February/March 2023

THE FI L M ISSUE

A DEFINING MOMENT

How Matt Payne and Rachel Cannon, with the rest of Oklahoma’s filmmakers, will push the industry forward.

Pay in OKLAHOMA

What inspires TALIA BELLA?

The Future of AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Tipping Point

Oklahoma’s film industry has grown 203% since new state incentives increased to $30 million from projects like Paramount’s Tulsa King. Now, the industry will decide if its ready to grow up even more or rest on past success.

The Wave and The Wheat

Matt Payne and Rachel Cannon, the powerhouse partnership behind Prairie Surf Media, are pushing the film industry further than ever.

Departments

START UP

14 Insight Movie momentum.

16 My Daily Media Diet with Jordan Advertising vice president Randy Bradley.

18 Day in the Life Tsoodle’s day as Alliance for Economic Development president.

20 The Future of … OKC’s affordable housing.

SWEAT EQUITY

24 Small Business Maddie’s millions for Bethany Children’s Health Center.

26 Data Dive National, regional and Oklahoma pay averages.

28 How I Did It Woody Chocolate and Zero Tolerance..

EXIT STRATEGY

60 Inspirations

What inspires Thunderbird Films Talia Bella.

62 On Topic

What does having a growing film industry bring to Oklahoma’s economy, workforce or quality of life?

64 Industry Tools Alex Semikopenko’s Sony FX6

Cover Prairie Surf Media cofounders and co-CEOs Matt Payne and Rachel Cannon.

ASK A VC: WHAT 2023 WILL BRING FOR VENTURE CAPITAL

2022 was a unique year, not only for us at Cortado Ventures but for the venture capital space (and, at times, the world) as well. While there were plenty of challenges to tackle, we’re excited about the innovation and progress made over the past 12 months, both as an organization and in tandem with our portfolio companies. This year, we made exciting progress on our Fund II, aiming to finish raising $80M in 2023, and helped drive continued growth in enterprise technology companies including fintech, aerospace, life sciences, AI, energy technology, and logistics.

While there are many milestones from the previous year to celebrate, our team is always looking forward to what’s next. Our Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding, General Partner Mike Moradi, and Principal Susan Moring, share their insights on what Cortado predicts for venture capital in the coming year.

What excites you the most about the future of VC in 2023?

Susan Moring: There are many exciting conditions shaping up in 2023 for us as investors: the quality of opportunities, the focus on fundamentals, the death of FOMO driving decisions based on trends, and the existential need for established corporations to adopt innovation to compete. But most of all, I’m excited to see a continued push for diversity among both investors and founders over the next year. Bringing new voices to the table helps us break ground and innovate more rapidly. There will be a continued focus on companies with solid fundamentals — companies that, at first, may not be as sexy, or produce under the radar products that enable major industries, like manufacturing, logistics, etc., to work more efficiently.

Mike Moradi: Severe market disruptions are the best time to start or grow tech-based companies. We don’t see this ending any time soon and believe that many companies started between 2020 and 2023 will become household names. I also echo Susan’s comments about diversity and inclusion, which have been vital to Cortado’s success. Along with this, Talent is now more distributed than ever, and many people aren’t willing to return to higher-cost living on the coasts when they can work remotely. The targeted long-term investments that have been made by cities and states in the Midcontinent in the past few years will continue to bear fruit, especially in key industries such as aerospace, biotech, fintech, and energy tech.

How will inflation or other economic factors affect portfolio companies, startups and investors in 2023?

SM: I think 2023 will be a weeding-out year for startups. Some may have a hard time surviving the year. On the flipside, companies with great fundamentals whose products generate value for their customers will have a chance to shine, which is something I’m excited about. Great talent will be more readily available for great companies as layoffs probably continue to happen.

MM: It will be a great year for M&A, though it’s a buyer’s market. If you’re running a startup and have profitable unit economics or a hot product/service, you may find multiple bidders with all-cash or mostly-cash offers. If not, you’ll either get stuck in a milestones and royalties deal with some up-front, or worse, an acqui-hire model that might return your investors’ capital or some portion thereof.

What do you anticipate for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Midcontinent specifically this coming year?

Nathaniel Harding: We hear more and more how established entrepreneurial ecosystems like San Francisco, New York City and Boston have stagnated. Alternatively, the center of gravity for new energy is in “domestic emerging markets” where there are announcements every week from new programs, organizations, startups and investors.

Entrepreneurs are builders who are attracted by the opportunity to join and shape a new frontier. In Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, and Northwest Arkansas, we see these network nodes connecting and you now have several options, for example, for organized capital at every stage. Things are happening more organically now, with so much talent and so many ideas that company creation and ecosystem events pop up at an exponential rate, overrunning gatekeepers.

Ox is the world’s first Human Centered Automation company transforming the supply chain industry by helping retailers leverage their stores as distribution centers.

Drov’s comprehensive new smart tanker solution integrates smart components and sensors into the tanker through the AirBoxOne platform. Using wired and wireless technologies, AirBoxOne can read any sensor on the tanker, change and control tire pressure, enable camera setups on the tanker, and connects to the driver.

What else are you anticipating as the third wave of VC continues to gain momentum?

NH: The digitization of heavy industry will continue, as AI and machine learning are now becoming the required competitive edge for established companies. Corporate R&D dollars will struggle in a high interest rate environment, so these companies will increasingly look to adopt tech being proven out by startups.

At Cortado, we’ve already built partnerships with and invested in companies leading this type of innovation, across a range of industries. Drov Technologies is disrupting the transportation industry with smart truck and trailer technology, improving both safety and efficiency. In the operations space, Ox is

developing a first-of-its-kind system that empowers employees with automated technology. In energy, AI Driller is challenging the status quo and solving drilling problems with an all-inone intelligence platform. Finally, oPRO.ai is leading exciting innovation for manufacturing — harnessing the power of artificial intelligence for smart factory automation.

While it’s impossible to predict the future with complete accuracy, we can shape it. We’re thankful for all of our team members and partners who worked with us in 2022, and we are looking forward to shaping 2023 together.

Cortado Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in ambitious, growth-driven companies, backing a new generation of economic prosperity for Oklahoma and the Midcontinent region. As one of the largest VC funds in Oklahoma, Cortado’s focus is on tech companies bringing innovative solutions to the energy, logistics, life sciences, aerospace and the future of work sectors. For more information, visit cortado.ventures.

The Family

PRESIDENT & CEO Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com

PUBLISHER Rod Whitson rod.whitson@405business.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kayte Spillman kayte@405business.com

ART DIRECTOR Christopher Lee christopher.lee@405magazine.com

SENIOR WRITER Greg Horton greg.horton@405magazine.com

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Meagan Matthews meagan@hilltopmediagroup.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lillian Meador ads@405magazine.com

CLIENT COORDINATOR Leesa Neidel production@405magazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kristen Grace, Evie Klopp Holzer, Danielle Oberloier, Melanie Wilderman, Lori Williams

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Charlie Neuenschwander, Logan Walcher

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Lillian Meador

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

Cynthia Whitaker-Attalla cynthia.whitakerhill@405magazine.com

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Drew Smith drew.smith@405magazine.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Vanda Holland vanda@405business.com

DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

FOR MORE INFORMATION about this issue and to discuss a comprehensive advertising plan that includes our other platforms, contact your 4O5 account

or call 405.842.2266

Raylee Lewis raylee.lewis@405magazine.com

Explosive Growth

LET’S TALK

ABOUT the explosive, exciting growth of Oklahoma’s film industry.

