The Art of Film Funding
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The Art of Film Funding
Is Texas the New Hollywood? How Smart Producers Are Rethinking Where They Film
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Danielle Guilbot is an Austin-based actress and film-tech entrepreneur. She is the founder of TexasFilmScene.com: the Texas Movie Operating System. TFS is a clearinghouse connecting producers, crews, and talent with everything they need to bring productions to Texas — from firsthand producer insights and crew resources to a full breakdown of the state's film incentive programs.
What if one of the smartest things you could do to make and fund your film is simply choosing the right place to shoot it?
SPEAKER_00Hi, I'm Claire Papan, co-host of the podcast here with Carol Dean, president of From the Heart Productions and author of the Art of Film Funding Alternative Financing Concepts 2nd edition. Thank you so much for joining us today. We're excited to have you here because this episode is going to open your eyes to new possibilities, not just for funding your film, but for where and how you produce it. Today we're speaking with Danielle Gilbo, an Austin-based actress and film tech entrepreneur. Danielle is also the founder of TexasfilmScene.com, what she calls the Texas Movie Operating System, a platform designed to connect producers, crews, and talent with everything they need to successfully bring productions to Texas. Her work sits at the intersection of real production experience and industry, innovation with a mission to help make Texas the new Hollywood. Danielle is an Austin-based actress and film tech entrepreneur with credits spanning Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 and a half, A Space Age Childhood on Netflix, and Young Jedi Adventures on Disney Plus. She's the founder of TexasfilmScene.com, the Texas Movie Operating System. TFS is a clearinghouse connecting producers, crews, and talent with everything they need to bring productions to Texas, from firsthand producer insights and crew resources to a full breakdown of the state's film incentive programs. Her work sits at the intersection of on-screen experience and behind-the-scenes industry building with a mission to make Texas the new Hollywood. And Carol, you and I are both Texans, and I live in Houston, and you were born in Dallas, so this conversation is going to be a lot of fun for us.
SPEAKER_02It is, Claire. And that's why we're so happy to have you, Danielle. Welcome. What you're doing is exciting because you're not just participating in the industry, you're helping reshape it. And for filmmakers looking to fund and produce their own work, this kind of resource can be game-changing. So let's dive in, okay? Sure. I'm excited. Thank you for having me. All right. Well, you've acted in major productions like Apollo 10 and a half and Young Jedi Adventures. So what did working on those sets teach you about what producers actually need, and how did that shape the idea for Texasfilmcene.com?
SPEAKER_01Sure. Yeah, well, having those opportunities to be on these huge sets starting at age 13, that's sort of when I got into film and television, they really taught me that producers are the business side of show business, and actors like myself, hair and makeup, art department, other roles in the movie making process are more the show, the creative artistic side. And it doesn't mean that these roles can't overlap, but I really learned, for example, on Apolloton and a half from one of the main producers, Mike Blizzard, on I learned how their process works for movie making. And so one of the things that he was tasked with on this movie was creating a historically accurate scene from the 1960s. And so we were, I was acting in a scene where we were in a living room, 1960s, Houston actually, and Mike Blizzard was tasked with figuring out what movie or TV show would have been on the TV at the time of us watching that. So based on the day, the year, it was insane. And so he did all of this technical research, he figured all of this information out, and it made our production so much better. But there was a business side to it. And then there were the producers who also had to figure out where are we going to film? What permits are we going to be able to pull? How are we going to actually create, for example, on Apolitan and a half, a production that is on a green screen within this huge airplane hangar and troublemaker studios where they shot Spy Kids and Shark Boy and Lava Girl. And so there were a lot of, there's a lot of technicality to being a producer from what I've experienced and what I've heard. And there's a whole business side to it. And so I realized they're the ones actually making the movie. And so I wanted to create a tool that helped producers make movies easier and make their lives easier, make the film commission's lives easier, so that eventually, as I'm a Texan, born and raised in Austin, Texas, we can make Texas the new Hollywood. And I hope that Texas Film Scene, the Texas movie operating system I've created, I hope that that will be able to contribute in a major way.
