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CLICK THE IMAGE TO HEAR A MESSAGE FROM
TAVA MALOY SOFSKY, DIRECTOR OF OF+MO!
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Tava Maloy Sofsky, Director of the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO), brings another video intro to our September 2020 newsletter looking ahead to our Okie Roundup on September 18!
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Start your new career in the film industry!
In 2019, nearly 40 film and television projects filmed in communities around the state, making it one of the busiest years Oklahoma has ever had for film and television production. As the entertainment industry continues to flourish both globally and here in Oklahoma, the need for the continued development and expansion of our local film industry workforce and companies is critical. We invite you to explore resources to learn more about ways you can plug in to the industry and start your careers now!
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| JOIN OF+MO AT THESE EVENTS
Mercury Lounge "Live from the Mercury"
Streaming | Dates TBA
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| OKLAHOMA FILM + MUSIC SPOTLIGHT
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TRAVIS CARTER | vp of a&r at warner chappell
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| The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO)’s “Oklahoma Film + Music Spotlight” features various filmmakers, musicians and industry leaders who have experienced the positive benefits of making film and music in Oklahoma.
September's Spotlight features Travis Carter, VP of A&R at Warner Chappell in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally from Oklahoma, Carter talks about his musical and music business influences from the state and explains how much the music industry has grown here. He is excited to see that musicians and music industry members can stay here to work!
Click the image to watch this month's spotlight video!
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| | The Oklahoma Film + Music Office's "Innovation Insight” series profiles a variety of Oklahoma film and music professionals who have found creative ways to continue their craft or businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue adjusting in these uncharted waters, our creatives around the state continue finding innovative ways to use technology and we agree with their mindset: “The show must go on”.
September’s Innovation Insight features Tulsa Symphony, a community service organization that entertains, educates, heals and inspires through musical excellence, innovation, and collaboration. 2020 has presented an opportunity to increase innovation, and Tulsa Symphony has embraced the challenge. Along with other leaders in entertainment utilizing open-air models, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra will kick off their fall season with an open-air, socially-distanced performance at the ONEOK Field this Saturday, September 5, at 8:00 p.m.
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PGA Publishes New COVID Safety Protocols
On August 31, the Producers Guild of America’s (PGA) Production Safety Task Force published a comprehensive safety guide for producers as they go back to work titled “COVID Safety Protocols for Producing Independent Productions". In addition to the guidelines, the PGA is in the process of creating a “Tips from the Field” online resource where producers and department heads can post tips and insights from productions they’re working on. This will create a living hub of information, all accessible to the general public, that is designed to provide further resources and support as the pandemic continues.
Find this document and more industry resources in the "Additional Resources" tab on the Reopening Oklahoma page on our website.
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The Tulsa County Film Recovery Program is Now Available to Productions
The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (TFMAC) announced August 21 the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program, a program focused on driving an economic boost through film production, mitigating COVID-19 risk on-set and giving education opportunities to the local film crew to retrun to work safely. This Program is available to production companies on a first-come, first-served basis. Each production that applies is eligible for up to $20,000 based on the percentage of local crew hired, booked lodging at a Tulsa County area hotel, direct spend in Tulsa County and other qualified expenditures. All funds must be used to offset production costs related to COVID-19 spending in Tulsa County, must be incurred and spent between August 2020 through December 30, 2020. The $90,000 recovery program is made possible through Tulsa County CARES Act funding.
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Oklahoma Film & TV Academy Launches Film Podcast Series
OF+MO is proud to be a sponsor, alongside the Cherokee Nation Film Office, of “Film Crew 101”, a new podcast series from the Oklahoma Film & TV Academy (OFTA), which is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and other major audio platforms. The newly launched Oklahoma Film & TV Academy is a short course program focused solely on training its students to meet the growing demand of Oklahoma’s film industry for skilled workforce members. Each episode of the Film Crew 101 podcast series will highlight a different department within film and television production and feature commentary with special guest artists highlighting their work and providing educational advice from their respective fields.
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"Ida Red" Now Filming in Oklahoma
Production is underway for the feature film “Ida Red”. The production will shoot during the months of August and September in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The film is written and directed by John Swab (“Body Brokers”), a Tulsa native who has made three other movies using Tulsa as a location. The production hired 40 local crew members and ten local cast members to be in the film. Throughout filming, strict precautions were taken on set that followed Oklahoma and SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 protocols. The production has also been working closely with the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (TFMAC).
