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I'M READY, AND WE'RE COMING UP IN 5, 4, 3, 2.
[ Austin Film Society Creative Workforce Press Conference ]
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS FIRST MAYOR A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, I WAS WATCHING THE PREMIER OF THE FACULTY, A RICHARD RODRIGUEZ MOVIE AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATER WITH A, YOU KNOW, PACKED HOUSE, A STANDING ROOM ONLY SORT OF DEAL.AND, AND DURING THE QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD OF TIME, UH, HE WAS UP ON STAGE AND HE WAS, UH, TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY MADE THE MOVIE AND ALL OF THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SOMEBODY ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT WAS IT HARD OR WAS IT EASY TO MAKE MOVIES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS? AND HE GAVE AN ANSWER THAT WAS KIND OF A TWO PART ANSWER.
THE FIRST PART WAS, IT'S EASY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN FILMMAKING, BUT HE ALSO SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO MAKE MOVIES HERE IN PART BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE BIG WAREHOUSE SOUND STAGE KIND OF STUFF.
AND OF COURSE, WE WERE JUST AT THE POINT OF, OF, UH, CLOSING THE OLD ROBERT MUELLER REGIONAL AIRPORT AT WHERE WE NOW HAVE THE MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE WERE GOING TO OPEN THE NEW AIRPORT.
AND OUT OF THAT CAME THE IDEA THAT I WONDER IF YOU CAN USE THOSE AIRPLANE HANGERS TO DO WHAT HE WAS SAYING WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND SO WORKING WITH PEOPLE LIKE RICHARD LINKLATER, UH, WHO BY THE WAY WAS TREMENDOUS.
HIS, HIS, UH, THE, HE'S NOT JUST A GREAT FILMMAKER COME UP COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, HE'S NOT JUST A GREAT FILMMAKER AND, AND, BUT HE ALSO IS WONDERFUL AT DEALING WITH PEOPLE.
AND HE WAS ONE OF, HE, HE WAS KIND OF ON POINT IN WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE MILLER, UH, DESIGN TEAM AS WE WERE COMING UP WITH THAT.
AND OF COURSE, I MENTIONED RODRIGUEZ ALREADY.
HE, AND HE AND ELIZABETH AVALON, HIS, HIS WIFE AT THE TIME, WERE ALREADY MAKING SOME MOVIES AND OLD HANGERS THAT WERE, UH, OWNED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS AT THE TIME.
UH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THESE OLD HANGERS PLAYING A ROLE IN MAKING FILMS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
THAT SEEMED LIKE A REAL NO-BRAINER IN THE WAY WE APPROACHED IT.
SO THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY PUT TOGETHER, COUNCIL MEMBER COEN IN, PUT TOGETHER A PRO PROPOSAL THAT WENT THROUGH THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
NINE MONTHS LATER, WE HAD A LEASE WORKED OUT, AND THE CAMERAS STARTED ROLLING.
AND BY THE WAY, NINE MONTHS LATER, FROM START TO IDEA TO FINISH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE FASTEST THING I THAT'S LIGHTNING TIME.
BUT ANY, ANYWAY, UH, IT HAPPENED.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, LOOKING BACK NOW ON ALL THOSE YEARS LATER, MAN, OUR INVESTMENT REALLY, REALLY, REALLY PAID OFF.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT, THAT THE, AND YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT IN THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE REPORT, YOU WILL SEE THAT IN A 25 YEAR SPAN SINCE THE START OF AUSTIN STUDIOS, THIS AREA HAS CREATED 37,000 JOBS, FILMED 1100 SHOWS, AND GENERATED $2.6 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT.
ONE OF MY CLAIMS TO FAME IS THAT I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL, ACTUALLY UNDERGRAD AND LAW SCHOOL, UH, BUT I FIRST GOT TO KNOW HIM WELL IN LAW SCHOOL, A FELLOW NAMED JOHN LEE HANCOCK.
UH, AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE LAUGHING, THEY KNOW WHO JOHN LEE HANCOCK IS.
JOHN LEE HANCOCK, WHILE A GOOD LAW STUDENT WAS, IS A GREAT DIRECTOR.
IN FACT, HE'S IN, UM, UH, THE UK RIGHT NOW FILMING A MOVIE.
UH, BUT HERE IN AUSTIN, AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT HE'S DONE IS HE, HE SHOT THE ROOKIE HERE.
UH, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALAMO WHEN IT WAS SHOT HERE.
AND I ONE TIME ASKED, UH, HANCOCK, I SAID TO HIM, TELL ME HOW WE'RE DOING IN AUSTIN WHEN IT COMES TO FILMMAKING.
AND, AND HIS BIGGEST COMPLIMENT WAS HE SAID, HE SAID, WE'RE DOING GREAT.
HE SAID, BUT THE, THE BIG COMPLIMENT WAS EVERY TIME HE COMES BACK TO AUSTIN, IT GETS BETTER WITH OUR WORKFORCE.
UH, OUR WORKFORCE WAS LEARNING MORE, OUR WORKFORCE WAS MORE ENGAGED.
SO THE FILM INDUSTRY ALSO, THE, THE, THE EXPERTS AND THE PROS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY ALSO VERIFY THIS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, WHAT'S NOT JUST TO LOVE ABOUT AUSTIN AND ABOUT THE FILM INDUSTRY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
IT SUPPORTS A LOT OF MOM AND POP BUSINESSES, AND IT, IN A NEAT WAY GIVES US BRAGGING RIGHTS.