SPEAKER_02So tell us about the TexasfilmScene.com. What gap in the indie film world inspired you to build it? And so who's really designing it to serve?
SPEAKER_01Sure. So it's my tools for indie productions and larger budget productions as well. And so Texas Film Scene is the Texas movie operating system that we built specifically to fix bigger pain points that producers face when trying to film in Texas, especially now that the government is has created the SB22 film incentives,$1.5 billion they're giving to these productions. And so I was figuring out how can, after talking to dozens of producers, how can I fix this gap that I noticed? And the gap that jumped out at me was how much money is being lost on each production, literally tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per project. I think on average it's$50,000 to$500,000 per production, or that like it gets leaked, it gets left on the table because of fragmented tools, outdated location data, crew availability, chaos, et cetera, et cetera. And so producers have told me that they were spending a fortune on consultants just to figure out if a project even qualified for these film incentives. And I just kind of realized, okay, I think the main people I'm trying to serve are film producers. And I'm also adding in, I'm starting to meet with people from the various Texas Film Commissions. I'm adding in them as the other side of the market for my product.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you've been researching and collecting producer insights for the platform. So what are the top reasons producers give for choosing to shoot in Texas?
SPEAKER_01Sure. I would say the top reasons that they give for choosing Texas sort of boil down to a combination of the financial upside as well as the diverse locations and the growing crew base. So, I mean, first and foremost, Texas has now committed to providing$1.5 billion over the next decade through these SB22 financial film incentives. And producers are able to actually stack these base rebates they're allowed with these other um available rebates. And so now I think your production can get up to 45% money back as far as the film rebates. And this is for if you're filming in multiple different cities like San Antonio or Austin or a rural area, and you stack all these different base incentives. So, for example, I think for filming in a rural location, you can get a 2.5% bump. And I think for hiring crew, it's another 2.5% bump, or a faith-based production is a 2.5% bump. And so all of these financial incentives to come film here are really leading people from Georgia and California and sometimes like Oklahoma and New Mexico. They're like leading these people all to Texas. Plus, Texas doesn't have any state income tax. So if you have people living in the state for a long time, that can also help cut down on cost. And then I would say the other reason we have many diverse locations in Texas. So I think most people, even within the United States, can see Texas as a tumbleweed land with horses that you ride to school. And it's not, it can be that, but it's not quite that. And so we have borderlands, we have prairies, we have big cities, and then we also have like swamps and caves and beaches and deserts, and we just have such a variety and range of places you could film, and we have so much space for productions to film. I mean, we have, you know, people like Taylor Sheridan who are spending millions of dollars in Texas on their productions per production. And I think that that's another factor that is really leading people to Texas. And then also we've had since the 2000s, we had crew members kind of go where there was other work because Texas had lost its incentives for a while. And now that Texas is really welcoming filmmakers again, we have a growing crew base. And so now you have not just the actors and the producers and the writers, but you also have this huge pool of crew members that you're able to take in to account for your production. And I actually have that where you can track it on my site, TFS. So you can actually see crew availability where there might be crew shortages based on uh region, basically.
SPEAKER_02You know, I'm so glad you brought up Taylor Sheridan because he's been my favorite writer director for years when he did um Come Hell or High Water. That is one of my favorite films. That's a good one. I was so upset because that's a Texas story. Perfect. It's um the story is about getting a Texas Ranger on your tail when they birdongs, you know, they always get their man. That's that we we we've all grown up knowing. If a Texas Ranger thinks you did it, you're in trouble. You're they're gonna catch you.
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02And film on that, which have you seen it?
SPEAKER_01Heller come Heller High Water? Yes. I've seen my my dad has seen it and I've seen clips of it from him, but that's one of the ones I have on my list to watch because I've heard it's phenomenal.
