Northeast Texas Film Commission

Texas lets out a 'hooray-for-Hollywood' whoop.

By W. GARDNER SELBY Monday, June 11, 2007 AUSTIN, Texas — Scene: GOP Gov. Rick Perry stands on the shady shore of pristine Lake Bastrop, a pine bough dangling over his head. He happily signs a measure authorizing grants to companies making movies, TV shows and finishing similar projects in Texas. Many applaud. CUT! That's what was looked like the scene Thursday looked like, though Perry was standing on a stage on the tarmac of an abandoned airport off of 51st Street. The stage had a backdrop of a lake perhaps prettier than the lake in Bastrop — and there was a piney bough object draping overhead. An extra said the photo backdrop is employed by the folks who tape NBC-TV's "Friday Night Lights." And the crowd included actress Janine Turner. Perry was joined by actor and sometimes Texas resident Dennis Quaid, and Democratic state Reps. Dawnna Dukes of Austin and Joe Pickett of El Paso. The event had a hooray-for-Texas/Hollywood quality, with everyone expressing hopes that the approved film incentives — tallying $20 million up front that could be awarded to productions spending considerable money on projects in Texas — will foster creative results. The big twist, proponents said, is authorization in the state budget for the Texas Film Commission to ask for more money from state leaders — in the form of the Legislative Budget Board — as long as the commission can show the additional funds will go to producers who have already poured plenty of money into working in Texas; essentially that could make the incentive fund unlimited. "I hope one day Texas will be the creative capital of the world," Perry said. For now, he said, he'll settle for recapturing film and TV business lost lately to Louisiana. Dukes, noting estimates that Texas has lost hundreds of millions of dollars of productions to states offering tax credits to producers, said: "The days of missed opportunities are finally over." Perry played down the significance of language in the law stating Texas "may deny an application because of inappropriate content or content that portrays Texas or Texans in a negative fashion." "There's been a lot of misplaced concern about the provision," Perry said. His suss: Don't look for Ozzy Osbourne prancing around the Alamo, but otherwise, it's going to be lights, camera, action — many green lights. Quaid's punch line: "I'm moving here in 2 1/2 years. And I would like this to be the new Hollywood." Cue palm trees. W. Gardner Selby writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: wgselby@statesman.com