interviewer : Daniel Alt

Project : University of Houston

Daniel Alt interviews Rick Ferguson who discusses the Houston Film Commission, the film industry in Houston, and some of the films that have been shot in the city. Ferguson explains the economics of the film industry in Texas, including the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which currently offers filmmakers an incentive rate of 5-20% plus a grant for filming within the state. This includes a mention of the hotel-motel tax, or Hotel Occupancy Tax, which funds this program. Ferguson also discusses how flexible the city of Houston’s appearance is, describing how it has “stood-in” for various cities during productions such as St. Louis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and even Switzerland. He also details the manner in which cities currently pitch their locales to prospective filmmakers. The history of soundstages in Houston is also briefly discussed. Ferguson also gives a comprehensive history of films shot in the city, dating back to Wings which was released in 1927.