SPEAKER_02You will love it. You will love it because it's all over Texas. They're up in the mountains, they're in a country town. Uh, it does show uh the width uh of the various locations, lots to choose from. But Taylor uh helped bring uh this money to Texas, I'm sure he was part of the decision making. And I saw a trailer that they made that had Billy Bob Thornton and five, like five movie stars who came from Texas as talking about Texas, how important it is to have a good uh discount or rebate for shooting in Texas. I think all of that together is what created this massive uh billion-dollar fund for films, right?
SPEAKER_01Right. And also, I've just talked recently with a longtime Texan, but also Hollywood producer and actor named Todd Allen, and wonderful guy, and he's very well connected in California, but he has so many stories that he wants to tell that are real stories from Texas. And now that all of these film incentives are really happening and the Texas film scene is booming, he was talking to me about my product to see if we could partner in some way so he can help make these productions really happen in Texas where the stories were told. And now that's not to say that if you're not from Texas, you cannot use Texas film scene or you cannot even come and film in the state. Like we want people to come and film here and bring their work here, especially if you have true tech true to wow, true to Texas stories. But even if if not, if you just want to utilize our great hospitality and our locations and our incentives, like come on over. You know, we want we want Texas to become the new Hollywood.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. That's great. So walk us through the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. What should indie filmmakers and producers know about qualifying and how significant can the savings be?
SPEAKER_01Sure. And I'm not the most expert in this. However, I have recently talked to the Film Incentives Coordinator at the state government of Texas. So I have some information from her, but basically the Texas Movie Image Industry Incentive Program is a cash rebate, not a tax credit, and it reimburses a percentage of qualified in-state spending for like film, TV, commercials, animation, and even video games, I believe. So to qualify, what I know of is that projects need at least$250,000 in Texas spend. And then the base rebate tiers are 5% on in-state spend between$250,000 and 1 million, and then I think it's 10% between 1 million and 1.5 million, and 25% on 1.5 million and above. And then those are the base rebates. So then on top of that, there are several additional grant programs I kind of referred to earlier, and those can add up to another 6%. And so examples include yeah, 2.5% for rural productions. And now rural isn't based on how the area looks, if they're tumbleweeds, it's actually you have to be filming in a designated area with fewer than 300,000 residents. And then, yeah, it's 2.5% bump if you hire more than 5% Texas veterans, and there are other bonuses as well, of course. And then, and on TFS, you can actually scenario model and you can put in your project, your movie, your TV show, and you can put in your budget as well. That's a new feature we've added after some feedback we got from other producers. But you can go in and you can model your scenario, figure out if you can actually increase the amount of film incentives you get back. And so we have stackable incentives on there as well as the base rate, just like I'm talking about here. And then some key qualifications that producers must know is that at least 35% of paid crew and then 35% of paid caste, including extras, not just the main slate of people, they must be Texas residents. And this percentage will, I think, phase up gradually over the next few years, but for now that's um that's the number. And then I think at least 60% of total production must be completed in Texas, which actually is not a lot. Like these are these are some pretty easy bars to pass, it would seem. And so that's part of why, again, I really want to help make sure people can film here because the government is really inviting filmmakers to come make movies. And then for indie filmmakers, I think a$300,000 indie project might be able to get like 5% plus possible uplifts, and then you know, a$2 million project, which is much larger, could get 25% as the base tier plus plus extras. And so they could easily see, you know,$500,000 back in rebates. And this money will often make the difference between green lighting a project or not. And so the best advice that I've heard from producers is to model scenarios early. So before you lock in your budget and make sure you use compliance tools so that you don't lose the rebate on paperwork. That's exactly what I've built on TFS. And then this program is producer-friendly once you navigate it and it's clearer. So that's part of why, again, we've we've been told we want to make the math of this process very clear, because right now there are a lot of different, there are a lot of different, I guess, paths being told for how you can actually get to the end goal of receiving these incentives. And so if you don't know how to get there, that's just all gonna compound into this crazy film where you don't even know where you can get incentives and where you can't.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I think uh hiring 35% of people in Texas is really smart if it's a Texas story, because I watched Taylor Sheridan, everything he makes. I am a true fan. I know you can tell when he's got somebody off of a ranch somewhere, brings them on and puts them on camera, they fit, you know, the shoemakers and he's put in people who specialize in certain things um for horses, when they're shooing horses or when they are buying cattle or whatever, and you see these old guys out there talking, and you know they're doing it, they are the true thing. I think it'd be uh very easy to find and cast uh the best people for your film in Texas.
