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This time last year, we were celebrating the declaration of August 3 as 'Film Day' in Oklahoma by Governor Kevin Stitt on the heels of launching our most robust film incentive to date and the premiere of Oklahoma’s first scripted television series, FX’s “Reservation Dogs” on Hulu. As we recognize both the one year anniversary of this historic milestone and the premiere of the second season of this hit series, we have much to celebrate as we remain steadfast in our commitment to further growing our state's film, television and music industries in the seasons ahead alongside our partners and industry professionals who continue to make waves of change throughout the our production landscape.
Earlier this month, we were honored to celebrate the opening of The Cherokee Nation’s state-of-the art Film Studio in Owasso, which is breaking new boundaries for workforce and business development throughout the Nation and Northeast Oklahoma with impact that will carry over statewide. Speaking of career and business impact, production activity across the state is expected to increase with the announcement of our latest slate of film and television productions to utilize the state’s film incentive program. Make sure to check our “Jobs” page for the latest cast and crew calls, and to our industry registrants, be sure to update your listings in the Production Directory as more eyes will be browsing through our robust databases.
While last month we wrapped a fabulous celebration of Oklahoma music in Okemah at the 25th annual WoodyFest, we’ll be gearing up for more great things as we head into next month’s Americanafest in Nashville. Before that, we’re happy to announce we’ll be in the 'film friendly' certified city of Woodward this month as a first-time partner of the Thunderbird Drone Festival, one of the only events of its kind in the region recognizing the unique intersection of film and drone technologies. We’re excited for the spotlight this event will shine on our state as will a number of exciting film and television premieres of recent Oklahoma produced projects, including the aforementioned second season of FX’s “Reservation Dogs” on Hulu and the feature film “What Josiah Saw” streaming exclusively in the U.S. on Shudder.
Whether at home or abroad, we look forward to connecting with you later down the road, and invite you to stay connected with us through our social media (@okfilmmusic) for the latest update on Oklahoma’s film, tv and music scene!
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| JOIN OF+MO AT THESE EVENTS
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Film Crew Training Courses Being Offered Through Film Recovery Program
The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture along with the Oklahoma Film & TV Academy bring OFTA’s next “Set Ready” course to Tulsa’s Cox Business Convention Center in August through the Tulsa County Film Recovery Program. “Set Ready” is a four-day course, spread across two weekends, geared towards aspiring filmmakers and those who have been displaced from their careers due to the pandemic. The class will provide students the overview they’ll need to step onto a film set with confidence and ready to work as a production assistant in any department. The second of three "Set Ready" courses will be held at the CBCC in downtown Tulsa on August 6-7 and August 13-14. The second course is both weekends 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Final course dates will be announced soon. Scholarships are available for Tulsa County residents.
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Current Casting, Career and Internship Opportunities
CREW
CASTING
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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| BUSINESS + INFRASTRUCTURE
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The Cherokee Film Studios, Owasso Campus, is Now Open
Congratulations to the Cherokee Nation Film Office on their grand opening of The Cherokee Film Studios, Owasso Campus! The first of its kind in Oklahoma and Indian Country, The Cherokee Nation Film Studios, Owasso Campus, includes a state-of-the-art extended reality (xR) virtual production LED volume studio crafted with industry-leading software and hardware technologies. The 27,000 square foot facility is one of a handful of OFMO certified soundstages in the state and will greatly serve to diversify the state's production landscape with new infrastructure and industry leading technologies as well as create unprecedented opportunities for workforce and business development within the Nation itself.
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OCCC Named in MovieMaker Magazine's 2022 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada
The Digital Cinema Production Program at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) was recognized for “Outstanding Film Production Training” by MovieMaker Magazine on its 2022 List of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. This hands-on program is one of the most affordable in the region and gives participating students the opportunity to learn using some of the best industry-level digital camera and lighting equipment, as well as sound and editing equipment and software. Students who’ve completed the program have made film careers for themselves and have locally had the opportunity to work on film and television productions with directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Taylor Sheridan. Congratulations to OCCC on this honor and thanks for your contributions in growing our state’s film and television workforce over the years!
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FEATURED BUSINESS
OK Sounds Good
OK Sounds Good is a boutique audio post-production company that specializes in sound design and immersive mixing in Dolby Atmos for film, television and music.
"There is so much content being made throughout the world today and Oklahoma has created a culture and community that allows creatives to thrive. The quality of work coming from Oklahoma competes with work coming from other well-established communities and is such an inspiration to be a part of."
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Oklahoma Film + Music Office Takes Flight with Thunderbird Drone Festival Partnership
OF+MO is proud to be a partner of the second annual Thunderbird Drone Festival in Woodward, Okla., August 12-13. This festival is Oklahoma’s first and only drone film and photo festival and drone technology event, and the only drone event of its kind in the Midwest. OF+MO will exhibit at the film festival and preceding awards ceremony in promotion of the state’s film industry and related workforce, infrastructure and drone technologies.
