by Justin Davis

Here in Austin we are lucky not only to have a beautiful vibrant city full of diverse people, but also a burgeoning competative film industry. The film industry (big and untouchable as it may sound) here in Austin is not just for those with big pocketbooks or grandiose visions of Hollywood commercialism. The small time amateur or the slightly bigger headed "Professional" personal movie mogul can easily make a movie in a fortnight, a few days, or a weekend with the resources and talent availiable here in the Capital City. For equipment, legal support, financial needs, or old fashioned community these are some of the organizations here in Austin Texas that are here for you.

Artists' Legal and Accounting Assistance of Austin (ALAA)
PO Box 2577
Austin TX 78768
(512) 407-8980
Michelle Polgar, Executive Director

ALAA incorporated in 1979 to provide free legal and accounting assistance to low-income artists and arts organizations on arts-related business matters. They have expanded their programming since that time to provide a slate of arts related business seminars -- from four to six annually -- on topics of interest to the local arts community. Past topics have included Music Publishing, Taxation for Artists, Art in Cyberspace, and a myriad of others. In addition, ALAA advocates on behalf of the arts community with city, state and county authorities; provides informational services of various kinds to local artists outside the scope of pro bono services; and offers referrals to experts in the entertainment law and accounting fields to individual artists and groups whose income exceeds the pro bono cutoff.

Austin Cinemaker Co-op
1705 Guadalupe, Suite 201
Austin TX 78701
(512) 236-8877
cinemkr@texas.net

The Austin Cinemaker Co-op's mission is to preserve and uphold the belief that filmmaking is a financially accessible art form encouraging freedom of expression, experimentation, and the active exchange of ideas among filmmakers. In that spirit, Cinemaker serves as a resource to small-gauge filmmakers in Austin. They provide low-cost cameras and film equipment (primarily Super 8) for rental; organize projects, festivals, and events to involve local filmmakers and present local films to the public; hold training workshops for both novice and veteran filmmakers; and hold open monthly meetings/screening salons to encourage a continuing dialogue among filmmakers. They also maintain a public access film resource library and an informational clearinghouse via their website.

With 300+ members, Cinemaker also maintains a strong membership. Members receive their quarterly newsletter, discounts on equipment rentals, free admission to Cinemaker events, as well as discounts from Gear, the University Co-op Photo Department, Camera Obscura, Texas Film and Light, SXSW, and the Cinematexas Short Film Festival.

Cinemaker is a volunteer-run organization, sponsored by the Austin Writers' League and funded, in part, by the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts Commission.

Austin Community Access Center (ACAC)
Producers' Training Program
1143 Northwestern
Austin TX 78702
(512) 478-8600 x17, fax (512) 478-9438
Jesus Garcia, Training Coordinator

Any resident of the Austin CableVision viewing area is eligible to take low cost workshops that provide certification for use of ACTV equipment. This is a great resource for affordable video production. In fact, Austin Community Access Center received the "highest award for community media service" by the Alliance for Community Media, the national organization for public access providers, recognizing "an access operation which has consistently demonstrated outstanding achievement and promotion of access development over the course of time.

In order to use the ACAC facility and its equipment, it is necessary to become an ACAC Producer. An Access producer must learn proper use of the equipment. Instructional classes are provided to familiarize students with equipment, rules, and fundamental video production techniques. The classes are structured from Beginning to Advanced. Basic Field Production, Basic Editing, and a producer ID are all that are needed to produce, shoot, edit, and air a show.

Costs for workshops/certification classes vary, and range from DV camcorder classes ($35) to basic editing ($45). If you have some production experience, you may elect to take a proficiency test ($45) rather than take entry-level workshops. ACAC also offers special seminars, separate from its certification classes. These evening seminars are on topics such as Documentary, Music Video, Lighting, and so forth, and cost just $30.

Austin Digital Video Center
708A South Lamar
Austin TX 78704
(512) 804-1800
digitalfocus@hotmail.com

The Austin Digital Video Center is committed to promoting and expanding digital filmmaking in Austin. They offer a wide range of resources including class instruction, editing facilities, equipment rental, streaming video, and complete production services from concept through final product. They specialize in guiding filmmakers on how to adapt their film projects to this new digital medium.

Austin Film Society 3109 N IH35
Austin TX 78722 (512) 322-0145, fax (512) 322-0726 afs@austinfilm.org

The Austin Film Society was founded in 1985 to bring rarely -- seen works of film to the Austin community. Exhibition programs -- including free cinema, the Texas Documentary Tour, visiting filmmakers, genre series, directors' retrospectives, and gala film premieres -- enjoy a national reputation, with the Austin Film Society ranked among the top film centers of the country, recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Director's Guild of America.

Technical support services for regional film and video artists include advice and referral; a bi-monthly publication; information packets on a variety of topics; workshops and panel presentations; a web site; fiscal sponsorship of projects; and the administration of the Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund, an annual grant to emerging film and video artists from the state.

All programs and services are available to the general public. Film Society members receive discounts and advance notice of AFS programs, trade discounts, and a subscription to the bi-monthly publication Persistence of Vision.

Also at the old Mueller Airport, twenty acres are being leased by The Austin Film Society for use as a film, video, and production facility. This is a project being headed up by several large film industry officials including Richard "slacker" Linkletter.