SPEAKER_01I agree, yeah, especially if it's again like an authentic Texas story.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Well, um, so your site acts as a public clearing house. You are connecting talent, crews, and productions. Now, how does that work in practice? Can a producer come to TexasfilmScene.com and actually find the crew they need for their project?
SPEAKER_01Yes, producers can absolutely come to texasfilmcene.com and find the crew they need. We have a directory right now that actually has crew vendors and producers as the main highlights. And so this basically functions as a public clearinghouse by giving everyone visibility into the Texas production ecosystem and being able to see all these different people in our directory. And so that's basically how it acts as a public clearinghouse.
SPEAKER_02Okay. See, there's this perception that you have to shoot in LA or New York to be taken seriously, but what you've uh uncovered building this platform really uh shows that the uh the data and the producer feedback is actually saying, right? Tell us what the data and the producer feedback says.
SPEAKER_01Sure. So some of the feedback I've collected while building this platform, and this has even changed and shifted a little bit over the past few few months, even, but the it is a myth that you have to shoot in LA or New York. I mean, even places like Georgia and New Mexico and Louisiana and Texas have been over the past, I would say, decade, couple decades, really attracting film as well. So it's definitely not just that the hotspots are only LA and New York. And also producers are kind of voting with their budgets. So Texas has currently, I think, 116 projects that I know of that are filming or scheduled to film soon. And they're leaving, I would say, an average of like 50,000 to 500,000 again and incentives on the table per project. And so it just kind of depends, you know, if you can get that type of money back in Texas, if you if you can get these rebates from the Texas government and you're really invited to shoot in Texas, then you don't you certainly don't have to shoot in Los Angeles or New York or even Georgia or any other state. So it's definitely it's definitely shifted, especially now that places like Texas have this huge growing crew base, like we said, or a variety of locations. Also, people I've talked to like Adam Swordlow and Zach Levi who are building Wildwood studios out here in Texas. And you know, they're they're just all these different people who are creating these not just impromptu um, I guess, filming locations, but they're actually creating studios to be built here and used over time for productions, and they're quite cool. I know over in December I had seen a production that was filmed at Stray Vista Studios, which is one of the LED Wall studios, and it was really cool to see. And I was like, wow, this is huge, and it's really helping production, and it's here in the state of Texas. So definitely, definitely that's a myth that's not quite true anymore.
SPEAKER_02Well, tell me where is Wildwood Studios? What city?
SPEAKER_01Sure. Um, so Wildwood Studios is in, and this is again Zach Levi and Adam Swordlow. It's in Bastrop, Texas.
SPEAKER_02Yes, Bastrop, Bright. That's a sweet community over there by Austin, right? Yes, it is. Yeah. Now I heard about that studio, so it sounds terrific. Um okay, so what do producers tell you surprises them the most in a good way? Once they actually get to Texas and they start production, what is it they love?
SPEAKER_01I would say, well, I would say besides realizing that they can stack these incentives, these film incentives, and get more out of their production than they thought, they've also really appreciated the growing crew base, the actors that are here. And like you said, for Taylor Sheridan's productions, like you can you can pull someone who's a veteran or a country boy and and add them to the production. And I feel like everyone in Texas is just so welcoming in general, and there's that southern hospitality we have here, and everyone is a team player, and so yeah, you can pull these people into productions and they'll all have a blast, and it really adds a uniqueness and a and a really great quality to these different productions. And then I would say also people are surprised that in Texas, you know, we're on the coastline, so technically we do have beaches and we also have a cave system and swamps, which I think is wild because I I think I forget that sometimes myself, since I've mostly been in Austin, but we just we have such surprises that await people whenever they go and travel. So, and Texas is so much bigger than people realize as well, which is great for filming because you have far more space to film and you have far more people you get to meet.