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Behind the scenes of "Cheer for Your Life".
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| “Cheer for Your Life” Now Filming in Oklahoma
Production has begun on the feature film “Cheer for Your Life”. The film started principal photography August 26, 2020, with filming scheduled for multiple locations in and around the Oklahoma City area. "Cheer for Your Life" is the second project this team has produced in Oklahoma since the state opened back up safely for projects to resume, and has hired over 20 local crew members.
“We had such a wonderful experience in Oklahoma back in June that we immediately made plans to shoot this film here as well,” said producer Daniel Roth. “The crews are quite experienced and the locals have been nothing but an asset in assisting production.”
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Click the image to watch the trailer for ESPN's "Our Time: Oklahoma State Football"!
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| “Our Time: Oklahoma State Football” Now Filming in Oklahoma
Filming is underway in Oklahoma for the documentary series “Our Time: Oklahoma State Football”. The production will follow the Oklahoma State University football team as they train for the uncertainty of the 2020 football season. The series is based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with all local crew members being provided by 1577 Productions out of Oklahoma City. The series started filming during the team’s pre-season and will continue throughout the fall until the season has ended.
The first four episodes of “Our Time: Oklahoma State Football” are now available to stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with plans to release new episodes weekly.
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“All Roads Lead to Pearla” Releases in Limited Theatres and Streaming Platforms on September 25
Formerly titled “Sleeping in Plastic”, the Oklahoma produced movie “All Roads Lead to Pearla” will be released by Gravitas Ventures in limited theatres and on major streaming platforms on September 25, 2020. The crime-thriller is a dark coming-of-age tale set in a small Texas town that awakens when a high school wrestler gets involved with a drifter and her ruthless lover. The film was shot on-location in 2017 throughout central Oklahoma, including the cities of Choctaw and Harrah, which served as the film’s primary production hubs with additional locations in Oklahoma City, and hired 70 Oklahoma crew members.
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New Projects in the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Queue
OF+MO is pleased to announce three new projects that have all been pre-qualified to utilize Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program. Due to safety and public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, some productions have temporarily modified or suspended their production dates in Oklahoma. New production dates will be provided as soon as possible by those productions.
New + Updated Projects
- “Sorority Sister Killer” – September 22, 2020
- "Out of Exile" - October 1, 2020
- "Sinister Sorority" - October 26, 2020
Please note that these dates are subject to change pending the production’s compliance with the benchmarks and administrative rules for the rebate program. For a current listing of films in the rebate queue, please visit the Filming in Oklahoma page of our website. For a current listing of films in the rebate queue, please visit the Filming in Oklahoma page of our website.
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Red Dirt Rangers performing at Mercury Lounge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Photo credit: Sean Payne
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| OF+MO Presents "Okie Roundup: An Oklahoma Showcase Live from the Mercury Lounge"
For the fifth year in a row, OF+MO is proud to sponsor “Okie Roundup: An Oklahoma Showcase Live from the Mercury Lounge” during the 20th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, which will run September 16-18. Due to the pandemic, Americana Music Association, located in Nashville, Tennessee, has created Thriving Roots, which was designed to replace this year’s conference and bring the global Americana music community together from across the world for three full days of engaging insight.
This year’s “Okie Roundup” is set to air Friday, September 18, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m and will showcase Americana talent from across the state with performances from Travis Linville, Carter Sampson, Stephen Salewon, Samantha Crain, John Fullbright and Red Dirt Rangers.
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Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture Announces Music Recovery Program
The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (Tulsa FMAC) announces Play Tulsa Music, a music recovery effort designed to help fund Tulsa County music venues and get Tulsa musicians back to performing live music safely. The Play Tulsa Music program funds are available for venues in Tulsa County hiring musicians to perform live music from September 2020 to December 2020. Tulsa FMAC will work with Tulsa Regional Tourism/Tulsa Regional Chamber accounting team to disburse allocated funds in compliance with CARES Act.
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Water from the Rock Productions Presents Inaugural Jazz Festival
OF+MO is proud to sponsor the inaugural Jazz on the Green, presented by Water from the Rock Productions, on Friday, September 11. Michael Fields Jr., a Tulsa-based international recording artist, bassist and founder of Water on the Rock Productions is bringing together a celebrated list of local, regional, national and internationally acclaimed cross-genre jazz musicians with styles ranging from smooth, contemporary and modern, to pop and r&b. Due to continued safety concerns presented by COVID-19, Jazz on the Green has decided to host a virtual livestream event, set to take place Friday, September 11, at 7:00 p.m. on the Jazz on the Green's Facebook page.