The conversation could start and end with the sparkplug of energy and creativity that you find in Rachel Cannon and Matt Payne with Prairie Surf Media. Their knowledge of the industry, passion for its strategic growth and commitment to quality storytelling is just what this industry needs to go from growing at an unbelievable pace to sustainable and stable. We sat in the room with this powerhouse partnership three different times while working on this issue, and I left each time more impressed and excited about where this industry is headed. For a quick glance at the growth of Oklahoma’s film industry, check out the infographic (pg. 34), but don’t skip the deep dive Senior Writer Greg Horton delivers in The Tipping Point (pg. 32).

Maybe for the first time during a cover story, however, I grew worried that we weren’t going to be able to include all the voices that are responsible for the frenetic energy that surrounds this industry right now. We include so many of the filmmakers creating movement right now — from longtime Oklahoma filmmaker Lance McDaniel (pg. 51) to newcomers Marcus Brown and Dekoven Riggins (pg. 49). But it’s such a testament to the increase in the industry that we couldn’t include them all. This just will have to be an ongoing conversation to tell you all the stories of those finding work, careers and success in Oklahoma’s rapidly developing film industry.

In addition, in this issue, we present three new features for the first time to 405 Business. First, Kenton Tsoodle walks us through his day as the new president of the Alliance for Economic Development (pg. 18). And we’re tackling issues based

on the numbers. This month, we look at wages in Oklahoma in our new Data Dive feature (pg. 26). Finally, we’re looking at what keeps Oklahoma’s business leaders motivated with a new feature, Inspirations (pg. 60).

I hope these new features, along with some great stories like Lori Williams’ story about Bethany’s largest employer Bethany Children’s Health Center (pg. 24) and some candy-inspired entrepreneurs (pg. 28), motivate you like we’ve been with our work this issue.

If not, just book a meeting with Rachel Cannon and Matt Payne. They’ve got motivation and inspiration to spare.

“We now have the interest of the industry to say, we will come and create our projects here if the incentive is what it needs to be. So, all of it really hinges on the legislative session in February, to be able to say, ‘Hey, if you guys will unlock more money, we can bring more jobs. If we can bring more jobs, we can create more opportunities for Oklahomans to get those jobs.”

Kayte Spillman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Matt Payne Prairie

Media co-founder and co-CEO

“We’re changing the way the world sees Oklahoma. We want to ensure that Oklahoma filmmakers are using the labor force that we’ve created to then make the products that ultimately redefine how Oklahoma is perceived globally.”

Rachel Cannon Prairie Surf Media co-founder and co-CEO

Surf

While interviewing, we heard:

A FORTUITO

Vistage Member

STARTING EARLY

Paul Taylor was only 24 when he became CEO of the business his father launched in 1958. Today, he owns and manages Taylor Valve Technology alongside his leadership team.

Although Paul has always enjoyed support from his family, he soon came to realize that, in order to achieve his goals, he would need others in his corner as well.

as only 24 when he became CEO of the ather launched in 1958. Today, he owns Taylor Valve Technology alongside his m.

That’s when he received a fortuitous contact from Vistage Chair George Glover. “He was probably calling my older brother, but he got me,” says Paul, who was immediately interested in the Vistage peer advisory group concept.

“One of my risks was being a loner, not someone who built a strong network of people I can reach out to. So when George said ‘We get together once a month to learn how to be better business leaders’ I was pretty sold at that point.”

Paul is a founding member of his Vistage peer group and has been a Vistage member since 2017.

l has always enjoyed support from his n came to realize that, in order to achieve ould need others in his corner as well.

MAKING THE TRANSITION

Paul became a Vistage member and took to it right away. “At my first meeting, there were maybe eight established members plus George. And so it was kind of a close group. It was kind of intimate. It was a really focused and really welcoming environment, really warm.”

It wasn’t long before Paul was relying on this tight knit, local group of CEOs and business owners for advice on transitioning Taylor Valve Technology to second- generation leadership. His peers had plenty of experience to share about managing precisely this type of change.

he received a fortuitous contact from George Glover. "He was probably calling her, but he got me,” says Paul, who was nterested in the Vistage peer advisory t. sks was being a loner, not someone who network of people I can reach out to. So said 'We get together once a month to be better business leaders' I was pretty int."

“What was really helpful is in our group, we have quite a few family businesses, people who have been through it. They offered really good advice, because you have to consider not only the business dynamic but also the family dynamic.”

THE VALUE OF VISTAGE

In Paul’s opinion, George’s attitude as Chair is infectious. “George has a lot of enthusiasm for the people in the group and their businesses. He really enjoys talking about business and growing businesses and coaching. And so for him to see us and our businesses succeed – that’s where he gets really excited.”

The positivity is motivating but the real value of Vistage comes through in the shared wisdom. “My peers know my business very well. And they know what it’s like to run a business. Getting that kind of brain power in one room, all just focusing on my issues, it’s unique.”

So who can benefit from this type of organization? “If you’re someone who’s facing complex decisions, you have to have some way to get different perspectives,” says Paul. “Vistage groups are perfect for that.”

member of his Vistage peer group and

• Family-owned business since 1958

• Manufacturer of oilfield equipment

Paul Taylor CEO of

• 70 employees

Taylor Valve Technology, Inc

Vistage is the world’s leading executive coaching organization for CEOs and senior executives. Today, more than 28,000 members in 26 countries rely on Vistage to help them outperform their competitors. George Glover has been a Vistage Chair since 2016 and currently leads four Vistage peer groups in the OKC Metro.

Learn more at vistage.com/chairs/george.glover and visit with George by calling 405.509.1873.

Family-owned business since 1958

“If you’re someone who’s facing complex decisions, you have to have some way to get different perspectives. Vistage groups are perfect for that.”

Paul Taylor

CEO of Taylor Valve Technology, Inc

START UP

Can You Afford It?

Oklahoma City has historically enjoyed a low cost of living, but rental home prices have skyrocketed in recent years, especially in OKC’s urban core. p.2O

Movie Momentum

The growth of the film industry in Oklahoma has grown exponentially from six films in 2015 to 34 last year. With the foundation laid by legendary movie producer Gray Frederickson to current heavy hitters Prairie Surf Media, Oklahoma is poised to capitalize on this growing industry.

BY MATT STANSBERRY

THE FILM INDUSTRY in Oklahoma has come a long way. Let’s do a quick recap:

Where it started

In 2001, my dad formed a film production company called Graymark Productions with legendary movie producer, Gray Frederickson, who won a Best Picture Oscar for The Godfather Part II in 1975. At the height of his career, Frederickson knew most everyone in the business, but he was extremely humble. He was a true champion of film, a proud ambassador of OKC and a great friend. Everyone loved Gray.

It’s difficult to talk about the film industry in Oklahoma without talking about Gray Frederickson. In recent years, I had the exciting opportunity to work with Lance McDaniel, filmmaker, former executive director of DeadCenter Film Festival and one of Gray’s mentees, to develop the score for several of his films. One of which starred Rachel Cannon, actress, CEO of Prairie Surf Media, and also one of Gray’s mentees. All roads seem to point back to this one man, so it seemed only fitting to acknowledge his personal contributions before talking about the industry as a whole. Gray’s reach in the Oklahoma film community is difficult to quantify, but it’s clear that the film industry wouldn’t be what it is today without him.