SPEAKER_02And you have um a lot of money coming in there with Taylor Sheridan because he was he's been given a giant budget. Uh I I think that his contract with Paramount was running out and he was taking bids and he got something on incredible from Apple. So you're going to see a lot of work coming into Texas.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yeah. And I'm I'm so excited about that. I really think that the Texas film scene and ecosystem is booming, and I think we're seeing that. And I think even though Texas has also become a tech hub, I think in a lot of ways, like I was talking about with studios like Stray Vista, this tech hub that we have, especially in Austin, but even in Greater Texas, mixed with this creative artsy film ecosystem, it sort of all compounds into this wonderful, into this wonderful film ecosystem, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Right. I was um shocked when he brought back Michelle Pfeiffer. My son, she studied acting with my son, and she was a great actress, but then she was she dropped out. I mean, we haven't seen her in years, and in this film Badison, she's doing a superb job. It was fabulous. Have you seen it?
SPEAKER_01I have not yet, but I've been watching the trailers and clips of it, and yeah, she's doing a really wonderful job. Everyone in that production is just phenomenal, and the the quality of the production as well is mind-blowing. It's very beautifully done.
SPEAKER_02Yes. So um, and also Marshall's now. He's got that going. I'm sure they're shooting that in Texas, and he's picking up on important issues like missing Indian women. It's an amazing thing, nobody has been looking for them. And he did a whole show on it last week, uh, which is greatly appreciated, to bring something like that to the forefront so people are aware of what's going on and can help solve that problem.
SPEAKER_01Sure, yeah. No, I agree. Yeah, I think that the talent coming in from the producer side, the the business side in general, plus the art side is is quite impressive. I'm always very, very pleased.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Uh, well, you're very young and you've already built a tech program for the film industry. So what advice would you give to young filmmakers who want to be proactive about shaping the industry rather than just waiting for their break?
SPEAKER_01Sure, yeah. I I would say I've been an actress since, like professionally since I was about eight years old, so just over a decade now, and I just kind of realized that I love it so much, but I don't want to let other people define my destiny, and I don't want to find have other people define which projects I'm able to work in and what I'm not. And so besides just creating my own projects and and movies, which I'm doing as well with some of my filmmaking friends, I realized I want to create something that actually has value to offer to others, especially to the people who are making film happen, so producers. So once I figured out how to stop thinking like an actor, and I figured out how to start thinking more as an entrepreneur and as, in some ways, as a producer, just with all the insights I've been getting, I realized that there's a real, there's a real problem I can fix. And so I guess part of what I would advise other young people is figure out where there's a market and where there's a need, and see if you can solve it. See if there's any way you can combine doing what you love with solving this problem for other people. Because, for example, as an actor, you do have value as an actor and and your talent there, but every every actor wants to be in a production and everyone wants to be an actor, it seems. So there's a lot of competition there. And I think the best thing you can do is provide value to other people outside of your of your talent as an actor or outside of your work ethic. And so as I've I've been meeting with producers and people at the city and state levels at the Texas Film Commissions, I've realized, like, wow, I'm actually able to provide help in this way to other people. And then it in turn will hopefully help more productions be made in Texas, which will make Texas the new Hollywood, which in turn will allow me to hopefully be in more productions and it'll allow other young people to be in more productions. And so I think that's the biggest advice I can give. Also, definitely try to work on something that relates to what you love to do. So for me, it's acting, but for someone else, it might be it might be plumbing. Yeah, I don't know. But just figure out where the where the product market fit is.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And right now, with AI coming on, there's a lot of new opportunities for people. So uh I think you're absolutely right. And I want you to know that a Harvard study says that filmmakers are entrepreneurs. So consider yourself a filmmaker, even though you're an actress, you're expanding beyond that one thing. And filmmakers need to think like entrepreneurs. So your advice to people is perfect. Think like that, and then your business opportunities will come. Because I work with a producer named Tom Malloy. Now he started out as an actor, just like you, and he had a great hit, but a lot of acting jobs didn't come after that. So he decided I'll write a script. He did. Then he said he realized he would have to produce it to get the script made, so he had right. So he became a producer a writer, then a producer. Well, fast forward 20 years, he's made 30 films, and he is now a writer, producer, director, actor. Uh, he just kept expanding and has made a very good living, but he also teaches, which he loves. So he ended up, he gets to do all the things he loves, work in the film industry and then teach others how to make films. Uh, and so now, where do you think the Texasfilm scene.com is going and what would success look like for the Texas indie film ecosystem in the next five years?
