Best boys, key grips, gaffers, cinematographers, location scouts and pieces of talent: these film industry jobs are being filled by local residents more than ever before. Movies, documentaries and commercials filmed in the Rio Grande Valley have begun tapping an expanding pool of talent. Commercials, pilots for series, movies, and documentaries that are being shot in the Valley are providing jobs and business opportunities.
Finding talent
“I connect people. That’s what a film commission does,” said Nydia Tapia-Gonzales, director of the Rio Grande Valley Film Commission. “We put out casting calls for the age or look for producer requests. I connect the film companies with local talent when they want to hire assistants, extras and technical support. Some of our people are doing pretty good work. We also scout locations. That’s our strength: beaches at South Padre, the river and resacas, farmland, caliche roads and border architectural features like you see in Brownsville. And it’s so affordable to film here.”
The Valley’s film commission does not provide financial incentives. Instead they offer 330 days of sunshine, assistance with permitting if necessary, and those vital referrals to local talent that reduce the costs of importing actors, technicians and equipment. The State of Texas does exempt items used in production from state sales tax.
“As long as it’s filmed in the Valley, we all benefit,” she said. “The film business is slowly growing. Producers ask if they need a permit to film and we help them. Most cities don’t have standards for film crews, so we have to do it on a one-by-one basis.” One such film was Robert Duval’s movie A Night in Old Mexico, which substituted Brownsville locations for Mexican ones.
“There’s quite a bit of activity going on. In December, a director was upset because I couldn’t produce an assistant for him in 30 minutes,” Tapia-Gonzales said. She recently aided professionals seeking an assistant and cast for a Netflix pilot. Actress Selma Hayek came to the Valley after optioning Domingo Martinez’ Boy Kings of Texas, a coming-of-age novel set in Brownsville that might become an HBO production. Someone else is filming a documentary about a chess team. “In the past, we didn’t have the resources, and companies had the expense of bringing lights, cameras and sound equipment down here, but that has changed.”
Chris Hardcastle and Rodrigo Rodriguez (of Rio Bravo Pictures) are partners in Citrus Digital LLC, which 18 months ago acquired a three-ton grip truck and stocked it with the lighting equipment and camera supports essential for filming. “A lot of people from L.A. and New York have been coming to the Valley, and it saves them an enormous amount on shipping to have this already here. It’s all self-contained and on wheels.”
Hardcastle, formerly an engineer at Channel 5, often functions as a key grip, in charge of all the gear and works directly with the gaffer, the light designer. “All the stuff you don’t pay any attention to in the credits, I’ve done that, including best boy.”
About 80% of Citrus’ projects are higher-end commercials for state and regional clients, primarily for Rio Bravo Productions, although Citrus works with groups from Houston and Austin. The other 20% are out of the blue, such as the NYU film school student who brought Stephen Baldwin to the Valley, hired a cinematographer and rented the Citrus Digital truck. “We have a short list of guys we work with here,” Hardcastle said. “We’re all cross trained and capable of working 16-hour days. Once we get set up, it’s a matter of hanging microphones on the actor and a boom just out of range of the camera.”
The telenovela
In January, cinematographer and producer/editor Jorge Richaud was shooting a pilot for a telenovela in McAllen and Mission using talent from Mexico City, Monterrey, McAllen and Houston. He has been shooting TV spots, 30-minute shows, company demos, commercial and documentaries for 18 years. Companies have become more willing to use local talent during that time, he said. “There is no need to look outside of the Valley for any position on a set. Local production assistants (schooled at UTRGV and STC) can really help us on a shoot.”
Clients have become more sophisticated about production and the end product because of their constant exposure to video everywhere, Richaud said. “It helps clients know what to ask for in production, and this helps me as a producer give the client exactly what they want. Video is THE way to communicate in advertising and storytelling. ”
Jay Meade of Meade Marketing, who often hires Richaud for commercials, said the cinematographer thinks visually. “Jorge is composing the shots as he goes. I give him the script, and he always does creative stuff. I prefer to work with him because he does both shooting and editing.”
Emmy-winning David Blue Garcia, an Austin-based, Harlingen-raised cinematographer, director and producer, came to the Valley last year to film Cast, a low-budget feature film about a teenager who begins smuggling to help his ailing grandfather. “It was a great experience to shoot in the Valley. Everyone opened their doors to let us, complete strangers, film in their business or on their land,” from farmers to Border & Customs Patrol agents.
Jonathan Hess, who operates Hess Modeling, an acting and talent agency, with his wife Sindy Buezo, has three casting workshops slated this year at The Studio on Broadway, with casting directors from San Antonio, Houston and Los Angeles. Hess sees the workshops as a means of bridging a gap, so local actors don’t always have to travel to Dallas or Houston to audition. At the same time, directors become aware of Valley talents. Besides training local actors on attending casting calls, the workshops, Hess said, will enable them to make invaluable contacts. “You get to be in front of that casting director for several days and prove yourself. Casting directors always have a couple roles in mind.” The first workshop will be held Feb. 20-21.
“We handle around 50 different talents for acting gigs,” in all sizes, colors and ages, Hess said, for jobs acting in commercials, as brand ambassadors, live hosts, print ads and more. He believes his company, which has shifted from being strictly a modeling agency to a talent agency, hires and has bookings for the most talent in the region. “There is still room to grow, and these projects might bring more opportunities down here.”
The Studio has acting classes at different levels and stages plays with drama teacher Jacqueline Trevino and her community theater company. “In entertainment, experience is a major factor.”
“It’s important for the Valley to support the people who have worked to make it better for the film industry here,” Hess said. Edinburg’s second South Texas International Film Festival is accepting submissions (non-documentary) from Feb.1 to May 1, with an emphasis on regional filmmakers. Look for lights, cameras and plenty of action in the Valley.
For more information, see citrusdigitial.biz, riobravopictures.com, stxff.us, rgvfilmcommission.com, and hessmodelingagency.com.
February 2016 cover story by Eileen Mattei
