TX film industry?

[lightsofjuarez]

Hey guys, 

 

My fiancee was recently offered a job with Apple in Austin, TX and we're considering making the move from NC at the end of next month. With that said, I've been scrambling to do as much research as possible before we make our decision. 

 

Was wondering if any of you out there live in the Austin area or know much about it's film industry? Do most productions hire local crew or do they primarily bring in LA mixers? How are the incentives? Do many of the productions shot in TX hire local mixers or just bring in LA or NY mixers? How's the commercial market?

 

I'm thinking long and hard on the decision because I moved back to NC from LA (where I primarily did audio post production) about a year ago and was just about to join 695 as a mixer here in NC.  

 

I've been to Austin a couple of times for SXSW and have always enjoyed the city and it's food and music scene. Austin's film commission site also quotes MovieMaker magazine naming Austin the "#1 US city to live and make movies in for 2013" which sounds...promising I guess? I also know the TV show Revolution just left Wilmington, NC for Austin, TX too because NC film tax incentives have been under attack by Governor Pat McCrory.

 

Anyways, any info or advice would be greatly appreciated!   

[Johnathan Sessoms]

I wish you the best on your journey, but I must say... It doesn't get any better than some good old North Carolina. I'd love to be up there!

[RPSharman]

If you're local, and you have gear and a few things on your résumé, you're going to more often than not be hired locally before they ship someone in.

But Austin doesn't have a ton of work.

It's a great place to live, your wife has a good job, make the move and be happy.

Robert

[rcoronado]

Austin does the most film work in the State, but there's tons of production that also happens in both Houston and Dallas.  There's also a strong film market in Shreveport which is just a few hours away as well.  Lots of corporate work, lots of reality TV, lots of TV spots between those 4 cities.

 

In my experience outside mixers are very rarely brought in.  When they were shooting network shows like The Good Guys, Lonestar, and Prisonbreak locally they were using local mixers for all of that stuff. 

 

Austin's a beautiful city that has grown much faster than its infrastructure has.  Traffic sucks there, sixth street is great, the university is great, the crowd is diverse, and there are trees and hills everywhere.

 

No state income taxes, no audio unions, Texas state school board is pretty wacko, cost of living is moderate but not cheap in Austin.

 

bottom line: its a beautiful city, you could make a living, but you may have to do a fair amount of driving to really max out. 

[RPSharman]

Shreveport "just a few hours away"? How fast do you drive, exactly? Haha!

[studiomprd]

" Do most productions hire local crew or do they primarily bring in LA mixers? "

it depends... it varies...

" Do many of the productions shot in TX hire local mixers or just bring in LA or NY mixers? "

it varies, it depends

[rcoronado]

Shreveport "just a few hours away"? How fast do you drive, exactly? Haha!

 

I live in Dallas, so its 3 hours from me.  Didn't realize it was 5 from Austin. 

[Allen Green]

I work in San Antonio and Austin (and everywhere else in TX for that matter). To me it seems there are two different camps in Austin- sound guys who work the film/ commercial side and sound guys who do video and reality . I don't know who's mixing Revolution, I do know a dolly grip who worked the first season and is now working on this one. Guys like Mac Melson who mixed all the Fri Nite Lights stuff but he doesn't do 'run and gun' stuff.

Troublemakers (Robert Rodriguez's group) also helped open the Austin studios out at the old airport which is right in town. So there is an infrastructure for the film industry centered in Austin.

 

I only work in Austin on the video sound side of things with several clients that I've worked with a while or the networks. Everyone who wants to works during SXSW. 

The Formula 1 track they've built in Austin has created a little work- I worked the Australian super car V-8 series race they did here back in May. Most of that work is ENG type unless you do A2 type work. They do formula 1 for motorcycles, American Trans-Am series and a few other large televised races. As well as a 10 year deal with the Formula 1 cars to run the American Grand Prix.  Don't expect a ton of work but,  there is some work here it's just getting in the system.

 

My advice is if you do come into the Austin market expect it to take some time unless you know a lot of people. As we all know it's who you know. Network yourself. Also be prepared to DRIVE. Texas is big and as a freelancer you will do some driving. I put 30 to 50K a year on my truck. I drove 2.5 hrs one way (from where I live) to a shoot in Belton Tx. just north of Austin last Fri. Even though you get mileage and compensation it still is a drive. Thanks to podcast and mp3 music it makes it tolerable-lol. So if you like great music, heat (we're working on our 26th day this year of temps over 100), great food and driving -mixed in with some patience and networking come on down the water's warm/hot.

[BudRaymond]

Austin's by far the best place in Texas to live. I had a neighbor from Los Angeles move there 10 years ago to do work in the high-tech sector and he absolutely loves it. Everytime I visit I find myself shopping for houses!