SPEAKER_01Sure. Well, I think the best thing that my my platform and my producer vision slate of tools could do is to ultimately in five years, ten years, help make Texas a new Hollywood. And so I think if all of the various Texas film commissions were able to use my use my tools, use my platform and from one side of the marketplace. And then if all producers that are coming in with a production wanting to film in Texas were also using my platform from the other side of the marketplace, then I think I could really help both parties heal the fragmentation there and this filmmaking world. And I think that if everyone is using this tool, it will ultimately, it will ultimately benefit and smooth out the whole movie making process. And I would love to be able to do something so revolutionary for film and especially, yeah, film, film in Texas. So I would say in in five, five years, you know, maybe we can get there. I would think that that would be the biggest dream come true. And then I think ultimately, if I was successful in Texas, then you know, if other states needed help as well with their with their productions, then I would love to also go out and and branch out and help them.
SPEAKER_02Great idea. Um now tell us how people can reach you. Um, you run the Texasfilm scene.com, right? Yes. So they may have questions about Texas or about acting or many things. Tell us how to reach you.
SPEAKER_01Sure. Well, I have first I want to say that if anyone has any further questions after listening to this, um, you can always reach out to info at texasfilmcene.com because my team and I would be happy to help answer any questions you might have. Also, yes, the site is texasfilmcene.com and it is it is live. I also have a special oftener for all of the listeners and it's 50% off any Texas film scene plan using code A F F P O D and then 5-0. That's again A F F P O D 50. And so if you want to go to Texasfilmcene.com, you want to look at the plans we have, and and you want to start helping to make Texas a new Hollywood, you want to join us on our journey, then we'd love to see you, we'd love to have you. And yeah, 50% off for y'all. And then I also have productions I'll hopefully continue to be in as an actor while I'm working on this. So I have IMDB, it's just my first name, last name, and my website, which is also daniellegilbo.com, dannygilbo.com. And those are the main places you can reach me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Spell your website.
SPEAKER_01Okay, perfect. It's D A N I G-U-I-L B-O-T.com.
SPEAKER_02Okay, terrific. Danielle, thank you so much for being with us. What you've shared is incredibly valuable because it opens up something many filmmakers don't realize that where you choose to make your film is not just a creative decision, it's a funding strategy. So when you understand incentives, then you understand where support exists. And when you position your project intelligently, you give your film a real advantage from the very beginning. And that's what we're here to do is to give you film, your film, the best possible chance to be funded, produced, and seen. So to all of you listening, I want to take this information with you. You don't have to follow the old path. You don't have to stay in one city or believe that opportunity only exists in certain places. There are resources, communities, and support systems opening up all over the country. And as Danielle has shown us today, Texas is becoming one of the most exciting of those places. So smart filmmakers don't just chase funding, they position their films where funding can find them. Thank you for listening to The Art of Film Funding. I'm Carol Dean with my co-host, Claire Papin, and we invite you to join us next week for another important podcast on film funding.
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