UH, MANY OF US, MANY OF US DESCRIBE AUSTIN'S CREATIVE ECONOMY AS THE THIRD LEG OF OUR ECONOMIC STOOL.
AND THAT CREATIVE ECONOMY IS DRIVEN BY A VERY, VERY ROBUST
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FILM INDUSTRY.SO I'M JUST THRILLED THAT THE CITY IS NOW SUPPORTING A CREATIVE WORKFORCE PROGRAM THAT'S ENSURING ACCESS TO THIS GREAT INDUSTRY THROUGH TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ALL ABOUT IT TODAY FROM THE FILM SOCIETY AND A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
SO LET ME, UH, TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO REBECCA CAMPBELL, WHO IS THE CEO OF THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, WHO PUT TOGETHER THAT PROPOSAL ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL ON ARTS LEADERS LIKE REBECCA, TO KEEP AUSTIN'S CREATIVE COMMUNITY STRONG.
AND I COULDN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH.
AND SO, REBECCA, COME ON UP HERE AND TALK TO US.
THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR.
UM, AND WELCOME MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, IT, IT ACTUALLY, UM, THINKING BACK TO THAT TIME, IT, IT REALLY WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO WORK WITH MAYOR WATSON AND OUR FOUNDER, RICHARD LINKLATER, UH, TO CREATE AUSTIN STUDIOS BACK IN 1999.
UM, AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE WORKED WITH CITY COUNCIL, UM, OVER THE YEARS, UM, MA AND MADE MANY INVESTMENTS INTO THE FACILITY.
AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, IT HAS PAID OFF FOR OUR CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE ELIZABETH AVIAN, UM, FOR HER ROLE IN GETTING AUSTIN STUDIOS OFF THE GROUND.
UM, AND AT, AT THAT TIME, UM, THEY HAD HANGERS THAT THEY WERE USING FROM THE STATE.
AND, UM, SO, SO, UM, IT WAS PROOF OF CONCEPT AND, UM, AND IT MADE IT LEGIT.
SO I REMEMBER WHERE I WAS STANDING WHEN I GOT A CALL FROM THE TWO OF THEM SAYING, YOU THINK WE COULD MAKE THIS A PERMANENT DEAL?
THAT'S THE BACKBONE OF OUR INDUSTRY.
SO, BUT BEFORE WE HEAR FROM ELIZABETH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM MARTIN JONES AND NIKITA IRVIN FROM THE A FS EXECUTIVE TEAM.
UM, EACH OF THEM LEADS A DEPARTMENT THAT SERVES THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE.
IN MARTY'S CASE, UM, IT'S ABOUT BRINGING THE INDUSTRY TO AUSTIN, CREATING THE JOBS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE REPUTATION.
UM, AND RITA'S CASE, IT'S ABOUT TRAINING THE WORKFORCE SO THAT THEY CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR AND GET PLUGGED INTO THESE, THIS GREAT INDUSTRY.
UM, SO WE GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM CITIES WHO WANNA KNOW HOW DOES AUSTIN DO IT? AND, UM, I, UM, I HAVE ONE WORD FOR THEM, WHICH IS CULTURE.
SO I TELL THEM, WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS, OVER 40 YEARS AT THE FILM SOCIETY, THAT CULTURE IS THE SOIL IN WHICH CREATIVITY CAN THRIVE.
AND THAT'S REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE UPS AND DOWNS AND THINGS OUT OF OUR CONTROL, LIKE TEXAS STATE INCENTIVES AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO CULTURE GIVES US THE RESILIENCE, UM, THAT WE CAN GENERATE AND REGENERATE CREATIVE ENTERPRISES.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN, UM, WHEN YOU GET THIS REPORT, YOU'LL SEE ON PAGES 12 AND 13 AND 14 INFORMATION ABOUT AF S'S ARTIST DEVELOPMENT AND EXHIBITION PROGRAMS, AND HOW THEY FEED AUSTIN'S CREATIVE SOUL.
SO I ALWAYS EMPHASIZE TO THESE ASPIRATIONAL CITIES, UM, MAKE SURE YOUR COMMUNITY IS SOMEWHERE WHERE CREATIVES WANT TO LIVE AND CAN THRIVE, AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE AUDIENCES AND PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATE THEM AND WHO, UM, SUPPORT THE ARTS.
SO OUR NEXT SPEECH SPEAKERS WILL PAINT A PICTURE OF THE FILM AND TV INDUSTRY IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HUGE IMPACT THAT TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CAN HAVE ON OUR ECONOMY.
SO LET'S WELCOME TO THE PODIUM, THE HEAD OF AUSTIN STUDIOS.
AND, UH, COUNCIL'S PAST AND COUNCIL'S PRESENT.
UH, IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU ALL AND YOUR SUPPORT THAT BROUGHT ME BACK TO TEXAS.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.
UH, YES, I AM THE HEAD OF AUSTIN STUDIOS.
IT'S MY GREAT PLEASURE TO BE, UH, AT THE HELM OF THIS, UH, PROJECT.
THIS FACILITY IN MILLER OR MUELLER, UH, WOULD PICK YOUR, PICK YOUR CHOICE, UH, AND IT'S GREAT TO BE A PART OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT REBECCA IS SPEAKING ABOUT.
AND OVER THE PAST DECADE, FILM, UH, TELEVISION, DIGITAL MEDIA IN AUSTIN HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN ROBUST.
UH, TO START, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE PRIMARY PRODUCTION HUB FOR THE STATE.
