A witch of an actress moves to Austin

Just heard this today. Beth Broderick--you remember her from Sabrina the Teenage Witch--apparently moved to Austin, Texas, a few months ago. The big irony: she was just cast in the TV series Lonestar (formerly Midland), which will shoot a few hours down the road in Dallas.

'Lonestar' to shoot at Las Colinas

Despite a late look at Austin (word is one or both of the showrunners is living there), Twentieth Century Fox Television reps confirmed the series Lonestar (formerly titled Midland) will shoot in North Texas, specifically at the Studios at Las Colinas, where The Deep End previously shot. More in my article in today's Dallas Morning News.

The cast includes: Bryce Johnson, Mark Deklin, Jon Voight, Adrianne Palicki, James Wolk, Eloise Mumford and David Keith

Still no word on the future of Chaos, the CBS series poised to film in North Texas this fall if a deal can be wrangled between the network and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Chaos has to wait; but TV series flood Texas

FYI--A shorter version of this ran on the Dallas Morning News blog today, and a version combined with a DMN writer's feature will appear Thursday. Here's my take from Dallas City Hall on Wednesday afternoon:

North Texas-based 'Chaos' series awaiting CBS confirmation

BY JOE O'CONNELL
filmnewsbyjoe@yahoo.com
on Twitter: joemoconnell
joeoconnell.com

DALLAS—Three television series will shoot simultaneously in North Texas this summer, and a fourth might join them in the fall.

What was to be a major announcement by Gov. Rick Perry and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert at Dallas City Hall of a fourth television show shooting in North Texas ended up being a “maybe.” Twentieth Century Fox Television execs on Wednesday said they have yet to get confirmation of a pickup by CBS of Chaos, a spy series set to star Stephen Rea (The Crying Game). If picked up, they expect to shoot 13 episodes of the midseason replacement in the fall.

Perry said the flurry of major network television production is a sign Texas has been “established as a preferred location.”

Already shooting in North Texas is The Good Guys for Fox, which recently added seven more episodes to its original 13-episode order. This summer the show is expected to compete with NBC’s Chase and Fox’s Lonestar (former Midland) for North Texas locations and crew. In Austin, the ABC series My Generation is primed to lens this summer as well.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Janis Burklund of the Dallas Film Commission said of the demands on the North Texas crew base. “Yes, it’s going to stretch us a bit, but that’s how we’ll grow.”

North Texas’ television resurgence began when Prison Break shot here for two seasons beginning in 2006, said Twentieth Century Fox vice president Jim Sharp. That led to shooting the short-lived series The Deep End. But the area’s history as a television hub dates back further to Walker, Texas Ranger, a show for which Burklund worked as a location scout.

It’s all part of a trend to shoot network television shows outside of Los Angeles due to that area’s poor incentives and changing physical landscape that has made finding locations more difficult. Texas now hopes to attract some of the longtime California crew members to the Lone Star State.

The Legislature approved in 2009 an increase in state filming incentives funding from a two-year total of $22 million to $62 million and added flexibility in how the funds can be meted out. Perry said since then 206 projects have come to the state, creating 28,500 full-time jobs and attracting in-state spending of $184 million.

On average, each episode of a television series shot should drop more than $1 million in the local economy, Bob Hudgins of the Texas Film Commission said.

Why is Dallas the big winner? Leppert said it’s a mix of great locations and a large pool of talents crew members.

“It means jobs and additional visibility for North Texas, Dallas and all of Texas,” he said.

A key indicator is the current disparity between Dallas and Houston, which was in the 1990s a leading Texas filming location. Fox’s Lonestar is set in both the oil industry of Houston and Midland. Executives are taking what was termed a look at Austin as a filming location on Thursday, but long ago ruled out Houston.

Also set in Houston is Chase, the NBC series from Warner Bros. It also ruled out shooting in Space City. 20th Century Fox had to move quickly on the series, said Garry Brown, the show’s co-executive producer and former Walker, Texas Ranger producer who has been one of the pivotal voices behind the North Texas film resurgence.

“There was more to offer to us immediately here in Dallas,” Brown said. “They (Houston) need to build their crew base up, and they’re working on it.”

During the film industry’s lean years earlier in the mid-2000s when film and television projects were lured to states offering hefty incentives, the Houston film crews dissipated. Dallas, as a center for filming of commercials, industrial films, animation and videos, kept its crews largely in place. Now the problem is making sure there are enough workers here to handle three television shows shooting in North Texas this summer, and Chaos potentially joining this in the fall.

