New economic study finds Oklahoma's film and TV industry has experienced a blockbuster surge

MIDWEST CITY — Comfortably settled in a folding chair well behind the camera, Abby Ryder Fortson watched her parents work.

Surrounded by crew members carefully looking out for continuity errors, the teenage star of Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man" and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ," waited patiently alongside her younger brother, Joshua Fortson, to again play her part in the family business.

His eyes intently focused on a monitor, her father, director John Fortson , again called out "action" and watched as her mother, actress Christie Lynn Smith , emerged from the deep stillness of a central Oklahoma winter's night and dashed in a limping run toward the glowing Rose State College Health Sciences building.

Once his wife hurried past the signs temporarily renaming it the "Department of Health and Services" and through the automatic sliding doors, Fortson smilingly called out "cut."

"She plays Maggie, who's the lead of our film, who has been through the gauntlet," Fortson explained to The Oklahoman between takes. "But we've had such a great shoot."

In December, the California-based Fortson filmmaking family achieved a big milestone when they wrapped production on "Rated," the feature version of their 2016 short film that earned more than 20 awards during its run at 60-plus film festivals.

"For the past seven years, it's been a passion project of writing and connecting with the right people to be able to make this film happen. Oklahoma was never on my radar — not for any reason, just people weren't talking about it to me, until Mark Pellington , who's an acclaimed filmmaker and has been a champion of the project for a while, had connected with somebody who had been making films here," John Fortson said, settling into a makeup chair to get ready to co-star in a key scene for "Rated."

"All of a sudden, it just became a go, and everything just steamrolled into us coming here. And it's been the best."

The upcoming independent feature is part of a blockbuster surge in film and television activity the Sooner State has experienced since the passage of the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, which established the current state film incentive program.

Since Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the Filmed in Oklahoma Act (FIOA) into law in May 2021, it has generated a direct economic impact of more than $531 million for the state, according to an economic study released Friday by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office , the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Visit Tulsa .

" This economic study reveals what we already know, more film and TV projects are choosing Oklahoma than ever before," said Jeanette Stanton , director of the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, in a statement.

"Gov. Stitt signing the Filmed in Oklahoma Act was a game-changer for our state. We have new projects reaching out to us every day to learn more about Oklahoma, especially after seeing the success of a TV series like 'Reservation Dogs' and major motion pictures like 'Killers of the Flower Moon, ' 'Twisters' and 'Reagan.' "

What did a new economic impact study find about the state of Oklahoma's film and TV industry?

Conducted by the local research firm RegionTrack , the economic study found that incentivized spending tied to the Oklahoma film rebate surged in the 2021 fiscal year, with a roughly six-fold increase from $31.8 million in fiscal year 2020 to more than $187 million in fiscal year 2021.

From the 2021 fiscal year to the 2023 fiscal year — the most recent full year of activity — the economic impact of film and TV projects in Oklahoma was $484 million, or $161.3 million annually.

About 60% of qualified spending went to worker wages, while 40% funded direct purchases of goods and services.

"The current momentum of our film industry is a huge win for Oklahoma. ... The results of the new study on the performance of FIOA substantiate what we are witnessing in the film production sector across Oklahoma," said Jill Simpson, executive director of the Oklahoma City Film & Creative Industries Office, in a statement.

"The program is working efficiently and as intended in growing a local workforce, diversifying the economy, and infusing both state and city economies with new dollars. As we raise Oklahoma's profile within the industry and beyond ... we provide updated images of the Oklahoma people and places we all know and love. This translates to increased tourism in our state ."

The Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021 built on the previous Oklahoma film rebate that topped out at $8 million a year. Capped at $30 million annually, FIOA offers a base incentive of 20% on qualified expenditures for film and TV productions. Productions can add to their rebate percentage by filming on Oklahoma soundstages, using Oklahoma companies for music and post-production and following other criteria for "uplifts."

The new study from RegionTrack found that:

• $78 million in state film incentives were paid between the 2022 fiscal year and the 2024 fiscal year, while projects that received the rebate had $344 million in qualified expenditures.

• Across the 2019 to 2023 period, Oklahoma ranked sixth in film and TV employment growth at 56.2%, fourth in total compensation growth at 169% and ninth in change in annual compensation per worker at 72.3% relative to other states with a film incentive in place.

• Oklahoma is the only state with a film incentive program to rank among the top 10 in all three measures — employment, total compensation paid and average compensation — during that time frame.

• The current average film and TV industry wage in Oklahoma is $79,450, up 66% compared to late 2019.

• Of the total qualified labor spending in fiscal year 2023, $24.3 million went to Oklahoma residents.

• Despite a nearly five-month work stoppage caused by the 2023 writers and actors strikes , film and TV productions had a $47.3 million economic impact in the Sooner State in fiscal year 2024.

"Filmmaking in Oklahoma is at never-before-seen levels of success, thanks in large part to the rebates and tax incentives offered by the Filmed in Oklahoma Act," said Meg Gould , executive director of the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture, in a statement.

"Those funds have helped grow the industry locally and across the state, and to keep this momentum and further solidify Oklahoma as a global production hub, we must ensure our funding stays competitive with other states around the country."

What does the new economic study reveal about the competition Oklahoma faces in the film and TV industry?

The new economic study is debuting as "Reservation Dogs" mastermind Sterlin Harjo's new FX show "The Sensitive Kind " has the Tulsa area buzzing about casting notices for background extras and local sightings of series star Ethan Hawke .

"With additional funding, Oklahoma would continue to grow our local filmmaking industry and workforce, bringing more attention to the state and dollars to the economy," Gould said.

The study also is bowing as Lone Star State movie stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and Renee Zellweger are appearing in a Super Bowl commercial calling for the Texas legislature to create new incentives for film and TV productions in Oklahoma's Red River rival.

" Texas and Arizona have just thrown down $200 million a piece on either side of us to compete with Georgia , New Jersey, New Mexico ," Oklahoma actress, producer and film entrepreneur Rachel Cannon, who launched in January a new entertainment company called Rock Paper Cannon, said last fall.

Before the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021, the Sooner State ranked 26th out of the 33 states that offered a general film and TV incentive.

Expanding the $30 million incentive cap moved Oklahoma's rebate program up to 18th on the list, but now almost 40 states offer a film incentive program. According to the RegionTrack study, 11 states, including Texas, now boast a film incentive of $100 million or more.

"I think the report did a great job of really outlining where Oklahoma falls in with the rest of the country," Stanton told The Oklahoman. "I think it will be very helpful for, hopefully, state leaders, city leaders, tribal leaders, to give more of a clear picture and say, 'This is really what it looks like, and where does Oklahoma want to be in this sector?'"

The economic study also arrives at the beginning of the Oklahoma Legislature's 2025 session , as industry advocates are encouraging state senators and representatives to boost the state film incentive beyond its current $30 million annual cap.

"Storytellers are some of the most important people in the world as they set the vision and values of future generations, and I'm proud we are telling more and more of those stories in Oklahoma," said Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell , one of those film industry advocates, in a statement.

"The way municipalities and tribal partners create their own localized incentives that work with the state rebate has been incredible. These partnerships set Oklahoma apart and make this kind of lasting economic impact possible."

Jacob Ryan Snovel, one of the busy Oklahoma film producers who helped bring the Fortson family's "Rated" to the Oklahoma City metro area, said he was thrilled when the project qualified for the state film incentive.

"It would not have been here without it," he told The Oklahoman.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma film incentive generates $530M in economic impact: Study