AND ACCORDING TO RECENT STATISTICS FROM THE TEXAS FILM COMMISSION, 189,000 JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED STATEWIDE JUST SINCE 2007.
NOW, WE'VE BEEN MAKING MOVIES IN TEXAS FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, BUT THOSE ARE THE STATS FROM JUST 2007.
AND LOCALLY, AUSTIN STUDIOS HAS CREATED THOSE 37,000 PLUS JOBS IN MAYOR TALKED ABOUT SINCE WE OPENED IN 2000.
SO ALL IN, WE'RE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT AUSTIN STUDIOS, AS OF OUR MOST RECENT REPORT, THE CITY JUST GOT, HAS HELPED GENERATE OVER $2.7 BILLION WITH
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A B IN ECONOMIC IMPACT.BUT YOU CANNOT CREATE THAT KIND OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, GROWTH AND IMPACT ALONE.
AND OUR STATE, LIKE OUR STATE, UH, THE SIZE OF TEXAS PRODUCTIONS, UH, INDUSTRY IS HUGE.
AND THE SEED OF THAT INDUSTRY, AGAIN, IS HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, MAKING AUSTIN THE PERFECT PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LAUNCH THEIR CREATIVE CAREERS.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU ALL COME IN AS POLICY MAKERS AND AS INVESTORS AND OUR INDUSTRY AND THE INDUSTRY LEADERS THAT ARE ALSO HERE, UM, WE WANT TO HAVE A THRIVING COMMUNITY.
AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE A FS ARE HERE TO PROVIDE A WELL-TRAINED TALENT POOL, BUT CONTINUED INVESTMENT AT THE GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL WILL HELP ENTICE EVEN LARGER PRODUCTIONS TO CONTINUE TO CALL AUSTIN HOME.
THE ROLE THE STATE HAS PLAYED SHOULD BE NOTED.
UM, IT'S BEEN A GAME CHANGER IN THE LAST SESSION, AN ALLOCATION OF $200 MILLION IN, IN PRODUCTION, INCENT INCENTIVES WENT FORWARD.
AND IT'S DRAWING BIGGER PRODUCTIONS AND PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE STAYING HERE LONGER TO OUR STATE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL 2025 SESSION, NOT TO OUR FILM COMMISSIONER BRIAN GANNON AND, UH, HEAD OF TEXAS, UH, MEDIA PROFESSIONALS ALLIANCE FRT, UH, POSTING FOR THAT WORK TOO, AS WELL AS THE STATE FILM COMMISSION.
SO THE INDUSTRY IS AT LARGE, IS A BIG PART OF THIS PROJECT IN HELPING TO CREATE THIS RELIABLE POOL OF LOCAL TALENT TO FILL ROLES AT STUDIOS LIKE OURS.
AND TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT AS MY ILLUSTRIOUS COLLEAGUE OR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION, RITA IRVIN, WHO'S PUT THIS INCREDIBLE PROGRAM TOGETHER.
SO TODAY IS A GREAT DAY IN THE CITY FOR THE FILM AND CREATIVE WORKFORCE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AT THE AWESOME FILM SOCIETY, AND I WANNA TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT HOW A FS CREATES ACCESS POINTS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO THE FILM AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY.
WE ALL KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR CREATIVES TO THRIVE IN A QUICKLY CHANGE.
INEXPENSIVE CITY CREATIVES NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET JOBS IN THEIR FIELD LOCALLY, AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES DEPEND ON THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, TRUSTING THAT THEY CAN FIND A SKILLED WORKFORCE IN OUR AREA.
SO, THANKS TO THE INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND A FS LAUNCHED A FS CREATIVE CAREERS IN THE FALL OF 2021 TO ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES.
SO THIS IS A PAID WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR AUSTINITES, INCLUDING EMERGING CREATIVES AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO GET A FOOT IN THE DOOR TO THE FILM AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES.
SO BUILDING A SKILLED AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE REQUIRES MEASURING OUR PROGRAM'S IMPACT, RIGHT? SO IN THREE YEARS, A FS CREATIVE CAREERS HAS SERVED MORE THAN 120 PARTICIPANTS.
EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVES APPROXIMATELY 150 HOURS OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE, HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.
AND OUR CURRICULUM INCLUDES COURSES LIKE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT TRAINING, WHICH PREPARES THE PARTICIPANTS FOR THAT ENTRY-LEVEL ROLE IN THE INDUSTRY.
AND THROUGH THE CREATIVE CAREERS PROGRAM, WE'VE REPORTED 120 OR MORE THAN 120 JOB PLACEMENTS.
SO SOME OF THEM ARE DISPLAYED HERE, AND OUR GRADUATES HAVE GONE ON TO WORK FOR A VARIETY OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL EMPLOYERS, INCLUDING TAYLOR SHERIDAN'S 1923 SERIES, TEXAS FILM COMMISSION, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, AND SO MANY DIFFERENT COMPANIES IN PRODUCTIONS.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S LIVING WAGE WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER $21 AN HOUR AS OF OCTOBER OF 2024, WHICH IS ABOUT 45,000 ANNUALLY.
ACCORDING TO THE US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THE MEDIAN PAY IN 2023 FOR VIDEO EDITORS AND CAMERA OPERATORS WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER 65,000 ANNUALLY.
SO THE INDUSTRY OFFERS JOBS THAT ARE ABOVE THE CITY'S LIVING WAGE THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC.
