AUSTIN, Texas — A new study from the Austin Film Society (AFS) shows city-owned Austin Studios has made a big impact since it started productions in 2000.
In the film society’s first-ever Creative Workforce Report 2024, AFS found that Austin Studios generated more than $2.6 billion in economic impact and more than 37,000 jobs for Austinites.
“Austin is a growing community for film and the creative industries, and the studios has had a great impact in our area,” said Rakeda Ervin, the director of community education for AFS.
The studios are located on the old Robert Mueller Municipal Airport site. In 2000, Texas film director Richard Linklater asked the mayor at the time, Kirk Watson, what the city would be doing with the old airport space. It’s since been transformed to hold 200,000 square feet of production space with seven sound stages.
Since crews started filming there, they’ve created some big-name productions like "Boyhood," "Spy Kids," "Miss Congeniality" and "Friday Night Lights."
In addition to giving a space for productions to film, AFS has also been growing its workforce development program, called Creative Careers, to help Austinites get jobs in the film industry. It has three pathways for the program: a hands-on internship and training program for 18- to 24-year-olds; an immersive training program where people can shadow professionals, get mentored and receive production assistant training; and a continuing education program with production and professional development courses participants can become certified in.
“We’re working to make sure that they’re prepared so that when these jobs are here, which we’re seeing a lot of jobs come here to the studio, and opportunities, that they’re ready,” Ervin said.
These jobs are giving Austinites paychecks that are more than the city’s living wage of a little more than $21 an hour. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the median pay for film industry jobs like camera operators, editors and similar roles equal out to about $65,000 a year.
AFS is also trying to promote more diversity in its workforce. According to its report, 73% of its Creative Careers program identified with a community of color, 46% identified as women and 95% identified as economically disadvantaged.
Also mentioned in the report is Austin Public, a production facility that is open for Austin residents to access training, rent out equipment and studio space. Through Austin Public, it offers 200 resource certification classes every year.
In the study, AFS leaders said they’ve continued to see a trend of more productions wanting to come to Austin. They said, in part, that's due to the $200 million incentive Texas lawmakers passed last legislative session to bring more productions to the state. It's also due to the atmosphere of Austin.
“I’m noticing a shift with the incentives packages that’s passed, and there are plenty of productions that are coming in," Ervin said.
The studios just wrapped up filming TV drama "Walker," starring Texas native Jared Padalecki, after making four seasons in Austin. AFS said it is constantly getting more productions reaching out wanting to film in Austin.
“The culture of Austin is attractive, when you think about the industry,” Ervin said. “Folks want to be able to live and work in a city that they love.”