New TV series lensing in Dallas is 'Chaos'

I'm sitting here at Dallas City Hall waiting for Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Texas Gov. Rick Perry to join 20th Century Fox execs in announcing the series Chaos starring Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) will shoot in North Texas this summer, joining The Good Guys, Chase and Lonestar (formerly known as Midland. More in a bit...

My latest SHOT IN TEXAS column

Most of this has been covered already in the blog, but here's my latest SHOT IN TEXAS column in the Dallas Morning News about three TV series shooting in Dallas, one in Austin and True Grit in Granger. Enjoy.

Three TV series to shoot at once in Dallas

Yes, we have confirmation that both Chase and Midland (possibly retitled Lone Star) will shoot in Dallas starting in mid-July. The Good Guys will get an additional seven (at least-expect nine in the end) episodes. More about this in my SHOT IN TEXAS column in the Dallas Morning News on Friday. It's the best news to come out of the Dallas film/television scene in years.

Crew call for 'Midland'

Crew info for TV pilot shooting in Dallas:


If you are interested in working on a pilot for a new Fox drama called “Midland,” please send your updated resumes ASAP to dallas.film@dallascityhall.com and note “Midland Crew” in the subject line and position applying for. We’ll make sure and pass them along to the production team. Casting information will be posted as soon as we receive it. Please do not forward actor head shots/resumes at this time.

They are in the process of gearing up, securing office space and beginning to hire crew now so don’t delay! The project will shoot March 16-April 1st, so please submit only if you’ll be available during that time frame.

Crew positions will be Paid. Resumes can be sent to:

midlandtcftv@yahoo.com

Make that three TV pilots shooting in Texas soon

This will run in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News:

Three television pilots set to shoot in Texas: two in Dallas, one in Austin

BY JOE O’CONNELL

Two major network television pilots are expected to shoot in North Texas this spring and a third is headed to Austin, offering clear indications that television production is the big prize from recent increases in the state’s filming incentives program.

Midland, a drama for the Fox network will shoot here March 16 to April 1, Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, confirmed in a Facebook posting that called for potential crew members to email resumes to dallas.film@dallascityhall.com. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show is “a soap set against the backdrop of an oil business that centers on a polygamist living a double life.”
The pilot will be directed by Marc Webb—who will also helm the next Spider-man film—from a script by The Beaver screenwriter Kyle Killen. No cast has been announced.

Also shooting here in March is the NBC pilot Chase from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, which the network describes as about “a crucial fugitive apprehension team comprised of U.S. Marshals that tracks down the nation's most notorious criminals.” Reports have Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) portraying a preppy marshal.

In Austin, Generation Y, the documentary-style story of a group of twentysomethings that flashes back to their high school days 10 year earlier, is set to shoot for ABC in March, said Bob Hudgins, head of the Texas Film Commission.

Hudgins said the sudden onslaught of television production can be credited largely to the influcnce of producers Garry Brown and Nan Burnstein. Brown worked on Walker, Texas Ranger, and was instrumental in bringing Prison Break, The Deep End and currently shooting Code 58 (formerly known as Jack and Dan) to North Texas. He will also produce Chase, but not Midland. Burnstein produces Austin-shot Friday Night Lights, which begins filming a fifth season there in April. Neither could be reached for comment at press time.

“These things don’t happen by accident,” Hudgins said. “It’s really those line producers who are our biggest advocates right now.”

Gen Y was strongly considering a North Carolina shoot before Burnstein’s advice and assistance turned the tide, Hudgins said.

The Texas Legislature in 2009 increased the size of financial rebates given to filmmakers based either on total in-state spending or as a percentage of wages paid to cast and crew who are Texas residents. Texas offers up to 15 percent of in-state spending or up to 25 percent of wages, with both figures increased slightly for filming in areas deemed underutilized. Previously, the state offered 5 percent rebates.

“It’s because we have an incentive that these things are falling into place,” Hudgins said. “They know we have the crews and we have the capacity to get these things done.”

Fox to shoot 'Midland' TV pilot in Dallas

The Dallas Film Commission just leaked word that Fox TV pilot Midland will shoot in Dallas from March 16 to April 1. It's an odd oil biz/polygamy drama. Marc Webb, the guy directing the next Spider-man film, will direct the show's pilot as well from a script by The Beaver screenwriter Kyle Killen.

Dallas is on a roll with cop show Code 58 (formerly known as Jack and Dan) shooting currently in the Metroplex starring Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks (Tom Hanks' son). Plus, The Deep End, now airing on ABC, also recently shot in Dallas and is waiting for word of any additional episode orders.