Where it’s going

In 2015, Oklahoma averaged six movies per year and an $8 million direct fiscal impact. Flash forward to 2021, and Oklahoma had 34 productions with a $161 million direct fiscal impact. (According to the Oklahoma Film Office, the $161 million turns out to be closer to $400 million when you factor in ancillary spending in the state.) Significant growth is happening, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, the film industry’s production spending increased by 16.1% in North America during the pandemic, and the demand for content is only increasing.

Of course, more films means more money being brought into Oklahoma, but what I’m finding interesting is the correlation between more productions and the per film economic impact.

For example, in 2015 the average production was $1.33 million ($8 million for six films), while in 2021 the average production was $4.7 million ($161 million for 34 projects). More productions in our state seems to have quite the compounding effect.

Think of it this way: If we doubled the amount of productions and included the ancillary spending, the film industry could have a billion dollar impact on our state.

What could be

I think it’s safe to say that the film industry in the 405 is really just getting started. As we’ve seen in Hollywood, and more recently in Atlanta, other complementary industries will benefit from the film industry’s continued success. Tourism, the music industry, video gaming, production technologies, higher education film programs and other entertainment-related degrees, marketing and distribution, public relations and advertising will all experience growth too.

Movies create momentum.

Matt Stansberry founder, CEO and partners of Nominee, a brand consultancy

Above: Mark Stansberry, Matt’s dad and partner with Gray Frederickson in Graymark Production, talks with Gray Frederickson on a movie set location in 2006.

Below: Joe Stansberry, Gray Frederickson and Matt Stansberry at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame following Frederickson’s talk about his experience in the film industry.

Where do you get your news first?

I rely on an app called SmartNews. It can be programmed to notify me at whatever interval I want and can be customized to show me various types of news from different sources. In one app, I can look at local news, state and national news, industry specific news and sports news.

My Daily Media Diet

Randy Bradley, Jordan Advertising vice president and creative director, talks about the one newsletter that catches his eye, a lot of under-the-radar music to listen to and how having curiosity is sometimes better than thinking you have the answers.

What podcast do we need to be listening to?

Since I am a podcast junky, this list could get very long. I am currently listening to 50 podcasts, and probably average about three hours a day in listening time.

• THE WIZARD OF ADS: Great four-to-five-minute little gem of business/advertising information.

What app do you open first in the morning?

Usually, the weather app out of pure necessity. You can’t send the kids to school in the wrong clothes … again.

• EVERYTHING IS ALIVE: Very interesting and creatively stimulating Q&A podcast, from the perspective of an inanimate object.

• THE SOUNDTRACK SHOW: A study on the soundtracks that you know and love and the influences that went into them.

What newsletter always gets clicked open?

I don’t open many newsletters, but when I do, it is Creative Daily from Ad Age. I am always looking for inspiration, and I can always count on it having the latest and best advertising from around the globe.

• THROUGHLINE: A historical timeline of how we got where we are on different subject matter.

• THE DOLLOP: A hysterically funny, yet often inappropriate, walk through the life of a person or event and the absurd choices that were made.

• ALLAN PETERS: @allanpeters. Talented identity and icon designer.

• JAY FLETCHER: @jpegfletcher. Another talented designer and illustrator.

• YAO: @ggy0622. Colorist who has a very good eye for different cinematic looks.

• JON FOREMAN: @sculpttheworld. Sculptor who finds natural elements and arranges them into beautiful yet often temporary works of art.

• DIMA TKACHEV: @dimaphew. Animator and hand-lettering artist who can do wonders with  a pen and a tablet.

• BRONZE RADIO RETURN: Even though they have been around since 2013, they are a new find for me. A little pop and a little folk, but super melodic with a lead singer who cuts through with a unique and slightly nasal edge.

• DOUBLECAMP: For a band that has embraced the digital/Spotify age and only puts out singles, they have managed to only put out good ones, in my opinion.

• WRABEL: I am a sucker for a great piano-driven pop band.

What books are making you think?

What music should we add to our playlist right now?

• ROZES: Because who doesn’t need an upbeat pop sound led by a unique voice?

• BANNERS: Every once in a while, you find a voice and a band that you love every single song they put out, and this is one of those bands for me.

The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin; Everything is Sacred – Richard Roar; The Tattooist of Auschwitz –Heather Morris.

How do you ensure you remain media literate?

What social accounts should we be following?

Although I have a profile on practically every social platform, I only really follow my Instagram account.

• BENJAMIN TROMBONE: @Ben_jamin_trombone. Cool kid who creates music with a combo of non-musical items and traditional instruments.

• STEPHEN SANCHEZ: Although I like many of his songs, the one that got it started for me was “Until I Found You.” A throwback sound with electric guitar, Sanchez is a fresh take on a classic style.

I try to take in media from multiple sources and viewpoints. Vigorous conversation and hashing out concepts that feel uncomfortable with people who have a different perspective is always superior to having aggressive conversation with everyone agreeing on a subject. I am unafraid to be challenged with ideas, and I am also willing to sit with unanswered questions and wrestle with thoughts. At one time in my life, I felt the need to have the answers. Now, I feel like curiosity and a posture of learning is a better way.

Day in the Life

Kenton Tsoodle, the new president of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, walks through a recent workday filled with development meetings, quick calls to the Mayor and figuring out who is picking up the kids.

6 a.m. Wake up. Kiss my fiancée good morning and check my phone. Answer a few emails, review what’s happening for the day and finally roll out of bed.

7:30 a.m. On the road to work. Will it be sports radio, Spotify, or a podcast on the way to work? Looks like I’m feeling like some music!

8:30 a.m.Head to Oklahoma City Council. Have items on the agenda, including a purchase of city land. This will later be sold to build a new facility and an incentive package for a new manufacturer.

10 a.m. Take the opportunity to talk with City staff about two more projects we are working on. We strategize about upcoming meetings that are happening on these projects. Run back to the office and catch up on emails and review notes for the afternoon’s meetings.

1:30 p.m. Quick call with the Mayor to brief him on several things coming up as well as some strategic initiatives I’m interested in advancing. There is a lot of activity in OKC so we run out of time!

3 p.m. Now, I’m at the Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust. At this meeting, I’m actually sitting on the horseshoe as the General Manager of the Trust. We have several items on today, and I have to explain each one. Everything from incentives for a grocery store to a tire manufacturer to an industrial park today! This city is growing!

5:30 p.m. Start heading home. Stop on the way to do some grocery shopping for the rest of the week. Must not buy junk food … must not buy junk food.

8 p.m. Finally sit down and relax on the couch. Check news, social media, etc. while watching an episode of whatever that latest show we are binging.

6:15 a.m. Grind some coffee beans from Clarity Coffee and put the coffee on! Let the dogs back in and get ready for work.

9:15 a.m My items come up and I have to get up in front of Mayor and Council to answer questions. The items are approved! Whew!

8 a.m. Business meeting at Clarity Coffee, which is next door to my office, with my buddy Jeff Seymour from the Chamber of Commerce to talk strategy about several economic development projects we are working at the moment. In walks my fiancée having a business meeting of her own! Great minds …. I spend way too much money on coffee …

11:30 a.m. Walk to lunch with a coworker. We talk strategy on a few things and also touch base on how things are going in the office. Great local food at Patrono!

