Austin Filmmaking Industry…Where For Art Thou Today?

Here’s a shocker…”the local film industry ain’t what is used to be.” With 15 film and television projects shot in and around Austin in 2007 compared to 33 in 2004, the local industry has seen a gradual drop each passing year. Of course, if you lived outside of Austin you would think it was a thriving metropolis of filmmaking bliss with magazines touting our great city as the “new hollywood” etc, etc. Any local filmmaker can tell you that unless you’re in certain “circles of trust” that just isn’t reality.

But with 11 major projects in various stage of production in 2008 things could be looking up.

So what is the answer? How do we attract more major studios? How do the independent filmmakers find the funding they need in Austin in order to make the projects the way they want to make them? Is it Villa Muse? Is it more and BETTER incentives? (YES.) Texas Lotto? (NO.)

What do you think? We’d love to hear from our readers about how they think Austin can turn it’s fluctuating television and film industry around. Please leave comments below.

CLICK HERE to read a short article by Chris Garcia at the Austin Statesman website about the state of Austin filmmaking and projects in pre/post or wrapped around town.