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Film Friendly Texas Highlights

Film Friendly certification ensures a mutually beneficial production experience for residents and media industry professionals alike. Below are some highlights and economic impact case studies showing how Film Friendly certified communities have worked with productions to bring about immediate and long-term benefits.

 

 

Photo: HBO Max

 

Austin, Texas & HBO's Love & Death

Via WarnerMedia — Public Affairs

  • In Fall 2021 through Spring 2022 Austin, TX and surrounding areas served as locations for HBO’s small town TV Mini Series Love & Death.
  • Love & Death created more than 800 local crew hires with wages totaling more than $30 million.
  • Over 6,400 local cast and extras were hired with wages totaling more than $2.1 million.
  • Love & Death utilized over 900 Texas business and invested over $14M in the local economy.
  • The series, released in 2023, filmed for 180 days and spent over $4.6 million locally on location fees.

 

 

Photo: Van Redin / Nat Geo

 

Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas & Nat Geo's The Long Road Home

All numbers are approximate/projected and were compiled and provided by members of production.

  • In 2017, Fort Hood Army Base hosted the production of Nat Geo’s miniseries The Long Road Home. At the time of production, it was the largest set constructed in North America.
  • 113 buildings were used with 85 being newly-constructed on the base, covering 12 acres of scenery (equal to the size of 9 football fields).
  • Production chose Fort Hood as the key filming location to enhance the authenticity of the real events of “Black Sunday” when members of the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division were ambushed in Sadr City, Iraq in 2004.
  • Approximately 1,250 cast bookings were veterans or active military personnel. Actual combat medics and ER nurses from Killeen schools were also hired as extras to add to the project’s authenticity.
  • 40 crew and 3 cast members from the Killeen area were hired for the production.
  • Leading up to and during the course of production, more than 12,393 nights were booked in Texas hotels.
  • View more economic impact numbers 

 

Photo: DIY Network

 

Fort Worth, Texas & DIY Network's Texas Flip N Move

  • Over 13 seasons, the series has employed more than 30 crew members and 75 construction workers – all local to Texas in the greater Fort Worth area.
  • More than 150 homes have been renovated in five years.
  • In first quarter spending, $1.5 million spent in materials at businesses within a 100 mile radius of Fort Worth.
  • View more economic impact numbers (PDF)

 

Photo: Van Redin / AMC

 

Gonzales, Texas & AMC's The Son

  • In 2017, the AMC series transformed downtown Gonzales into an early 1900s Mexican border town.
  • Main Street Marketplace store owners Sarah Tenberg and Wendy Hodge worked with Art Department crew: “We got great business from them. It made a huge impact on our vendors and profitability.”
  • Gonzales Food Market, operated by multiple generations like fourth-generation family member Daniel Lopez, provided catering services that impacted the business’ bottom line.
  • Learn more about the production.

 

Photo: Van Redin / HBO

 

Lockhart, Texas & HBO's The Leftovers

Via Lockhart EDC / Warner Bros - Public Affairs

  • In 2016, the Film Friendly certified community of Lockhart, TX served as the key filming location for HBO’s TV series The Leftovers.
  • Lockhart was chosen as a filming destination for a wide range of reasons including its historic downtown and restored courthouse, its proximity to Austin and its rich production history as a Film Friendly, production savvy community.
  • Leading up to and during the course of production, The Leftovers was responsible for generating $1.49 million dollars of direct economic impact to Lockhart’s local economy.
  • Creating more than 300 local hires, The Leftovers spent 40 days of prep/construction in Lockhart, 45 days of filming on-location in Lockhart and 10 days wrapping/ striking production.
  • The Leftovers total spend in the greater Austin area was impactful, totaling to more than $30 million dollars.

 

Photo: NBC

 

Palestine, Texas & NBCUniversal's Revolution

  • In 2014, the Film Friendly certified community of Palestine served as a featured location for NBC Universal’s hit TV show Revolution.
  • Palestine was chosen as a filming destinations due to the area’s historic Texas State Railroad and Film Friendly community liaisons.
  • Aside from Palestine, during the course of production Revolution also filmed in the Film Friendly certified communities of: Austin, Bastrop, Blanco, Buda, Cedar Park, Elgin, Granger, Lockhart & Taylor.

 

Photo: Felicia Graham / NBC

 

San Antonio & NBC's American Ninja Warrior

  • American Ninja Warrior set up an entire obstacle course for the filming of two episodes in downtown San Antonio in March 2017.
  • During the 10-day shoot, the production employed 38 local crew members and brought in nearly $3.5 million to the city. (KENS5 Eyewitness News)

 

Photo: Rachel Whyte / HGTV

 

Waco, Texas & HGTV's Fixer Upper

  • Chip and Joanna Gaines filmed nearly all episodes of Fixer Upper in the Waco area from 2013-2017.
  • In 2015, the couple opened a retail outlet and campus in downtown Waco called Magnolia Market at the Silos, which is visited by 25,000 – 30,000 people weekly. (Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau)
  • Hotel occupancy rates in Waco during the second quarter of 2017 were 75%, the second-highest in the state of Texas. (Source)
  •  Visitors to attractions across the city of Waco were estimated at 2.6 million in 2017, four times what they were in 2015, which was prior to Magnolia Market at the Silos opening. (Source)
  • Chip & Joanna Gaines employ more than 600 people locally in Waco. (Source)
  • Chip and Joanna will debut a new “Magnolia” network in January 2021, with ten new series. A sneak peek at the new network aired originally in April, 2020 on the DIY network. The four hours of the block now rank as four of the top five telecasts in DIY’s history. (Source)