2 p.m. Literally run across the street to the Oklahoma City Water Utility Trust meeting. The same item regarding a land purchase also must be approved by this public body as well.

4 p.m. Head back to the office to finish up. Make phone calls, answer emails. Work on some closing documents for a deal that was approved earlier in the week. Check the schedule and coordinate with my fiancée on picking up kids. Luckily this week, there’s no practices, activities, etc. and I get out of pickup duty for tonight!

7 p.m. Get home and unload groceries. Throw together some quick salads for dinner. Yay! We ate healthy! Are those holiday chocolates on the table? Oh well … we tried. Have some good conversation. Kids are out of school right now so no worries about homework!

10 p.m. Wake up from dozing on the couch and crawl into bed!

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The Future of Affordable Housing

Despite housing costs sitting 25 percent below the national average, Oklahoma City had the third highest increase in rental rates between 2000 to 2020, urging voters to pass a $10 million subsidy in 2017 to help out. Where will rental prices land as OKC’s population growth continues to spike demand for housing?

BY GREG HORTON

THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING report delivered to the Oklahoma City City Council in August 2021 is probably best described as sobering.

Prepared by Denver-based Economic and Planning Systems, Inc., the report was pretty stark in its assessment of OKC’s affordable housing climate. Among the key findings was this observation: “Overall strong and resilient economy, yet portions of the population do not share in this experience.”

Yes, there is a bit of a Captain Obvious vibe to the observation. What city, after all, does not have a portion of the population that doesn’t share in the economic benefits? From jail inmates to homeless locals to the working poor, every city has demographics that don’t share in

the prosperity of a rapidly developing city. When combined with the next key finding, though, it’s apparent that OKC is rapidly approaching an affordable housing problem, if not a fullblown crisis.

“Renters confront limited housing options, unaffordable rents, units in poor condition, and a regulatory framework that perpetuates instability.”

“Affordable housing” is a phrase that will always be defined relative to context, so for governmental purposes, the metric is based on area median income, which for Oklahoma City is $73,200 – a number that is based on the wider OKC metro, not Oklahoma City proper.

The report noted that residents who earned below 60% of the area median income (roughly $50,000) were more likely to be:

• living in housing in serious need of rehab

• struggling with a life event, compromising ability to cover living expenses or hold a job

• trying to remedy bad credit history

• having trouble finding accessible housing

• experiencing discrimination.

The report also notes Oklahoma City has one of the highest mortgage denial rates in the country at 8% (in excess of 15% for Black and Hispanic applicants) as well as one of the country’s highest eviction rates. That’s followed by the observation that state statutes “give little recourse to renters to make repairs or protect them against landlord retaliation.”

Maurianna Adams, chief community investment officer at MetaFund, said OKC is behind in addressing the issue of affordable housing.

“Like other markets our size, Oklahoma City was already short on affordable units going into the pandemic,” Adams said. “The pandemic caused construction on affordable housing to stall, and then came materials shortages, supply chain issues, labor shortages and inflation. Now housing prices are spiking. We need policies that help us become more developer friendly for affordable housing, and we need better protections for tenants.”

Mayor David Holt acknowledged that as the city grows, affordable housing “is going to be a growing issue.

“In 2017, voters passed the first bond issue that contained a specific subsidy for affordable housing,” Holt said. “Developers who want access to the $10 million set aside for the purpose must agree to keep a portion of the apartments or units at a certain rate.”

Outside of the city’s faster-growing suburbs, the closer you get to the urban core, the higher housing costs get, and that includes rentals and tenant-owned housing. In fact, the report noted that OKC had the third sharpest increase in rental rates between 2000 and 2020, when 10 similar markets (Kansas City, Nashville, Ft. Worth, St. Louis, Tucson, etc.) were compared. Only Tucson and Austin had more drastic increases. Much of that rental increase can be found in and around downtown.

Given that much of the urban core is driven by a workforce who can’t afford to live in downtown, affordable housing in and around the urban core would seem to be important, given that OKC doesn’t yet have wide-reaching mass transportation, which means affordable housing and reliable transportation are critical.

“As the desirability of our community increases, so does the cost of housing,” Holt said. “More people wanting to live here drives up the cost.”

The report also noted that as of 2019, no single tract of residential property in the area considered “downtown” by the U.S. Census is considered affordable. In fact, only two designations in downtown exist: non-residential and not affordable.

“We have to start considering more innovative models,” Adams said. “Currently, developers have to create some properties available at below-market rates, and then rely on government or private sources to make up the difference.”

That is the model that the 2017 allocation typically funds. Holt said that most of the applicants for those funds have been working on a percentage-of-units basis. Adams, congruent with the reports recommendations, would like to see more innovative and flexible approaches, like community land trusts.

A community land trust is typically a non-profit that holds land – Adams suggests adjacent lots – on behalf of a community and is, legally speaking, the long-term steward for the purpose of affordable housing and other community benefits. The city has been using federal community development block grants (under HUD) that subsidize “decent housing and a suitable living environment,” to quote HUD’s verbiage. They do allow some flexibility, and do provide funds for affordable housing in small blocks that are part of larger developments.

The report noted that OKC needs a mechanism to ensure long-term affordability. Leaders don’t disagree with that finding, so the next step is shaping policies that become the mechanism.

MetaFund chief community investment officer

The pandemic caused construction on affordable housing to stall, and then came materials shortages, supply chain issues, labor shortages, and inflation. Now housing prices are spiking. We need policies that help us become more developer friendly for affordable housing and we need better protections for tenants.

SWEAT EQUITY

Totally Tolerant

Zero

Tolerance Coffee and Chocolate owner Maura Baker created the business in 2019 with her husband, and two of her four sons work the coffee kiosk that opened last summer. p.28

Mattie’s Millions

In 1897, Mattie Mallory changed trains in Oklahoma Territory and had a life-changing encounter with the orphans at the station. The 36-year-old founded an orphanage that became today’s Bethany Children’s Health Center, which is now Bethany’s largest employer and where thousands of medically fragile children receive individualized treatment and rehabilitation every year.

BY LORI WILLIAMS

WITH ONLY A GOLD watch and strong resolve, Mattie Mallory made a down payment in the late 1800s that would become a $60 million investment more than 100 years later. What started in 1898 as two rented rooms to house orphans in Oklahoma Territory is now Bethany’s largest employer at the sprawling Bethany Children’s Health Center complex in its park-like setting on Route 66.

How this journey unfolded is as much a lesson in overcoming what Mallory called “almost impossible” as it is a primer in entrepreneurship. She was part bootstrapper, part city planner and 100% devoted to her calling.

At first, Mallory fed four orphans at a time around a tiny sewing table in rooms on Fifth Street, and then she and her brood decamped to a brick building at Walker and Pottawatomie. At 36, she sold land in her home state of Kansas and made a down payment on 20 acres near 27th Street and Classen Boulevard. Things moved rapidly thereafter: the formation of the Oklahoma and Indian Territory Rescue and Orphanage Commission, the platting of Beulah Heights, and the construction of the Oklahoma Orphanage, a rescue home and a Bible School.

Mallory weathered four moves and an orphanage-wide outbreak of Cuban measles. The trifecta of orphanage, rescue home and school proved too much, so the astute businesswoman capitalized on an offer from the El Reno Interurban Railway Company to trade the Beulah Heights property for

Top: The facility began as an orphanage decades before Oklahoma became a state. In the 1940s, the orphanage became a convalescent center for polio victims.

