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Becoming a Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified Community

The Digital Media Friendly Texas (DMFTX) Certified Community program has several certification steps to ensure our community contacts are well-equipped to handle questions from Digital Media professionals while understanding their unique business needs.  Below is everything you need to know to get your community DMFTX certified!

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Certification Steps (Full)

  1. Establish an official Digital Media liaison within the community who works for the municipality, EDC, CVB, Chamber, or similar entity.
    • Liaison’s contact information will be publicly available on the Texas Film Commission’s Digital Media Friendly Texas Community Page.  Note: if a new liaison takes over for an existing DMFTX Certified Community, they must attend a workshop within one calendar year for the community’s DMFTX status to stay current.
    • Liaison will be responsible for both initial and ongoing quarterly reports covering the progress of local digital media industry community updates.  This includes topics such as: broadband developments, new digital media companies/spaces, prospective city-led digital media initiatives/events, as well as committee meeting updates.
  2. Attend a Texas Film Commission-sponsored Digital Media Friendly Texas community workshop.  Click here to see any upcoming workshops currently scheduled.
  3. Register the minimum number of Digital Media resources (companies/vendors, crew, organizations, etc.) in the Texas Production Directory (TPD) based in your community.  Click here for a complete list of qualifying Digital Media TPD categories.  Click here for TPD rules & requirements.
    • The Digital Media liaison encourages animation, VFX, video game, and XR businesses, individuals, and organization to list in the TPD.  (The below FAQs for Digital Media Professionals may be helpful to pass along to them for additional context.)
    • Registrations can be new or updated listings.
    • Minimum number of listings based on community population:
      • Population under 49,999: 1 listing
      • Population between 50,000 – 99,999: 3 listings
      • Population between 100,000 – 249,999: 5 listings
      • Population between 250,000 – 749,999: 7 listings
      • Population over 750,000: 10 listings
  4. Create a Digital Media committee (or council, board, or similar entity) consisting of a minimum of three local Digital Media industry stakeholders that will meet with some form of regularity as deemed necessary by the members.  The committee will have ongoing objectives, and the official community contact will report progress to the Texas Film Commission.

Digital Media Committee

Similar to the Music Friendly Texas Certified Community Program, the DMFTX Program requires each community to establish a committee consisting of at least three animation, VFX, video game, or XR industry stakeholders who are based in your community.  Member contact information will be reported to the Texas Film Commission.

Examples of Digital Media Committee members include, but are not limited to:

  • Digital Media professionals or business owners
  • Educators of Digital Media-oriented subjects
  • Coaches / organizers of local esports teams
  • Casual developers, animators, gamers, or creators with a passion for Digital Media

Ideally, the Digital Media Committee should be made up of passionate and diverse locals to ensure your community’s Digital Media future looks as unique as your community.  The committee should meet in-person or virtually at least annually, but we encourage each community to meet with a regularity deemed appropriate for the community and its members.

Action item examples for the Digital Media Committee include, but are not limited to:

  • Organizing community events centered around gaming, animation, VFX, or XR
  • Collaborating with Digital Media programs at regional schools, colleges, and universities to foster student engagement
  • Hosting educational talks (virtual or in-person) with Digital Media professionals
  • Plan forward-thinking community civic engagement
  • Expanding a computer lab with gaming, animation, and/or XR hardware/software
  • Starting an official city podcast
  • Hosting a gaming tournament to discuss gaming careers with students
  • Host community roundtables with broadband representatives about the business/educational possibilities of high-speed internet
  • Assist the Digital Media liaison gather community information included in quarterly reporting updates

Quarterly Reporting & Ongoing Objectives

To ensure continued connectivity to our Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified Communities, the Digital Media liaison will be responsible for completing ongoing quarterly reports that will be emailed to them on the first Wednesday of the following months:

  • January
  • April
  • July
  • October

These questionaries will typically take less than 10 minutes to complete.  They provide the Texas Film Commission with vital community information so that we may accurately and effectively market your community to our Digital Media industries with the most current information.  Topics covered in the quarterly reports include:

