Visual Effects and Texas
Texas has a long history in the film industry dating back to the first Best Picture Academy Award winner "Wings" (1927). Other notable films are "Giant" (1956), "The Last Picture Show" (1971), and "Blood Simple" (1984) among many many others.
Texas is also home to a thriving game development industry as home in the DFW and Austin areas to such publishers as Origin Systems, Gearbox Software, and Id Software, also among many many others.
But what about visual effects production in Texas? Visual effects (VFX) companies in Texas are far and few in-between, with only a few entrepreneurial start ups scattered around the state. VFX production lies smack dab in-between the two worlds of live action film and game development. Live action shoots ramp up, film, and wrap in a matter of weeks, while games take years to develop in established companies. Visual effects also ramp up and work on a film until delivery. But unlike their live action counterparts, if more projects come in, they roll onto the next and the next projects as a company, just as a game dev does. As long as the monster is fed with work, the VFX vendor is an ongoing entity.
Historically, major visual effects providers were the domain of Hollywood and California. These were the large companies who had the money and expertise to build the specialty motion control camera rigs and optical printers needed to create the movie magic on film after the release of "Star Wars" (1977). It was a small market that needed deep pockets and specialized talent to stay afloat. Many didn't. It's not surprising that in developing its moving image industry that Texas turned a blind eye to VFX production. At the time, it really wasn't a viable endeavor.
Fast forward to the digital revolution. In the early to mid 1990s we saw the almost abrupt transformation of the industry from photo-chemical processes to digital. Digital did away with the specialized motion control camera rigs and optical printers and replaced them with desktop machines. First, with high-end SGI supercomputers, and ultimately with cheaper off the shelf desktop models with high resolution monitors and graphics cards. VFX had become democratized.
Unfortunately, Texas film industry attitudes did not keep up with the times. The focus remained on live action filming and game development. Meanwhile, the growth of visual effects in films, television episodics, and streaming content has grown exponentially. When looking at the credits of practically anything on the screen, visual effects are involved. From the replacement of mobile phone screens and firearm muzzle flashes all the way up to spaceship battles, super heroes, and fantasy creature fights, visual effects permeates our viewing diet.
Today, Texas has the chance to change this. With the significant increase of its Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program passed in the last legislative session coupled with the state's other business friendly incentives and policies, no business or personal state income taxes, its lower cost of living, and the recent creation of the Texas Section of the Visual Effects Society, Texas is a prime location for VFX production.
Recent news stories over the past few years tout Texas being one of the top states in the nation that people and businesses are choosing to relocate to or open up shop. Maybe VFX should take a look, too.
CFX artist
1 年We need more film studios in DFW!