Above: Today, the $60 million-valued complex employees about 800 people, making it Bethany’s largest employer.

80 acres west of the city. She gave 10 and sold 20 acres to a school (now Southern Nazarene University), withdrew from the faculty, and relinquished management of the rescue home. Monies from the land sale as well as interest earned from a loan of $5,000 helped underwrite her remaining ministry at the Oklahoma Orphanage. In 1909, Mattie and three other representatives committed and platted the 80 acres and named it Bethany.

In the 1940s, the orphanage became a convalescent center for polio victims. In the 1970s, it became a rehabilitation hospital for children with complex disabilities. It was also a time of financial crisis.

“When Albert Gray, my predecessor and our current chairman of the board, was brought in to close down the hospital, people thought it was the end of our story, but that’s not what God had planned,” said Nico Gomez, Bethany Children’s Health Center CEO.

In fact, doors opened, not closed. Albert took on the mowing and painting jobs and gave the staff raises. His sister Carol, the volunteer coordinator, took charge of the laundry. And then, 100 years after Mattie’s first down payment, the hospital opened an 82,000-square-foot complex with 100 inpatient beds, courtesy of a $9.77 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

Mattie’s Legacy

In 2017, the hospital grew by 100,000 square feet by adding a four-story patient bed tower and parking structure. Hospital employees contributed $1 million towards the $22 million capital campaign project. These numbers seem large, even impersonal. But it’s very personal for patients like *Jasper, who dons a pair of new glasses and utilizes his own personal communication device with the assistance of *Matt, his special education teacher. Every child at this hospital has his or her own communication device. Every child is heard.

And every kid gets to be a kid. In the new Adaptive Recreation and Fine Arts Center, kids can

board a school bus, visit Mattie’s Diner, sit for a school picture, and experience a setting that’s just like home. This space is irresistible, but its purpose goes deeper, Gomez said.

“Even before kids get here,” Gomez said, “we’re thinking about how to serve them and how to give them a smooth transition when they leave. The new Center helps prepare our kids for that transition.”

Forward thinking also led to the opening of a community pharmacy in 2020, he said.

“Many of our kids need compounded medications, but there aren’t many compounding pharmacies,” Gomez said. “Now our kids can get the meds they need when they’re discharged. We

drop ship medications, but the pharmacy also has a drive-thru. We get to serve the community at large, which helps underwrite our work at the hospital.”

In 2020, the hospital provided inpatient care for 287 children and adolescents with complicated disabilities; the outpatient clinics treated more than 2,800 children. About 800 employees work at the Center, making it Bethany’s largest employee. The property and buildings are valued now at more than $60 million. Plans are in the works now to expand outpatient services, telemedicine, and lodging for families at a projected cost of $130 million.

“Even before kids get here, we’re thinking about how to serve them and how to give them a smooth transition when they leave. The new Center helps prepare our kids for that transition.”

—Nico Gomez, Bethany Children’s Health Center CEO.

In 2020, the hospital cared for almost 300 children and 2,800 more children were treated at the outpatient clinic.

You Make How Much?

Oklahoma leaders often tout the state’s low cost of living, and it’s for a good reason: Oklahoma boasts low housing costs that are about 25% below the national average. And healthcare and grocery costs are a full 5.5% below the national average. Those savings matter, if corresponding wages match regional and national averages, meaning employees actually benefit from the lower cost of living.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics* produces employment and wage estimates annually for about 830 occupations. On average, Oklahoma wages are lower in many industries than the national and regional averages, even in growth or high-paying sectors. Here’s a look at where Oklahoma ranks in just a few of the state’s employment sectors.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN

Elementary Teachers

Oklahoma ranks second lowest in elementary teacher pay in the region, only beating Arkansas for average pay for elementary teachers. Colorado ranks the highest with an average annual salary of $59,270.

Chief Executives

Oklahoma is known for being a businessfriendly state. Oklahoma businesses, however, are behind the curve on pay for their top executives.

Aerospace Engineers

Oklahoma’s aerospace industry is rapidly growing, and it will need to play catch up with wages with surrounding states like Colorado, with an outlier average salary of $140,690, to remain competitive in the region and meet the national average.

Family Medicine Physicians

While family medicine physicians in Oklahoma might be a touch under the national average, family doctors are making more on average here than in the five states around Oklahoma. In fact, Oklahoma doctors average almost $10,000 more than their Texas counterparts.

Some Sweet Deals

Nobody needs an excuse to buy candy, but this time of year comes with lots of built-in opportunities. Two Oklahoma City companies — one since 1927 — create candy from scratch at facilities in the metro.

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER & GREG HORTON

THE SMELL OF nuts roasting often welcomes Brian Jackson to work.

“When I park in the morning, generally before I even open the door, I can tell what the crew is cooking,” said Jackson, Woody Candy Company’s president and COO.

Peanut brittle is the predominant product. Woody Candy churns it out in droves, thanks to private-label production deals and its ongoing popularity in their retail shop at 922 N.W. 70th Street.

Jackson represents Woody Candy’s fourth generation of leadership, and his family has expanded the brittle portfolio substantially, both in distribution and flavors. Today, they sell pumpkin, maple, jalapeno and Hatch chile brittle, in addition to the original recipe.

The company has come a long way since Claude Woody Sr. founded it in 1927 out of the back of his truck. Woody would make candy throughout the week and then drive it to mom-and-pop stores and five-and-dimes on the weekends. He eventually purchased and opened a production facility and storefront, which his son, Claude Woody Jr., managed thereafter. When Claude Jr. was ready to retire, his friend Bill Jackson stepped forward with great interest. The Jackson family – Bill and Elaine Jackson, with son Brian – purchased the company in early 2014, transitioning the local candy producer from one family to another.

All nuts are roasted on site, allowing for quality control and freshness. The Jackson family has maintained Woody Candy favorites – like the chewy caramel pralines sold in Cracker Barrels nationwide – while adding new sweets to the candy collection.

“Our sea salt almond clusters is a recipe that I developed about four or five years ago that people just go bananas over,” Jackson said.

In addition to perfecting the products, the Jackson family has prioritized one crucial ingredient: relationships.

“We’ve had growth of existing accounts as well as [new] accounts,” Jackson said, noting that client appreciation-related sales keep the Woody Candy team humming. “It’s been [all about] relationships with buyers. It’s been beating doors, cold calling and just helping people with client appreciation [gifts].”

Woody Candy primarily produces peanut brittle in its Oklahoma City facility.

Jackson represents Woody Candy’s fourth generation of leadership, and his family has expanded the brittle portfolio substantially, both in distribution and flavors.

Today customers can buy Woody Candy delectables online or in person. The candy shop is especially busy during the holidays. Valentine’s Day is no exception.

“I would say 90-plus percent of Valentine’s sales happen on the 14th between 4:30 and 6 p.m.,” Jackson said with a smile, happy the store can provide those much-needed, last-minute valentines. “Turtles, toffee and fudge have a pretty strong Valentine’s Day following; we’ll be fully stocked and ready for that.”

Mixed in with the crowd may be 90-year-old Claude Woody Jr., who still stops in to tease the staff and procure ingredients for his at-home projects. And, his touch on the store is certainly still

there: The portrait he painted of Claude Woody Sr. still hangs behind the register.