  • Digital Media liaison contact information updates
  • Community broadband access updates (highest community speeds available, providers, etc.)
  • New / updated Digital Media resources to be listed in the Texas Production Directory
  • New Digital Media events or initiatives to be posted on the Events Calendar, including:
    • Festivals & Fan Conventions
    • Gaming Tournaments
    • Networking Events
    • Workshops / Educational
    • Professional Conferences, Summits & Expos
  • Digital Media Committee updates, including:
    • Noteworthy updates from the most recent committee meeting
    • Any updated contact information for new / departing members

Frequently Asked Questions (For Community Liaisons)

I have a small or mid-sized rural community.  Can I still be certified as a Digital Media Friendly Texas Community? 
Yes!  The only thing necessary is a community-wide passion for attracting Digital Media businesses and the desire to close the digital divide in Texas.  If your community can meet the requirements, we would love to accept your community into the program.

I recently took over as the Digital Media Friendly Texas contact for my community.  What do I need to do?
First and foremost, connect with our office (click here) so we can connect.  We will begin updating our records and get you up to speed.  New DMFTX community contacts have one calendar year to attend a DMFTX workshop from the time they take over the program so we will provide you with the next workshop date.

When is the next Digital Media Friendly Texas workshop?
We typically hold workshops twice a year in different parts of the state to ensure equitable access for all Texas communities.  Click here to see any upcoming workshops currently scheduled or contact us if you don’t see any listed.

My community has a few Digital Media resources already listed in the Texas Production Directory, can I count them toward our minimum number required?
Yes, but only after you verify that the information is still true and correct.  After the existing listing is updated with the most current credits & contact information, it will then count toward your community’s minimum number of listings.

We have a Digital Media resource in a nearby community.  Are we able to count it towards our minimum number of Digital Media resource submissions?
Unfortunately, no.  However, nearby communities would make great partners in exchanging ideas on how to attract resources in your own community.  A rising tide raises all boats—when one community wins, nearby communities win, too!

Frequently Asked Questions (For Community Digital Media Professionals)

What is the Texas Production Directory (TPD)? 
The TPD is a powerful, online database managed by the Texas Film Commission.  This database houses media production professionals, companies, and organizations based in Texas from all industry sectors—film, TV, commercials, animation, VFX, video games, and XR.  The Texas Film Commission uses the TPD to recommend Texas-based crew and companies equitably and accurately.  Media production professionals use the TPD to search for qualified Texans to hire for their projects.

Why am I being asked to list in the TPD for the Digital Media Friendly Texas (DMFTX) community program?
One of the many goals of the DMFTX community program is to surface existing animation, VFX, video game, and XR professionals/companies in communities across Texas.  You may have been recently asked by a community representative to sign up for the TPD because you may qualify for an applicable Digital Media TPD category listed here.  If you do, and also meet the rules and requirements listed here, by listing yourself or business in the TPD, you are assisting your community to achieve its goal of becoming DMFTX Certified!

Is there any cost associated with the TPD?
No cost whatsoever.  The Texas Film Commission fosters the media production industries here in Texas and the TPD is one of the many free resources we offer for Texans.

My community representative also mentioned being part of a Digital Media Committee.  What is that?
As an ongoing objective, each community seeking certification is tasked with creating a Digital Media Committee.  This is three or more Digital Media professionals based in the community that meets to discuss ways to grow the animation, VFX, video game, and XR industries in their community.  There are action item examples listed above but each committee will act autonomously and be as unique as the Texas community itself.

Where do I sign up for the TPD?
If you qualify to be listed under one of the applicable Digital Media categories listed here, and meet the rules and requirements listed here, then click here to start the application process.

Additional Questions

The Texas Film Commission is always here to answer any questions you may have about the Digital Media Friendly Texas program.  If your question has not been addressed in the frequently asked questions above, please click here to contact us.

Getting Started

Want to get the process started for your Texas community?  If you are a representative for the municipality, EDC, CVB, Chamber, or similar entity, please click here to fill out the initial DMFTX Community Survey and our office will be in touch regarding next steps!