfect financial location for your next shoot.
If everything’s bigger in Texas, there’s no reason that shouldn’t include filmmaking. The Texas Film Commission is your key to one of the largest and most varied production regions in the United States.
In this post, we’ll show you why the Texas Film Commission should always be a filmmaker’s first stop for support in the Lone Star State. We’ll dig into the tools, resources, and incentives that you’ll want to know about before your next shoot.
Given its sheer size and central significance in American iconography, it should be no surprise that the state of Texas has a rich cinematic history. From Boyhood to There Will Be Blood, Friday Night Lights to Robocop 2, scenes from Texan cityscapes and countrysides alike have been a staple in theaters worldwide for more than a century.
With so much local activity, the creation of an official Texas film office was a natural choice. The Texas Film Commission was established in 1971 due to the foresight of then-governor Preston Smith, who recognized that it was “in the social, economic, and educational interest of Texas to encourage the development of the film-communication industry.”
Since then, the Texas Film Commission has been diligently serving the state’s production industry across the full spectrum of their needs. They provide a crucial link between media professionals throughout the state, facilitating connections to form a growth-oriented community and promoting a healthier production ecosystem.
Today, the Texas Film Commission continues to support their state’s “global position as a premier production destination across all media industries” with a watchful eye toward the future. They're the primary Texas film office and serve as a hub for any resources that serve the film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, video game, and even extended reality (XR) industries within the state.
The Texas Film Commission is a critical resource and irreplaceable creative partner for any production.
Let’s take a look at three key ways that the top Texas film office supports filmmakers who want to set up shop in the state.
As the only statewide Texas film office, the Texas Film Commission is uniquely qualified to help productions explore all of their options. This is particularly useful when it comes to location scouting.
The Texas Film Commission maintains an impressive suite of tools and resources that productions can take advantage of to find the perfect places for their next shoot. Filmmakers can leverage their expansive photo directory, comprehensive online database, and even the direct support of their expert staff. The Commission can help you turn rough ideas into specific locations with as much speed, efficiency, and confidence as possible.
And their efforts don’t stop there. The Texas Film Commission also facilitates coordination with local and state officials. They can streamline administrative hurdles like permit processing and get productions up on their feet with minimal stress.
The current state of film finance is largely defined by production incentives. That’s why the state of Texas has developed an expansive incentive program with flexible uplift features.
Crucially, the Texas Film Commission administers the state’s incentive program directly. They have a dedicated team of incentive professionals who can work with productions to make the process as smooth as possible. The office can assist producers in maximizing both the value of their incentives and the purchasing power of their budget in-state.