Building up tolerance

The chocolatier and coffee roaster began in 2019, adding a drive-through coffee kiosk in 2022.

Zero Tolerance Coffee and Chocolate is by design a “bean to bar” chocolatier and coffee roaster in the Britton District.

Founded November 16, 2019, Maura and Roy Baker were early arrivals in the developing district in Old Britton (annexed by OKC in 1950).

Roy is Army National Guard, and his family has a long history in Oklahoma, which is how

the Bozeman, Mont., native Maura landed in Oklahoma City.

“My husband has Cherokee roots,” she said. “His family has been in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma since before statehood. He grew up all over the country, but the family connection brought us here.”

The couple have four sons, two of whom are in the U.S. Navy, and the younger two run the drivethrough coffee “kiosk” in the Owl Court development, which opened in June 2022.

“We’re using the to-go space to teach them everything about running a business,” Maura said. “It’s also convenient for people who just want to grab a coffee. Traffic can very congested closer to the railroad tracks, so that offers people a chance

Zero Tolerance works with Uncommon Cacao to ensure it uses ethically sources cocoa beans.

Zero Tolerance trays filled with chocolate ready to set.

Maura Baker, Zero Tolerance baker, in her Oklahoma City candy facility.

to order ahead and pick it up without having to get caught waiting for a train.”

She said she has always been interested in slow food and coffee, including roasting coffee beans on the stovetop “Ethiopian style” in the early 1990s. She scaled up from a home roaster to a commercial roaster manufactured by an Israeli company that allows her to roast both coffee and cacao beans in one piece of equipment.

“Sourcing with chocolate is much more difficult than coffee, because slavery is still very much part of the production of cacao,” she said. “We work with Uncommon Cacao so we know we’re getting ethically sourced beans.”

The Bakers taught themselves how to make chocolate by reading, watching online sources, reading chemistry books and practicing via the old trial and error method. The result is a gem of a chocolatier in the Britton District.

The Bakers taught themselves how to make chocolate by reading, watching online sources, reading chemistry books and practicing via the old trial and error method. The result is a gem of a chocolatier in the Britton District.

A sampling of Zero Tolerance chocolate.

THE TIPPING POINT

The Film in Oklahoma Act saw a 203% return on its $30 million incentive program during its first year. This month, leaders from Oklahoma’s film industry and Oklahoma legislators will be working on a new, larger film incentive package, ready to argue that more incentives will lead to more big and small film projects and lots of high-paying jobs. As a true “if you build it, they will come model,” Oklahoma is poised to catapult this industry even further. But, will Oklahoma invest more to get more?

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN AND GREG HORTON

IN 2024

film industry analysts forecast that the 10 top production companies will generate roughly $180 billion in content across all broadcast and streaming platforms. The explosion in programming due to the growth of streaming services has created a critical need for additional locations to shoot and produce content, and Oklahoma has already benefited from the surfeit with buzzworthy shows “Tulsa King” and “Reservation Dogs,” as well as the highly anticipated Martin Scorsese production “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

As recently as a few years ago, Martin Scorsese and Oklahoma only would have occurred in the same reference in a construction like “States Martin Scorsese Has Never Brunched In,” but due in large part to the pioneering work of Gray Frederickson, deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma City Community College, Boiling Point Media, and the Oklahoma Film and Music Office — and now Prairie Surf Media — Oklahoma has the chance to repeat the success of a traditionally non-film state like Georgia.

When “The Walking Dead” was still a comic book series from Kirkman and Moore, Georgia was a Southern state with very little history in film production. Eleven seasons later – plus delays and a split season – Georgia now has a robust $4.4 billion film industry, and it is home to industry superstar Tyler Perry (see page 38). The story isn’t a Disney script, though; there is a context and there are choices, and Oklahoma film leaders said the state stands to benefit from the same context if key people and offices make the right choices.

HOLLYWOOD IS A METAPHOR NOW

Yes, it’s still a place, but more than that, it’s a synecdoche: Hollywood is shorthand for an industry that is now decentralized, and the cause of decentralization is streaming.

Rachel Cannon, co-founder with Matt Payne of Prairie Surf Media (pg. 40), explains the context like this:

“Before, with network television, there were only so many time slots, and they often had themes, like Thursday nights for comedy,” she said. “Studios would produce 50 pilots of which six were picked up to go into the new time slots. The show had a couple of weeks to connect with an audience, and if not, it was yanked off the air and replaced. Everything had to fit in a box. Now, we have streamers like Amazon, Netflix and Apple, and they don’t have time slots, and they don’t care about viewers. Really. They care about subscribers. So, Amazon doesn’t care if you like the show. They want you to buy laundry detergent.”

Imagine that you have a television with – to borrow a now quaint lyric from Bruce Springsteen – “57 channels and nothin’ on,” but it’s hundreds of “channels,” and dozens of “networks” – the old words are losing their currency in this industry, as you can see. While Springsteen’s critique was directed at the poor-quality content that first filled cable television in its early days, the new film and television industry would be much like a television with nothing on if there weren’t enough shows to lure subscribers. As Cannon points out, the days of needing six shows for a single network on Tuesday night are long gone.

Gone too are the days of NBC telling viewers, “If you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you,” a clever campaign to draw viewers in during the rerun portion of a year. (Remember that?) With streaming, the time slot is now, the choice is whatever is on a dozen different platforms in addition to networks, and the proliferation of content is staggering compared to 20 years ago.

“There will be about 3.28 billion OTT (over-the-top or streaming) video users by the end of this year, up from 3.08 billion in 2021,” said Emily Taylor, partner and CEO of Boiling Point Media. “This is just OTT streaming placement. There are also OTT movies, stories and shows.”

That is the context. Streamers need content, and California and New York City are only so large, and compared to states toward the middle of the country, far more expensive. Filming in Oklahoma makes good financial sense provided the state develops a robust industry includ-

ing trained professionals. There are obstacles, of course, one of which can be dealt with quickly.

“When we talk to some people in Oklahoma, they’re scared we’re bringing in the ‘perverts and Scientologists,’” Matt Payne said. “That’s not what the Oklahoma film industry is or can be. It’s an industry that creates high-paying, recession-proof jobs with an average salary of $106,000 a year, and many of those jobs are for non-degreed professionals who have transferable skills.”

THE INCENTIVE OBSTACLE

Incentives for production companies aren’t an obstacle. According to multiple film professionals in the state, including Cannon and Payne, the incentives are absolutely necessary to get productions to even consider Oklahoma as a solution. The obstacle, as they see it, is to get the legislature to increase the current $30 million incentive to $50 million or more.

“Tulsa King is a great example,” Payne said. “We told legislators that $30 million dollars isn’t enough to keep Tulsa King, and the show is not coming back in 2023 because they’re looking for better incentives elsewhere.”

Over against critics who insist the benefits of incentives are too hard to quantify or are often overstated, Prairie Surf talks hard numbers.

“For every $30 million in incentives, we get $100 million in production in the state,” Cannon said.

They have the data* to back it up too. In an ROI comparison of fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2020 versus fiscal year 2022, total output averaged $13.99 million in 2014 to 2020, and $100.5 million in 2022. Wages went from an average of $6.8 million to $41.8 million. The increase is impressive, and the increase of the incentive under the Filmed in Oklahoma Rebate Program from $8 million to $30 million also increased the output multiplier from 1.2 to 1.9.

