ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A new Albuquerque production company says its goal is to find more opportunities for crews and talent in New Mexico, creating more film jobs in the area.
8 Beat Films is the new production house and brainchild of local producer and director Keagan Karnes. He says their goal is to provide more opportunities for people to get behind the camera when big productions come to town.
“We really have the mission of elevating above the line talent in New Mexico, so writers, producers, directors, editors, directors of photography, designers, all of the people who often don’t get the opportunities I think they deserve. We want to give them those opportunities,” said Karnes. “There is an incredible wealth of talent in New Mexico. There are so many creators who are constantly putting out these really fantastic projects, telling their stories through film and media.”
In addition to doing branded content like commercials and tourism videos, as well as the narrative film-making you see in theaters, 8 Beat Films will also offer up production services. This will include supplying crews as well as budgeting for the state and navigating New Mexico’s tax credit and film unions.
“If a movie is coming from New York or L.A., they can call us and we’ll help them budget for New Mexico,” said Karnes. “Really help them have someone on the ground who knows the landscape of New Mexico so their project can flourish.”
Karnes says there’s a wealth of film talent in the state. He hopes the new production house will spark more projects here, starting with the script-writing and casting, rather than just starting at the production of the work.
“My goal is to develop projects here. For so long, projects have only been developed in L.A., maybe sometimes in New York, and I believe we have the ability to develop projects here, take scripts and really hone them in so they’re great stories, to find the actors and eventually shoot them and edit them here,” said Karnes. “We can have the whole process, not just that one small part which is production.”
8 Beat Films is already starting work on its first feature film, a road trip adventure titled “Little Brother”. The film will feature a largely New Mexican production team and will mostly use local shooting locations. Casting has started on Little Brother and 8 Beat Films hopes to start production this fall.