OUR LOCATION IN EAST AUSTIN, UH, A FS PROVIDES LOW TO NO COST TRAINING.
WE HAVE EQUIPMENT, FACILITIES, AND CONTENT DISTRIBUTION FOR AUSTIN AREA RESIDENTS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THEIR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS IN ALL PHASES OF MEDIA IN PRODUCTION.
SO THIS YEAR, MORE THAN A THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES, AND WE OFFERED A SERIES OF CLASSES AND EVERYTHING FROM ANIMATION TO WRITING, UM, DIRECTING, AND WE ARE DEDICATED TO NURTURING FILMMAKERS AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR ARTISTIC JOURNEY.
A F S'S ARTIST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS HAVE HELPED TEXAS FILMMAKERS BY PROVIDING CASH GRANTS AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND $2.7 MILLION IN GRANTS HAVE GONE TO MORE THAN 525 FILMMAKERS.
AND THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY IS A PLACE FOR MAKING CONNECTIONS AND FINDING UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES.
WE EMPOWER CREATIVES, GRADUATES OF OUR CREATIVE CAREERS PROGRAM, A FS SUPPORTED FILMMAKERS TO SHARE THEIR WORK WITH THEIR, UH, PEERS AND, UH, COLLABORATORS FOSTERING CONNECTION AND GROWTH, THE A FS CINEMA AND, UH, FILMMAKER SUPPORT PROGRAMS ALLOW THEM TO DO THIS.
SO, A FS SHOWS CLASSIC FILMS, INTERNATIONAL FILMS, AS WELL AS LOCAL MOVIES.
AND EACH YEAR WE WELCOME OVER 70,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS, AND WE HOST MORE THAN 50 VISITING ARTISTS AND GUESTS.
SO THIS INSPIRES CREATIVITY AND UNITES A VIBRANT
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COMMUNITY OF FILM AND MOVIE LOVERS, THOSE WHO ARE OF YOU ARE IN THE AUDIENCE ARE HERE TODAY.AND MOVIE MAKER MAGAZINE RELEASES AN ANNUAL LIST OF BEST CITIES FOR FILMMAKERS.
AND YOU WANNA WANNA GUESS WHERE WE RANK THIS YEAR ON THAT LIST? WE'RE NUMBER ONE
WE'RE IN THE TOP FIVE AT NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND AS OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE ANTICIPATE SERVING EVEN MORE ARTISTS, EMPOWERING MORE FOLKS, AND A FS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF AUSTIN'S SUCCESS AS A HUB FOR THE FILM AND TV INDUSTRY.
SO TO SPEAK ABOUT AUSTIN'S FILM INDUSTRY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE INDUSTRY ITSELF, PLEASE WELCOME ELIZABETH AVIAN, WHO PRODUCED THE HUGE SPY KIDS FRANCHISE.
WE JUST GROSSED OVER 550 MILLION WORLDWIDE, UM, AT THE BOX OFFICE AND WAS FILMED HERE IN AUSTIN AT TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR.
UM, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, HAVING BEEN STARTED MY CAREER HERE IN AUSTIN AND CONTINUE TO BE HERE IN AUSTIN AS A FILM PRODUCER WITH ROBERT RODRIGUEZ AND TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY.
AND CONTINUING, AGAIN, LIKE THEY WERE MENTIONING, THE CULTURE THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CITY THING A CITY CAN HAVE AND KEEP AND, AND BE INCLUSIVE IN THAT SYSTEM AS IT GROWS AND PROGRESSES.
AUSTIN HAS GROWN A LOT SINCE 1986 WHEN I MOVED HERE.
AND, UH, AND IT'S STILL LIKE, I LOVE THAT RICHARD LINKLATER HAS THE SAME, UH, ATTITUDE ABOUT IT.
THAT PROGRESS IS WHAT HAPPENS, BUT IT'S HOW WE GO ABOUT IT AND HOW WE MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE ARTS, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT LIVE HERE, THAT, UH, PARTICIPATE HERE AND ARE PART OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURE.
UM, I, UH, HE MENTIONED THAT, UH, MAYOR WATSON MENTIONED THE FACULTY, WHICH WAS SHOT AT THE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF.
IT WAS MY FIRST FILM THAT I PRODUCED HERE IN AUSTIN THAT WAS GREAT.
AND, UH, AND, UH, IT WAS REALLY TRULY, UH, AN AN AN AN EXPERIENCE THAT I WASN'T EXPECTING BECAUSE, UH, THE CREWS HERE, I HAD WORKED, DONE A COUPLE OF FILMS OTHER PLACES, BUT MEETING THE CREW HERE JUST WAS EYEOPENING BECAUSE THEY WERE SO EXPERIENCED.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WERE OPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE YOUNGER TO COME IN AND HELP.
AND THAT ALWAYS HELPS WITH TRAINING A CREW.
AND, UH, ROBERT AND I AT TROLLER STUDIOS, WE HAVE DEDICATED OURSELVES WHO HAS A FS AND AUSTIN STUDIOS TO EDUCATE THIS CREW AND TO BRING IN YOUNGER ONES TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY SO THEY CAN GROW WITHIN THE CREW AND GET TRAINED BY SOME OF THE BEST CREW MEMBERS.
AND, UH, MY, OUR CREWS HERE ARE UNBELIEVABLE.