While the output of $100 million represents tremendous growth, Payne points out that $100 million out of the $180 billion that’s coming from the industry in 2024 is not a large percentage.

“Against the $180 billion, we’re not even in the main part of the

MASSIVE GROWTH: OKLAHOMA’S FILM INDUSTRY

Oklahoma Senate Bill 608, or the Film in Oklahoma Act, raised the cap for the rebate on qualified labor, good and services used in film production, to $30 million in 2021. In the first year, film work grew the Oklahoma’s return on investment of that $30 million investment by 203%.*

*Infographic source: The Filmed in Oklahoma Rebate Program White Paper, December 16, 2022, Mike Mazzei, CFP, MPAS

**2021 figures removed as Killers of the Flower Moon filmed in Oklahoma generating millions in revenue, exposure and growth but received incentive money from Compete with Canada Film Program. All dates referenced refer to fiscal year calendars.

Matt Payne on set of a recent documentary shoot.

Academy Award-nominated director Spike Jonze spoke at the 10th annual deadCenter Film Festival. As the festival has grown, so have the crowds and note-worthy names wanting to participate.

game yet,” he said. “Tulsa King is to Oklahoma as the Hornets were to Oklahoma City. We’ve shown that it can be done, and now we need to increase the incentives to keep building and to ensure shows don’t leave to look elsewhere.”

THE LONG GAME

One of the persistent criticisms of the rebate program – other than the nebulous-ROI theme – is that the money isn’t often available for smaller productions.

Kyle Kauwika Harris, the filmmaker behind “I Stand: Guardians of the Water,” has been making films in Oklahoma since 2012. In 2017, he released “Out of Exile,” which was a

deadCenter winner. Since that time, Harris said making a film in Oklahoma has actually gotten harder, not easier, for small producers.

“We’re a branded content company,” Harris said. “We attach actors to a project, go get financing, and then make a movie. After ‘Out of Exile,’ all rebates have been denied by the Department of Commerce. Jeff Robison, who made ‘Rudderless,’ just got denied, so he’s going to Georgia. I am shooting my next one in Georgia. It seems projects that don’t come here from out of state are getting denied. I can’t afford to wait for rebates.”

Other small filmmakers mentioned the problem, with a couple saying they

prefer not to go on record in case it affects their prospects to get funded later. One of the realities that helps answer the question of why the money isn’t available is to look at the point Cannon and Payne are trying to make: There is a limited pool, and one very large production eats up the funds.

“Will this continue to work?” Payne asked, to drive the point home. “Rachel and I have said ‘Tulsa King’ is a proof of concept. There isn’t enough money to fund all the productions, so we have to think about improving the environment long-term for the benefit of all filmmakers, small and large. I’m an independent filmmaker at heart; it’s why I left California to come home. I

want students to stay here and make films. I want universities and career techs to build film-related programs. I genuinely believe that incentivizing big productions at first will have a benefit to Oklahoma in the long run. It’s a long-game approach.”

Rep. Brian Hill (R-Mustang) was one of five legislators who were key to increasing the rebate program, and he said the next piece of legislation they are working on is called the Employing Oklahomans in Film Act.

“It’s important to have a mechanism in place to ensure small films are being developed, too,” Hill said. “Those small productions serve as a training ground to help prepare a skilled work force, so that when large

Green Pastures Studio green screen stage during a recent filming.

productions come to Oklahoma, they will find a qualified, sufficiently large workforce. This has to be Oklahoma grown, though, so it makes sense that filmmakers who want to work on smaller projects won’t be left out.”

THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF CANADA

When it comes to film in Oklahoma, very few faces are as well-known as Lance McDaniel’s. Known primarily for his turn as the executive director of the deadCenter Film Festival, he is also an award-winning screenwriter, consultant and producer, who has worked on 21 feature films, including “Million Dollar Baby.” He is now the founder and CEO of McDaniel Entertainment.

“The rebate program here started in 2001,” McDaniel said. “That’s the year the legislature passed the Compete with Canada Act, and that was when shows were leaving L.A. to go to Canada. That was kind of the first stake in the ground that we’re going to try to attract people and the state government decided to help at the same time.”

As villains go, Canada is miscast, so perhaps it’s best to see them as inspiration or impetus, but 2001 was year-one on the film calendar in Oklahoma. McDaniel said it was roughly the same time that Gray Frederickson moved to OCCC to start the film program, and it was the year deadCenter started. Bare Bones Film Festival began in Muskogee in 1999, too. Clearly, the Y2K apocalypse yielded better than expected results.

The twin poles of private investment (creative and financial) and governmental solutions continued after 2001. The state founded the Oklahoma Film & Music Office in

1979, but along with the rebate program, it became a source of recruitment and support, especially after the rebate program made it a little easier to attract productions to the state. From their own website, the numbers indicate healthy growth in the state’s industry: 34 films and television projects using the film incentive in fiscal year 2019-2020, employing 3,960 Oklahomans and contributed a direct fiscal impact of more than $32.8 million to the state’s economy. In fiscal year 2021, it was 11,004 local jobs with a direct fiscal impact of $170.4 million from 32 film and television productions.

For young and new filmmakers, it’s hard to overstate the importance of deadCenter in terms of creating a milieu and community where aspiring artists could find smart, creative, diverse voices who wanted to do film in Oklahoma. Laron Chapman won Best Film for “You People” at the 2018 festival. He’s now a full-time filmmaker who did not have to leave the state to pursue his goals.

“deadCenter was huge for me,” Chapman said. “I’m now an alum and programmer – the requisite gay, Black guy – but as recently as 10 years ago, people were telling me to leave the state to be a filmmaker. I stayed, and deadCenter has done a great job of showcasing local talent, especially producers who make films for under $50,000. It was a great launch pad for me and other film industry professionals. And now I make films full time. I don’t have a second job, don’t need one, and I love that we’re more of a community than an industry.”

The arrival of Prairie Surf is an indication that all the roads that led to this moment – long and winding as they may have been (apologies, Lennon and McCartney) – have

converged in a place that matters in the film world, but not as much as hoped. Sitting as it does in a key spot in downtown (for now) provides it a physical place of importance, just as landing Taylor Sheridan’s “Tulsa King” gave it a cultural and financial place of importance. But the goal is not just to build Prairie Surf-size and larger facilities (although, without Prairie Surf, there would have been no “Tulsa King,” just as with no Ford Center, there would have been no Hornets, the NBA team that predated the OKC Thunder). Cannon points out with clear home-town pride that Oklahoma gives more to small productions than any other state: 25% compared to California’s 8%.

Before we get to the final and largest obstacle, it’s worth quoting Lance McDaniel on the state of film in Oklahoma: “It’s no longer an art you donate money to; it’s a business you invest in.” But that last obstacle is one that Cannon and Payne both reference regularly, and it’s not something that will be solved easily, although Payne has shown a particular skill at making connections between diverse entities to help accelerate the process of developing a professional workforce that can accommodate the potential demands of a well-funded, burgeoning film industry in the state.

“When the kid who left his $7.75 per hour job to work for $35 per hour on the set of Tulsa King arrives at the end of Tulsa King, we don’t have a pipeline of talent that assures a next show yet,” Payne said. “He has no choice but to go back to a lower paying job. We have to fix that.”

Chapman echoes the observation when he talks about the struggles of finding crew with our current dearth of talent.