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Left to right: Yousef Kazemi, OF+MO; Charles Jackson, Bethany Kiwanis Club; Tava Maloy Sofsky, OF+MO; and Priscilla Cude, Bethany Kiwanis Club
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| OF+MO Talks About Oklahoma Film, TV & Music to Bethany Kiwanis Club
OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky and Outreach & Production Manager Yousef Kazemi were proud to speak to members of the Bethany Kiwanis Club at their weekly meeting regarding Oklahoma’s flourishing film, television and music industries as well as the resources provided by our office to support these business sectors. This event proved to be a great touchpoint for local Kiwanis members of Bethany as their city is one of our 'film friendly' certified communities after completing the requirements of the Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program, going above and beyond the program’s requirements to launch their own localized film incentive to spur further production and related economic impact in their area.
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Panel discussion with Ellis Paul at WoodyFest.
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OF+MO Hosts Panels at WoodyFest
OF+MO was proud to be a returning partner of the 25th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Okla., in July. One of the longest running festivals in Oklahoma, this year’s event hosted over 100 artists at six venues with over 3000 guests in attendance over the course of this four-day event. During the festival, educational panels and programs were held throughout the week, including three presented by OF+MO.
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Rescheduled: Upcoming Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program Meeting
The third quarterly Oklahoma Film Friendly Community Program Meeting previously scheduled to virtually take place on Wednesday, August 24, at 1:00 p.m. CST is being rescheduled for a future date. Stay tuned for further details and we appreciate your patience as the forthcoming rescheduled date will allow us ample time to implement some exciting program updates that we look forward to sharing with you soon.
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FEATURED LOCATION
U.S.P.S. Federal Courthouse
As one of the primary locations featured throughout the TV series “Reservation Dogs,” the ‘film friendly’ certified City of Okmulgee is home to many camera-ready locations, including a vacant historic federal courtroom.
Housed in the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, which was completed in 1933 under the designs of supervising architect James A. Wetmore, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma serviced the region until it suspended operations a few years ago. Currently, the Court and related offices that occupy most of the second floor of the building remain vacant with no immediate plans for future usage. Permission to use this property would need to be obtained from the United States Postal Service (USPS), which remains in operation on the first floor.
Many thanks to Okmulgee Main Street and local film professional Shane Brown for sharing this location with us.
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| OKLAHOMA FILM + MUSIC SPOTLIGHTS
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| 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. This Spotlight features 2018 deadCenter Oklahoma Film Icon recipient and renowned actor Ryan Merriman (“Final Destination 3,” “Luck of the Irish”) discussing what makes him proud to be an Oklahoman and how Oklahoma’s diverse locations and terrain can provide the perfect backdrop for a variety of film productions. Merriman has starred in three productions that have used Oklahoma’s film incentives - the feature films “The Jurassic Games” and "Out of Exile" as well as the streaming series “In the Rough.”
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FEATURED FILM CAREER
Klein Haley | assistant director/pa
"My favorite aspect [of working in Oklahoma’s film and television industry] is definitely the community and family we’ve created. There are so many talented people working here and they create a really special environment on set."
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FEATURED MUSIC CAREER
Allan & Barb Vest | songwriters/video editors
"The lower cost of living here is a big plus [to having a music career in Oklahoma]. There are several long-time and newer music venues and a really active arts scene full of talented folks."
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NOW ACCEPTING REBATE APPLICATIONS
Applications are now OPEN for Oklahoma film incentives! Film and television projects interested in applying for incentives under the ‘Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021’ may now do so on the Incentives Page of our website.
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- "Untitled Tulsa Project"
- "Little Amens"
- "Open Track Season 1"
Please note that these dates are subject to change pending the production’s compliance with the benchmarks and administrative rules for the rebate programs. For a current listing of films in the rebate queue, please visit the Now Filming section of our website.
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THAT'S A WRAP
OF+MO is pleased to announce the completion of one project in the last month, utilizing Oklahoma's film incentives.
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NEW RELEASES
WATCH: Projects Filmed in Oklahoma Releasing Soon
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Click the image to watch the trailer for Season 2 of "Reservation Dogs."
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| | “Reservation Dogs” Season Two Now Streaming on Hulu
After being heralded as one of the standout new television shows of 2021, “Reservation Dogs” is back for a second season exclusively on Hulu in the U.S. Produced by the FX Network, the series was created by Oklahoma’s own Sterlin Harjo alongside Taika Waititi and tells the story of Native American teens growing up on a reservation in Oklahoma. A rare show featuring Indigenous representation both in front of and behind the camera, “Reservation Dogs” was put on more than 80 critics year-end best lists and won multiple awards in 2021, including being named one of the American Film Institute’s TV Program of the Year. Both seasons of the hit series were produced in Oklahoma utilizing the state’s film incentive program. The first two episodes of "Reservation Dogs" are now available to stream on Hulu with additional weekly episodes debuting on Wednesdays throughout the series run.
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| About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office:
Under the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) works to promote the state as a viable hub for film, television and music production as well as further develop opportunities for workforce, business and community growth within these sectors. For more information on the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, including the state’s film incentives and additional resources, visit okfilmmusic.org.
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SUPPORT • CONNECT • PROMOTE
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