|
Making movies could be a money maker
Staff Report
Published November 18, 2009
The Lamar County Chamber of Commerce officials were more than pleased with the turnout last week when Lynne Spivey, Ron Holloman and Lee Ellen Benjamin of the Northeast Texas Regional Film Commission came to visit and make their pitch for Paris’ participation in promoting Northeast Texas to the growing number of independent filmmakers in Texas.
“When Mindy (Moree) and I went to our first meeting last year of the NETRFC in Jefferson, there were a total of five people there,” said Becky Semple, director of the Chamber’s Visitor and Convention Council. “And that included Lynn, Lee Ellen and Ron.”
“But we were excited by what we learned,” Semple said of that first meeting. “Compared to some of the other initiatives we’re involved in, such as making Paris a Texas Retirement Community, this costs us next to nothing. It’s a no-brainer.”
In preparation for last week’s meeting, Semple sent out e-mails, inviting a wide variety of people to attend. Her efforts got results.
The trio of NETRFC officials spent just over a hour with more than a dozen area residents — people with interests in areas such as job creation, business development, real estate and hotels, as well as those already involved in local media production — urging the people of Paris to reach out for their fair share of this fast-growing, proven cash generator. Many of those in attendance were favorably impressed by what they heard.
The Texas Film Commission reported in 2007 film companies — producing feature films, television. commercials and video games — spent well in excess of $300 million in the state of Texas. Most of that money was spent in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston area. According to NETRFC information, a total of one production company, making one commercial, spent more than $126,000, in Northeast Texas, creating 45 jobs along the way. Unfortunately, that was all that was spent in Northeast Texas.
“‘One Tree Hill’ filmed a segment in Honey Grove last year,” Semple said. “Even though they filmed in Honey Grove, they stayed here in Paris. For three weeks, they spent money here in Paris. They rented hotel rooms, bought gas, ate in our restaurants. That’s a nice chunk of change.”
“A $1 million project is nowhere near a $75 million project, but it is still clean money that comes into your community,” Spivey told the group. “It may not have the multiplier ratio that a manufacturing job does — which is 7 to 1, and this is probably closer to 3 to 1 — but it’s still money that will come into your community and regenerate itself in the community.”
“These film companies come to your town, they make their movie, they leave their money here, but they don’t leave a footprint,” added Benjamin. “There’s no infrastructure that’s required, generally, and they don’t pollute. They just leave their money and that’s exactly the kind of business you want here.”
“The film industry is just like Campbell Soup or Kimberly-Clark,” Spivey continued. “This is a viable alterative to the other industries you invite to come to your town.”
Semple and Moree and the chamber should be congratulated for their efforts in introducing this kind of new and interesting thinking into the Paris community. We urge everyone to take a look at the NETRFC and its efforts to bring an always-welcome infusion of ready revenue to our area.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Letter
|
|
 |
|
|
