Texas Film Incentives and YOU

This is Billy

Billy loves film and wants to make one someday.

Recently Billy inherited 250,000 dollars from his grandfather who died of, “Getting hit by a Bus disease” A very serious illness.

But it’s okay because Billy is rich now.

Thanks Grandpa

Now that Billy has all this money and wants to make a film what are his options?

Well Billy, welcome to the exciting world of Texas Film Incentives or Bill HB 873.

Thanks to a new bill that was passed by the Texas legislator you can receive a certain percentage of your total qualified in-state spending back to you, but it still won’t bring grandpa back from the dead.

But that’s okay you still have his money to remember him by.

As a person who came across 250 grand and in no way was involved with the pushing of said grandfather into a bus, you meet the minimum first tier of requirements for incentives.

What are the other tiers you ask?

Good question Billy, the break down looks like this

Total qualified in-state Option A Option B

spending (% of spending) (% of wages)

$250,000 – $1 million 5% 8%

$ 1 million – $5 million 10% 17%

More than $5 million 15% 25%

Underutilized area* 2.5% 4.25%

*Additional Payment if 25% of the production is completed in an underutilized area or economically distressed area.

Now I know that 5 million or more tier does look tempting and Grandma Weiss has been feeling a bit under the weather, but let’s stay focused okay Billy.

What kind of project will you make with your 250 grand? Because as you may not be aware of, there are many more options then film.

Caligula 2, Donald Sutherland twice as nude.

NO Billy porn doesn’t qualify for the incentives

But here are some projects that do

• Film and TV: Feature films, documentaries, TV series, episodes, movies, and other TV programming.
• Commerical Projects: commericals, infomercials, and music, instructional, and educational videos.
• Video games: computer, console, arcade, and Web-based games
• Postproduction/Finishing: For film, television and commericals

You might be asking youself “Hey what are the differences between % of spending and % of wages, and if it’s a mixed media project who do they determine the difference between the two tiers? And what happens if Texas runs out of funds for the program? And…”

All very good questions for an “innocent” homicidal young film maker.

Well Billy you can find out more infomation on Texas film incentives at

http://http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/issue/story?oid=oid%3A901642

and

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/film/incentives/miip

Now you’re on your way to making wonderful films that would give Rob Zombie nightmares.

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