AND, UH, I I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT GOING FOR ALL OF US AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I HAVE, UH, I'M A MOTHER OF SIX CHILDREN AND, UH, ALL OF THEM LOVE THE FILM BUSINESS, DIFFERENT AREAS, AND I JUST WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE JUST LIKE MANY OTHER PEOPLE'S FAMILIES WHO WANNA BE IN THIS BUSINESS AND THAT GRADUATE FROM UT OR OTHERWISE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS SUPPORTED, IS THE EDUCATION THROUGH, UH, PROGRAMS THAT A FS AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HAVE CREATED, AND AUSTIN STUDIOS.
UM, I FEEL THAT AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IN THE MAP IN A WAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FILMMAKING, BUT YOU NOW, MORE THAN EVER, BECAUSE OF PUBLICITY AND ALL THE FILMS THAT HAVE FILMED HERE, IT'S NOW A WORLD RENOWNED PEOPLE.
I, I SHOT IN SPAIN LAST YEAR, AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, I WANNA COME SHOOT IN AUSTIN.
I'M LIKE, COME ON DOWN,
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS A, A WONDERFUL THING FOR US, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE GROWING IT IN A VERY ORGANIC WAY BY EDUCATING PEOPLE AND BY, YOU KNOW, WE ALL GET OLDER, YOU KNOW, SO THE NEW GENERATION NEEDS TO COME IN, BUT NEEDS TO COME IN PREPARED AND WITH THE NEW TOOLS AND THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK.
UM, AND THEN FOR US, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THIS AREA IN TEXAS AND BE ABLE TO STAY HERE AND WORK HERE, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR ALL OF US.
UM, IT'S, IT WAS A GIFT TO US, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO STAY HOME AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO HOLLYWOOD.
WE MADE EL MARIACHI, WE DIDN'T ASK THEM FOR PERMISSION.
RICHARD LINKLATER DIDN'T ASK THEM TO DO SLACKER OR HELP THEM.
AND, UH, SO WHY WOULD WE GO OVER THERE TO, WE DIDN'T REALLY NEED THAT.
WE JUST NEED KNEW THAT WE COULD DO IT FROM HERE.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE PERSON THAT, UM, I'VE WATCHED GROW AND SHE'S DEAR AND LOVING TO HER HEART, AND THAT IS A WOMAN NAMED KIMBERLY LEBLANC.
I CALL HER MY SUNSHINE GIRL,
UH, SHE WAS AN INTERN AT A FS AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO KNOW HER.
AND SHE BECAME ROBERT RODRIGUEZ'S ASSISTANT AT TROLL MAKER STUDIOS IN 2006.
AND, UH, THEN SHE WENT AND WORKED AT THE TEXAS FILM COMMISSION, UH, AND NOW SHE IS KNOWN AS A SAN ANTONIO FILM COMMISSIONER.
AND I'M SO PROUD OF HER
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DOING HER JOB INCREDIBLY WELL OVER THERE.AND SHE'S A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I FEEL LIKE BY HER BEING IN SAN ANTONIO HAS KIND OF BLENDED US ALL EVEN MORE TO WHERE WE ARE REALLY A BIGGER COMMUNITY IN A LOT OF WAYS.
UM, AND WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER.
AND LIKE, THAT'S THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE TEXAS ATTITUDE AND THE AUSTIN ATTITUDE IS HELP EACH OTHER GROW TOGETHER.
UM, SO, UM, I JUST, UH, FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, SO MANY, I SEE KIDS, SO MANY OF THEM COME UP TO ME AND WANNA BE IN THE FILM BUSINESS, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, AND I JUST, I, AND NOW REALLY TRULY CAN POINT TO PROVEN WAYS TO TRAIN THEM.
AND, UH, AND I'M THANKFUL TO THE CITY FOR HAVING PROVIDED SO MANY GRANTS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY COUNCIL THAT HERE.
AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE NEXT PERSON THAT I'M GONNA INVITE YOU TO COME UP, ZOE CADRY, OUR CITY COUNCILMAN FROM DISTRICT NINE.
ISN'T OUR MOCO DISTRICT NINE? GREAT.
UM, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
UH, MY NAME IS COUNCILMAN RARI.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED SPY KIDS, UH, AND I, I GOT TO EARLIER, EARLIER THIS YEAR, GOT TO, UH, PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO ROBERT RODRIGUEZ.
SO ANY, ANYTIME I HEAR THE WORD SPY KIDS OR KNOW ANYONE WHO'S ASSOCIATED WITH SPY KIDS, THE UH, CHILD IN ME JUST BECOMES ALIVE.
AND, AND I I THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT
UM, 22 YEARS AGO, RICHARD FLORIDA HIGHLIGHTED AUSTIN IN HIS BOOK, THE RISE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS AS A PLACE FOR THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE TO, TO THRIVE DISTRICT NINE, UH, WHICH I AM PROUD TO REPRESENT, INCLUDE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY'S AUSTIN STUDIOS, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN A HUB FOR THE CREATIVE CLASS FOR JUST AS LONG AS THE BOOK HAS BEEN IN PRINT.
IT BRINGS ME A LOT OF HAPPINESS WHEN EVERY TIME A MAJOR EMPLOYER IS MOVING TO OUR CITY, WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL IT IS BEING WELCOMED TO OUR CREATIVE CULTURE AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES.
OUR WORKING FILMMAKERS AND CREW ARE PART OF THE REASON SO MANY GREAT FILMS ARE MADE HERE.
THEY'RE THE HEARTBEAT OF OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THEM TODAY.