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| | "Tenkiller" Wraps Production in Oklahoma
Production has wrapped in Oklahoma for the feature film "Tenkiller", which filmed in Tahlequah and surrounding area with an all-Oklahoma crew over the course of twenty days.
“The state of Oklahoma provided the ideal locations for us to shoot ‘Tenkiller’,” said director and cinematographer Kara Choate. “We’re so thankful to have made it through the filming process, especially in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Our close-knit group of cast and crew made this experience incredible. We’re grateful for them, along with local musicians, our family, friends and the Oklahoma Film + Music Office for supporting us.”
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"Impropriety" Wraps Production in Oklahoma
Production has wrapped in Oklahoma on the feature film “Impropriety”, which began filming August 14. The production shot for three weeks in Oklahoma City and the surrounding area, including Norman, El Reno and Edmond. “Impropriety” is being produced by Anoop Rangi and directed by Nadeem Soumah who have worked together on several previous films, with this being their first time to film in Oklahoma. Over 20 Oklahoma crew members were hired to work on the film.
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CURRENT CREW + CASTING CALLS
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REAGAN ELKINS | film
director
“Many people don’t understand how diverse the landscape is in our beautiful state. From sand dunes to winding rivers, cityscapes to mountains, Oklahoma offers everything a production needs, and then some. And the neighborly environment from fellow Oklahomans always brings a smile to my face."
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| | | JOHN FULLBRIGHT | music
singer/songwriter
“I am very honored to be a part of this great music community in Oklahoma and thankful for all involved making it happen,” said Fullbright. “We have a lot of great songwriters in Oklahoma that need to be heard.”
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| FEATURED OKLAHOMA LOCATION
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THE FLEA | oklahoma city
Located in what is considered to be the oldest bar in downtown Oklahoma City, The Flea is not your typical neighborhood dive bar. A unique eclecticism has transformed this historic building into a place that feels familiar, but also uniquely its own. Kitschy knickknacks and signage adorn its walls while retro furnishings and amusements abound giving patrons an opportunity to lose themselves for hours taking in various intricacies or games. Live music and events as well as local brews and craft cocktails make for a four-star dive bar experience that can’t be beat. This film and music friendly location has set the scene for a number of productions, including Kyle Kauwika Harris’ short film “Prone to Violence”, the feature film “Breaking Them Up”, which utilized the state’s film incentive program, and most recently the music video for recording artist Greyson Chance’s latest single, “Bad to Myself”.
If you are interested in showcasing your community or featuring your location in the Oklahoma Locations Directory, please contact Yousef Kazemi at Yousef.Kazemi@TravelOK.com or visit our website for more information.
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| EVENTS AT A GLANCE
A great way to continue to support Oklahoma musicians and filmmakers is to watch local live streaming events. Visit our online Events Calendar to find streaming film and music events in the state.
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RECEIVE A FREE OF+MO FANNY PACK WHEN YOU UPDATE YOUR LISTING!
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Oklahoma Crew + Musicians: Update Your Listing in Our Directories!
Register or update your listing in the Oklahoma Production and Music Directories and receive a commemorative Oklahoma Film + Music Office fanny pack to be mailed to the address provided on your profile. If a different mailing address is preferred, please communicate that to our team so we can ensure proper delivery.
There’s no better time to update your listing, so please take a few minutes to login to your profile and help us showcase our incredibly talented artists.
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AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Instantly access the Oklahoma Production, Locations and Music Directories with the OKLAHOMA FILM + MUSIC OFFICE APP to explore and connect with Oklahoma's talented crew, accommodating support services, diverse locations and legendary musicians. For more information, visit the iTunes Store.
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Stay Connected with Your Legislator
Connect with your local area state legislators at oklegislature.gov or by using the Oklahoma Legislative Guide for the 57th Legislature app, which provides current contact information and photos of each representative. This free app is provided by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC). Find it in the app store.
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| CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE WHY YOUR NEXT
FILMING PROJECT SHOULD BE IN OKLAHOMA!
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| About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office:
Created in 1979, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma's film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.
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SUPPORT • CONNECT • PROMOTE
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