Film industry booming in Oklahoma during COVID-19 pandemic
Oklahoma City, Okla — COVID-19 may have been detrimental to some industries here in Oklahoma, but film and movie making is booming.
According to Ben Richardson, a local production manager, “In the last few years, I think there’s been a huge uprising in the film industry. It’s been growing leaps and bounds due to the film incentive.”
The incentive Richardson is referring to, according to the Oklahoma Film and Music Commission, is luring filmmakers into the state and keeping them here.
The state will rebate up to 37% cashback for films shot here and encourage production crews to keep the talent and music local.
The commission is also looking for Oklahomans with a variety of skill sets to work with them.
“I think people should know that Oklahoma has really blown up,” according to Richard Switzer, a producer from Los Angeles. He went on to say, “When I’m done with these two movies I’ll have almost shot as many movies here as in L.A.”.
Another attraction to the film industry, currently, relatively low COVID cases compared to places like New York, L.A., and Atlanta.
The film commission is also excited about a recent decision by the State Department of Commerce to call film making an essential business. After all, it’s reportedly generating tens of millions a year into the economy.
Richardson said, “A lot of people are now looking for alternative places to shoot which, now they are looking at Oklahoma and they go, ‘wow there are a lot of different landscapes, they’re really welcoming,’ and they are starting to see we have the crew, we have the talent and they are very happy.”
The protocol has changed though. Crews on the set of a movie called ‘Deadly Radio Romance’ are said to be doing weekly testing and wearing masks and social distancing as much as possible.
The crew is proud to announce, they’ve not had any positive tests since the start of the film.