THE PROFESSIONS, UH, THAT MADE THEM THROUGH THE A FS CREATIVE CAREERS HELPED TO CONNECT THE BEST PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PEOPLE, AND OUR IDEAS.
I KEPT IT VERY SHORT AND SWEET.
LET ME, LET ME INTRODUCE THE OTHER TWO.
THANK, LET'S, THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER MADISON, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CHITO VELA.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? I'D LOVE TO COME ON.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO SORT OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT WAS SAID HERE AND BRING IT BACK TO POLICY, UH, POLITICS.
AM I RIGHT,
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU MADE MENTION OF CULTURE AND OF ATTRACTING THE CREATIVE CLASS.
AND SO I'D LIKE EVERYBODY TO JUST NEVER FORGET, ATTRACTING THE CREATIVE CLASS IS ONLY PART OF THE EQUATION.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
UM, SO WE BRING THAT RIGHT BACK TO OUR COMMITMENT TO HOUSING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, I DID HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY HAVE PUT SOME EMPHASIS ON HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR IS OUR WORKFORCE.
UM, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE SAY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PEOPLE ARE IMAGINING, UM, UH, I THINK PEOPLE ARE IMAGINING SORT OF ASSEMBLY LINE JOBS, RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE CRITICAL, IMPORTANT JOBS.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS UNSKILLED LABOR, BY THE WAY.
AND SO THAT, TO SAY, THOUGH, WE GOTTA THINK BIGGER, WE HAVE TO THINK BROADER.
AND ALL WORKFORCE IS CRITICAL.
AND SO BY POLICY ISSUES THAT I FOCUS ON, I CALL 'EM MY HIMS, THEIR HOUSING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND MOBILITY.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, HOW THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY, AND HOW THEY GET TO WHERE THEY GOTTA GO.
SO WHEN WE'RE ATTRACTING THAT CREATIVE CLASS AND BRINGING THOSE FOLKS TO THIS AWESOME CITY, UM, THAT'S A, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE TO, TO MAKE SOME MONEY AND A WAY TO LIVE COMFORTABLY AND HAVE A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE AND A WAY TO GET AROUND.
UM, SO THAT SAID, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
I'M COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER MADISON.
I AM HONORED TO JOIN MAYOR WATSON, COUNCIL MEMBERS VELA AND KADRI, UM, AND THE FOLKS WITH THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY.
AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR EAST AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
I'M SUPER PROUD THAT OUR DISTRICT IS HOME TO AUSTIN PUBLIC, A 51-YEAR-OLD PUBLIC ACCESS TV AND HUB, UM, PUBLIC ACCESS AND HUB FOR EMPOWERING CREATIVES.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN MY EARLY DAYS TO TOUR THE FACILITY, AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY AT ALL THE OFFERINGS, GREEN ROOMS AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE, AND ROOMS FULL OF EQUIPMENT.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY SORT OF FORGET HOW MUCH GOES INTO THE PRODUCTION FROM A VIDEO PRODUCTION PERSPECTIVE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GAVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE FOLKS BEHIND THE CAMERA.
UM, 'CAUSE IN SO MANY INSTANCES, THAT'S WHERE THE HARD WORK IS COMING IN.
I THINK WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THAT
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WE SEE THROUGH THE SCREEN.SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING THEM A SHOUT OUT.
AND THOSE FOLKS ARE, ARE ESSENTIAL, UH, TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE VIDEOS THAT WE, UM, CONSUME AND LOVE.
UM, AUSTIN'S ART, MUSIC AND ARTS FILMS AND FILM SECTOR ARE VITAL AS A PART OF OUR CULTURE AND AS A PART OF OUR ECONOMIC FOUNDATION PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO TRAINING AND FUNDING.
I'M SO STOKED TO HEAR ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY PAY PEOPLE TO, TO DO THE WORK.
YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WE THINK ABOUT TRAINING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GETTING READY FOR THE JOB, BUT IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO GET READY FOR THE JOB AND NOT GET PAID WHILE YOU DO IT.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY, I, I LOVE TO HEAR THAT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE A FS AND SPACES LIKE AUSTIN PUBLIC REFLECT AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY'S VISION.
AND THOSE VISIONS INCLUDE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND A MORE EQUITABLE ARTS ECOSYSTEM.
AND I SAY ECOSYSTEM WITH EMPHASIS BECAUSE IT TAKES ALL OF THE PARTS FOR IT TO FUNCTION.
AND SO MY ROLE IN KEEPING TO PUSH FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT ARTISTS AND THAT SUPPORT THE ARTS, INCLUDING CREATIVE SPACES, WE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT AS WE ARE A GROWING DEVELOPING CITY, WE HAVE TO BE ENTIRELY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE PLACES AND SPACES THAT MAKE AUSTIN SPECIAL.
WE'RE NUMBER FOUR NOW, BUT WE'RE HEADED TO NUMBER ONE
UM, AND WE CAN ONLY DO THAT IF WE'RE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR EFFORTS WITH HOW WE GROW AND EVOLVE, AS YOU KNOW, A MAJOR METRO.
UH, WE'RE NOT BABY AUSTIN ANYMORE.
WE GOT OUR BIG BOY AND GIRL CLOTHES ON, AND WE'RE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE TOP, UM, SORRY, SAN JOSE.
WE BEAT THEM OUT FOR SPOT NUMBER 10 AS THE 10TH LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION.
UM, AND WE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT.