Austin FilmWorks
1705 Guadalupe, Suite 208/210
Austin TX 78701
(512) 467-0731, fax (512) 467-9088
mimsbox@earthlink.net

Since 1993 Austin FilmWorks has offered two semester-long film/video production courses every fall and spring. Production One is an intensive 14-week introduction to basic 16mm film and video pre-production, production, and post production. Instruction and testing cover cameras, lenses, film and video systems and stocks, cinematography, lighting, writing, directing, editing, and digital non-linear editing. Production Two is a 14-week advanced cinematography and editing course. Students produce three 16mm films in small groups. Production One or equivalent experience is required. Instructors: Mims, Lewis, Curry, & Layton.

Chicano/Latino Film Forum
PO Box 6065
Austin TX 78762
Rene Renteria, Co-director
(512) 416-8561, (512) 708-0904

The Chicano/Latino Film Forum is dedicated to the exhibition, distribution, production, and critical discussion of films and videos for, by, and about the underserved Latino community. The Chicano/Latino Film Forum's most visible work is the ongoing audience screening events, which is well attended annually. The organization was created in 1993 by Austin, Texas-based Latino film and video artists and held its first public screening on Dia de la Raza (October 12) 1993.

The Chicano/Latino Film Forum has presented over 50 local and regional events featuring dozens of different artists both locally and with a national scope, and has worked with a number of non-profit arts and film organizations. The organization has sponsored several summer video workshops through the City of Austin's At-Risk Youth Program.

Recently, the Chicano/Latino Film Forum has taken a partnership role with the producers of the Cine Las Americas international Film Festival held annually in Austin.

As a non-profit arts organization, the Chicano/Latino Film Forum is funded in part through the City of Austin under the auspices of the Austin Arts Commission, by a subgrant of the Texas Commission on the Arts, and through member donations.

Reel Women
PO Box 50573
Austin TX 78763-0573
(512) 292-9008, fax (512) 280-5704
reelwmen@texas.net

Reel Women offers a network of support for women at all levels of experience in the film and video industries through education, exhibition, and mentoring, and provides a supportive atmosphere for the exchange of information and ideas. Weekly email bulletins provide audition and production notices and referrals, as well as information about community events. The Reel Women Crew Book and the Reel Women Casting Book are comprised of hundreds of resumes and headshots of local talent (both men and women) and are available at no cost to all productions to assist them in fulfilling their production needs. Their all -- women production group provides an opportunity to receive hands-on training in the making of a short film or video. They also offer their members free monthly workshops focusing on aspects of production such as digital camera, script supervision, and directing. General meetings, held the third Wednesday of each month, are free and open to the public.

Texas Film Institute
The Ranch of Dos Cerros
409 Mountain Spring
Boerne TX 78006
(877) 219-3097, fax (830) 537-5906
info@texasfilminstitute.com

The Texas Film Institute (TFI) is a talent hatchery for screenwriters and novelists, offering writers guidance, development and an entrance in to the entertainment industry via TFI's associations with production companies such as Bedford Falls, and others. TFI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is designed to utilize the spec script marketplace to find material for a group of select production companies. Criteria for selection is based on the unique writing methods, the Dramatic Cycle.

The Texas Film Commission
PO Box 13246
Austin TX 78711
(512) 463-9200, fax (512) 463-4114
24 hour production hotline (512) 463-7799
film@governor.state.tx.us

Since 1971, the Texas Film Commission, now a division of The Office of Governor Rick Perry, has provided preproduction assistance to film and video projects of all sizes and all budgets. The Texas Film Commission's free services include location research, providing access to an extensive photo library of statewide locations; referrals to crew, talent, equipment, and support services; information on Texas' sales tax exemptions for film production; guidance on state laws and legislative issues affecting filmmakers; contact information for state agencies, law enforcement, and public and private entities; access to archives on Texas' film industry and its economic impact; and a production hotline and online bulletin board providing employment information on film projects throughout Texas.

The indispensable Texas Production Manual -- an annual sourcebook for the motion picture, television and video industries -- lists over a thousand film and video professionals from all over Texas; location photos; government contracts; weather information; and a Texas filmography. Listings are compiled each fall. The Manual costs $20.00, but most of its information is available at no charge through the Film Commission's web site.

Austin Film Office 201 E 2nd St
Austin TX 78701 Gary Bond, Director
(800) 926-2282 x7229, (512) 583-7229, fax (512) 583-7281
Brenda Johnson, Locations Specialist
(512) 583-7230

Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA)
PO Box 13406
Austin TX 78711-3406
(512) 463-5535, tty (512) 475-3327
Message only (800) 252-9415
fax 512/475-2699
front.desk@arts.state.tx.us

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is the state agency charged with the development of a receptive climate for the arts in Texas. TCA achieves its mission through the provision of grants, information, and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and the general public.

The Commission has created the Texas Cultural & Arts Network (TCAnet) to enable the provision of services, technical assistance, and the dissemination of information via the Internet and World Wide Web. Visit TCAnet at www.arts.state.tx.us. List your events on their online arts calendar at www.artonart.com. Through a collaborative effort, they will host the website of any non-profit arts and cultural organization on www.txarts.net for free. They'll even host your domain name for free.

TCA provides competitive grants to Texas-based arts organizations and artists through a number of programs. The Texas Arts Plan provides a comprehensive overview of TCA's programs and application guidelines. It is available online at www.arts.state.tx.us or can be requested via mail.

Courtesty of the Austin Film Society