San Antonio's Blossoming Film Industry

When thinking about the film industry in Texas, you might picture Austin with its creative scene that attracts both large budgets and independent moviemakers. With support from the government, mild weather, diverse locations, and a vast array of talented people and resources, it’s no surprise that plenty of indie and blockbuster movies like Sin City, the latest Transformers flick, and Friday Night Lights were filmed there. However, you should also become aware of Texas filmmaking’s newest kid on the block, San Antonio.

People have been filming in San Antonio since the 1920s, but soon there will be a new surge of indie, documentary, commercial and even big budget films using San Antonio as their backdrop thanks to the 7.5% incentive just granted from the SA City Council.

"San Antonio is an amazing city with incredible locations and people. With the new incentives in place, I believe that the Alamo City will once again show the entertainment industry how great it looks on film," says Kerry Valderrama of Alamo City Studios.

According to their “Get Creative” website, the San Antonio Film Commission’s goal is to create a positive influence on San Antonio’s economy through filmmaking. They offer to help with governmental liaison services, online informational resources, crew and casting calls, news/announcements, permits, and even scouting locations. The city of San Antonio also provides grants and competitions for local filmmakers. These include screenings and cash prizes for the winners.

With the many available resources, it’s no wonder filmmakers are trickling south to San Antonio. There are already several popular and quality movies that came out of the area (see a fun list of them here!), but with the new efforts to bring filmmakers into the city, it won’t be long before San Antonio becomes the next best hot spot to make a movie!

(Interested in filming in San Antonio? For more information, check out the San Antonio Film Commission page here: http://www.getcreativesanantonio.com/Film-Commission).