I'LL CLOSE WITH SAYING THANK YOU TO AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY FOR REALLY SETTING THE STANDARD FOR EVERYONE AND FOR CHAMPIONING, UM, REAL COMPREHENSIVE, UH, SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU TODAY.
COUNCIL MAYOR BAILEY, YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? NO, JUST THAT, THAT, UH, LOVE MOVIES AND, UH, LOVE, UH, THE AUSTIN, UH, FILM SOCIETY.
AND, AND HONESTLY, WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M NOT POLITICKING OR READING OR RESEARCHING, UH, THE, MY BEST WAY TO DECOMPRESS IS REALLY TO, UH, SIT DOWN AND WATCH A MOVIE.
SO I THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND THE BEAUTIFUL ART THAT Y'ALL PRODUCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON CAN COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY.
SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY SPECIAL THAT THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY HAS PUT OUT THIS CREATIVE WORKFORCE REPORT FOR 2024.
IT, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD, SO, UH, I'M PLEASED THAT, UH, YOU'RE HERE AND IF ANYBODY'S GOT SOME QUESTIONS, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO IF AUSTIN IS NUMBER FOUR, WHO'S NUMBER ONE? OH YEAH.
WHO'S NUMBER ONE? I DON'T REMEMBER.
IF WE, IF WE AIN'T NUMBER ONE, THERE'S NO REASON TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I THINK IT'S A CITY IN CANADA, MAYBE.
UM, SOMEBODY ASK SOME WE ANSWER.
SO, SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE IMPORTANT TO HAVE RIGHT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, AND THE WORK THAT THAT GOES ON.
WELL, LOOK, UM, I'M, I'M GONNA COME AT THAT FROM TWO DIFFERENT ANGLES, THEN I'LL, I'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE, UH, IF THEY WANNA SAY SOMETHING, BUT FROM TWO DIFFERENT PLACES.
ONE IS, UM, AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NUMBER ONE MOD, THE NUMBER ONE BUMPER STICKER IN THE NUMBER ONE T-SHIRT IN AUSTIN, UH, IS AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW AND HAS BEEN FOR DECADES, KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.
WHAT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THAT MEANT, OR WHAT IT'S ALWAYS MEANT TO ME IS KEEP AUSTIN OPEN TO NEW THINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME YOU HEAR SOMETHING, YOU HEAR THAT IDEA FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOUR REACTION MIGHT BE, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF WEIRD.
BUT IT ENDS UP BEING SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.
IN FACT, IT'S KIND OF THE BASIS OR THE FOUNDATION OF CREATIVITY.
THE FIRST TIME SOMEBODY HAS THAT IDEA, HAS THAT THOUGHT, HAS THAT CREATIVE MOMENT.
UM, MANY PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WELL, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WEIRD.
UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS EMBRACED, IS THAT CREATIVE VIBE, THAT WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO THAT NEW IDEA, UH, TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO LIKE, IT, IT MAY NOT BE YOUR TASTE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE MOVIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THAT, THAT, I WON'T NAME ANY OF 'EM, BUT THERE'VE BEEN MOVIES THAT, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE AREA THAT I DIDN'T CONSIDER THAT TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
BUT IT'S THE SAME CREATIVE ENERGY.
SO HOW DO WE KEEP AUSTIN AUSTIN? WELL, ONE OF THE WAYS WE KEEP AUSTIN, AUSTIN IS BY MAKING SURE THAT THAT CREATIVE VIBE HAS A PLACE TO FLOURISH.
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TRY SOMETHING NEW BECAUSE IT MAY NEED BE THE NEXT THING.WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? WHAT'S THAT?
SO HOW, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? I WANT AUSTIN TO STAY AUSTIN, AND SO I WANNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AND THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS DO.
WE WANNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN SO THAT THAT CREATIVE ENERGY STAYS HERE.
AND BY THE WAY, LET ME SAY ONE OTHER THING.
IT MAY NOT BE THAT THE, IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME CREATIVITY, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A, YOU'VE GOT CREATIVE PEOPLE, THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE DOING THINGS LIKE FILM, YOU'VE PROBABLY, IF YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT, YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT PEOPLE DOING THINGS LIKE MUSIC.
SO THAT'S A LONG ANSWER, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE TO IT IS, I WANT AUSTIN TO STAY AUSTIN.
AND AUSTIN'S ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE THAT EMBRACED THAT CREATIVITY.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE AUSTIN'S ABILITY TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR, UM, FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH WORKFORCE? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STUDIO SPACE? KIND OF, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS AUSTIN'S ABILITY TO MEET DEMAND FOR
SO AS YOU LISTEN TO THIS ANSWER ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING, AND, AND OF COURSE YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF TALKING, AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, SOME OF THIS REPORT IS ABOUT, RIGHT? IS TELLING YOU WHAT'S GOING ON WITH REGARD TO CAREERS IN THIS AREA AND THE KIND OF TRAINING AND, AND, AND WORK THAT GOES INTO, AND YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THAT TOO, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH WORKFORCE.
UM, AND MY, AND PART OF MY ANSWER TO THAT WILL BE WE, THAT AUSTIN, THIS COUNCIL, I'M, I'M, LET ME TALK ABOUT THIS COUNCIL FOR A SECOND.
THIS COUNCIL HAS, HAS GONE THE EXTRA MILE WORKING AS A TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM ISN'T JUST ABOUT ATTRACTING JOBS.
IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE FROM CALIFORNIA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO DO THE JOBS.
THIS COUNCIL'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL HAS BEEN HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE IN AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE JOBS THAT ARE BEING CREATED AND GROWING THOSE INDUSTRIES LIKE THE FILM INDUSTRY.
AND A BIG PART OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MADISON JUST TALKED ABOUT IT.
UH, SHE MADE A SUGGESTION ABOUT IT WHEN SHE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKE HOUSING.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS CITY.
HOUSING'S ONE ASPECT OF THAT, ANOTHER ASPECT OF IT IS GETTING THEM ENOUGH COIN IN THEIR POCKET.
AND PART OF THE WAY YOU GET COINED IN THEIR POCKET IS YOU HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY THAT HELP NURTURE THAT INDUSTRY AND GROW THAT INDUSTRY.
AND AS YOU HEARD THE NUMBERS THAT WERE BEING TALKED ABOUT, UH, IT'S REAL PAYING JOBS.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, I'LL, I'LL HAVE HER ANSWER, BUT YOU'VE GOT A COMMITMENT FROM, UH, THIS MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THE THINGS IN ORDER TO, TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE INDUSTRY AND HAVE THE KIND OF WORKFORCE.
MARTY, WHERE DO YOU DO IT? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UH, TO YOUR QUESTION, I KNOW THE NEWSROOM LOVES TO SHOW STORIES ABOUT UPCOMING STUDIOS, BUT I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, THERE'VE BEEN THREE STUDIO COMPLEXES HERE, AND THE THREE OF US REPRESENT OVER A DOZEN SOUND STAGES AND OVER A HALF MILLION SQUARE FEET OF PRODUCTION SPACE.
SO BETWEEN AUSTIN STUDIOS TROUBLEMAKER AND A TX, WE'VE BEEN THE HOME OF A LOT OF SHOWS AND A LOT OF PRODUCTION.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND WE ARE A, UM, WE CALL SOMETHING THAT WE DO IN THE STATE, THE TEXT FACTOR.
NOW, THE TEXAS FACTOR, BEYOND THE SPREADSHEETS AND THE COLUMNS AND THE, YOU KNOW, COMPARISON CHARTS.
THERE'S THAT CERTAIN PIECE OF FILMING IN AUSTIN THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL AND AMAZING.
THE COOPERATION THAT ELIZABETH TALKED ABOUT, THE WELL-TRAINED STAFF THAT AKITA TALKED ABOUT, THE PROGRAMS THAT A FS HAS LAUNCHED AND ALL OF THAT INTERWOVEN TOGETHER MAKES US AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, POUND FOR POUND, IF YOU TAKE SOME OF THOSE ESOTERIC THINGS, YOU KNOW, MONEY CAN BE A LITTLE ESOTERIC OFF THE TABLE.
AUSTIN AND, AND, AND TEXAS IN GENERAL IS A, A POUND FOR POUND HEAVYWEIGHT.
I MEAN, WE ARE REALLY ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACES IN THE WORLD TO SHOOT.
[00:35:01]
YEAH.HOW ABOUT ONE MORE QUESTION? ANYBODY GOT ONE? YES, SIR.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, STATE LEVEL INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH DONNA HOWARD IS CURRENTLY GOING REBATE ON INCENTIVE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION OVER THE YEARS BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER THE CITY SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN THE INCENTIVE GAME JUST BECAUSE THE STATE LEVEL INCENTIVES HAVE BEEN SO VOLATILE AND ARE EXPENSIVE TO APPLY FOR, UH, FOR SMALLER PRODUCTION.
SO I WAS WONDERING WHETHER WE MIGHT SEE AT LEAST SOME DISCUSSION UNDER THE CURRENT COUNCIL OF WHETHER THE CITY WANTS TO GET INTO THE INCENTIVE.
WELL, THE CITY DID PROVIDE SOME INCENTIVE, UH, JUST VERY RECENTLY FOR, UH, 1923.
UM, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON THAT 1923 ENDED UP SHOOTING HERE.
SO, UH, THE CITY, I GUESS THAT THAT IS, THAT IS THE ANSWER.
THE ANSWER IS THE CITY WILL, I THINK, CONSIDER THAT INAPPROPRIATE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, WHEN YOU'RE BALANCING ALL THE BUDGET AND DOING ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE HAVE TO TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT I MEAN, THE PROOF'S IN THE PUDDING, AS THEY SAY, AND, AND THE FACT THAT WE DID IT WITH 1923 INDICATES THAT WE'RE OPEN TO THAT AND WALKER AS WELL.
UM, SHOULD, I DON'T KNOW WHY I FORGOT THAT, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE
I'M GONNA LET YOU, DO YOU WANNA CLOSE IN ANY WAY? UM, I COULD PLEASE.
UM, I DID WANT, I DID LIKE THAT QUESTION ABOUT WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EVENT LIKE THIS, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE CITY LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, UM, TO NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT IT IS WE'VE GOT.
AND THEN I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SET A BASELINE AND QUANTIFY AND SET GOALS.
AND I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE, UM, REALLY MODEST BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY INCLUDE THE INDUCED SPEND.
AND, UM, SO, SO THE GETTING MORE BASELINE DATA IS, UM, IS ONE OF THE AGENDAS THAT WE HAVE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, SET THE GOALS THAT WE CAN THEN, RIGHT.
YOU GOTTA SET A GOAL IN ORDER TO WIN.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS ALL I WANTED TO SAY AND, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL BEING HERE.
HAVE Y'ALL HERE AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE OUR CITY, CITY LEADERS.