“As a production coordinator, I want the best gaffer or lighting guy available,” he said. “But right now, if one major production is happening, the best are no longer available. We need more talent.”

BUILDING ALL THE TOWERS SIMULTANEOUSLY

Workforce development is a topic on every production company’s mind, and they’re vocal about the promise and the need.

“We need more crew and talent here in the heart of Oklahoma City,” Boiling Point’s Taylor said. “We are

GOOD PAYING JOBS

Total 2022 Film Industry Incentivized Spending

MILLION IN WAGES

Projects like “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Tulsa King“ boosted jobs in the film industry to more than 14,000, with combined wages of $144 million. The average wage was $30 per hour with 12-hour work days. $41.8

$58.8

MILLION IN GOODS AND SERVICES

***Total spending: $101 million – a seven-fold increase compared to 2014-2020 spending

***Total does not include $169 million for Killers of the Flower Moon, as it received incentive money from the Compete with Canada Program.

What Tulsa King Gave Oklahoma

1,000

500

2,500 $14

CREW POSITIONS

CAST AND STUNT POSITIONS, FEATURING 200 OKLAHOMANS BACKGROUND EXTRAS, ALL OKLAHOMANS

MILLION REBATE ON $65 MILLION OF DOCUMENTED EXPENSES

And Why It Isn’t Coming Back

• The production qualified for, per the terms of State Bill 608, a 30% rebate.

• Because of the incentive program cap of $30 Million, the production company only received a 21% rebate.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MECHANISM IN PLACE TO ENSURE SMALL FILMS ARE BEING DEVELOPED, TOO. THOSE SMALL PRODUCTIONS SERVE AS A TRAINING GROUND TO HELP PREPARE A SKILLED WORK FORCE, SO THAT WHEN LARGE PRODUCTIONS COME TO OKLAHOMA, THEY WILL FIND A QUALIFIED, SUFFICIENTLY LARGE WORKFORCE.

HOW OKLAHOMA COMPARES

Other states have a head start cashing in on their piece of the film industry pie.

Georgia’s Film Industry

BILLION – 2022 FILM INDUSTRY SPENDING

including 32 feature films, 36 independent films, 269 episodic productions, 42 commercials and 33 music videos

TAX INCENTIVES BEGAN, INCREASED IN 2008.

How Georgia’s Program Works

• 20 percent base transferable tax credit.

• 10 percent Georgia Entertainment Promotion uplift earned by including Georgia logo on projects.

• Production expenditures must be made in Georgia from a Georgia vendor.

$4.4 $855.4

• No limits or caps. No sunset clause, no salary cap on individuals paid by 1099, personal service contract or loan out.

New Mexico’s Film Industry

36% 109

412 2002 2003

PRODUCTIONS GR OWTH OVER 2021 FIL MS CREATED IN 2022

M ILLION – 2022 FILM INDUSTRY SPENDING

FILM TAX CREDIT PROGRAM CREATED

How New Mexico’s Program Works

• Tax credit in an amount equal to 25% to 35% of qualified spending in New Mexico.

• Additional 5% tax credit available if criteria met.

• Pilot must be intended for series production in New Mexico.

Prairie Surf Studios.

Cinematographer Ben Richardson talks with Sylvester Stallone and Jay Will on the set of “Tulsa King”, episode 3, “Caprice,” shot in Oklahoma.

stabilizing a fruitful and growing industry that incorporates over 100 types of different jobs and backgrounds. From electrical work to postproduction animation, Oklahoma is emerging, innovative and endearing. Boiling Point Media went from four employees dedicated to the film side of the business in 2021 to 12 by the end of 2022, tripling our size and project scopes.”

Payne has done a masterful job of bringing groups together to start the process of workforce development, especially the career techs. Their classes at Francis Tuttle fill quickly. The small team at Prairie Surf came from the Film Education Institute of Oklahoma, an organization that Payne is quick to credit for doing excellent work via their workshops and intensives.

In August 2022, Payne contributed to a piece on workforce development in this magazine, and for that story, he said, “The career tech schools have created pathways for high school students to get into the film industry, and they’ve helped with adult education as well. Some skills transfer readily to film, like design and construction, and so the schools have been offering classes in construction, painting, set decoration, food styling, etc., and the classes fill up immediately. The demand for labor is there, and it seems the desire to be involved in film is there too.”

That remains true, as does the importance of Oklahoma City Community College in the future of the state’s film industry. Matt Payne chronicles Gray Frederickson’s contributions to Oklahoma film via OCCC (pg. 46), and the school’s new president, Dr. Mautra Jones, Ed.D., is aware of the legacy she shepherds, as well as the demands of building programs to help develop the state’s film industry into the future.

“As an educator and a pragmatist, I understand that community colleges play an integral role in workforce development,” she said. “Students come to us for various needs, not just degrees. We provide opportunities for professional development, and it’s important to have different pathways no matter what their career trajectory is, including micro-credentials and training to be work ready.”

A recent set construction intensive funded by donors filled up quickly,

and Jones was pleased to see that participants came from diverse backgrounds. (Payne points out that one of the first questions out-of-state producers ask is what is Oklahoma’s diversity quotient.)

“We want to provide opportunities and resources for people from all walks of life,” Jones said. “Our task is to be responsive to data and what’s coming, so we want to be prepared with data-driven decisions.”

Cannon explains the need for workforce to grow along with incentives and other pieces of the industry as a tower metaphor at a recent roundtable conversation with film professionals. The voices in the room agreed on a few important points, none more frequently than the necessity of workforce development in a state that is looking to capitalize on the new Hollywood’s quest to find studio space, different locations, diverse pools of talent, better relationships with state and municipal governments, including a business-friendly approach to filmmaking, and enough content to fill all the available “channels.”

“We have to build all the towers simultaneously,” Cannon said.

That is the most sober assessment of the state’s film industry heard from all the parties. Oklahomans are vocally proud of projects like “Reservation Dogs” and “Tulsa King,” and the prospect of high-paying, recession-proof jobs for people from all walks of life is certainly appealing. But obstacles are obstacles, and they have to be overcome for the state to move forward. Listening to the professionals at the forefront of the industry, the conclusions are pretty clear: The rebate program is critical, and so is workforce development, and Rep. Brian Hill gets the last word:

“We set the rebate at $30 million because the industry wasn’t ready for more yet,” he said. “Workforce wasn’t ready. The industry needed time to grow. We constantly ask, ‘What’s the ROI for Oklahomans?’ Are people staying in the hotels, eating in the restaurants? Are we putting Oklahomans to work? When all those answers are yes, you’ll see a willingness to invest more.”

*The Filmed in Oklahoma Rebate Program White Paper, December 16, 2022, Mike Mazzei, CFP, MPAS

Matt Payne talks with students at the set construction intensive at Oklahoma City Community College.

THE WAVE AND THE WHEAT

Rachel Cannon and Matt Payne took the Oklahoma film industry by storm when they created Prairie Surf Media a mere two years ago. Now, with cable’s highest-rated debut series Tulsa King wrapped, the company’s vision matches the tenacity of its founders.

RACHEL CANNON: THE WAVE

Rachel Cannon, co-founder and co-CEO of Prairie Surf Media, is enthusiasm squared.

“Matt calls me ‘Glitter Guns,” she said, referring to her business partner Matt Payne, as she raises her hands as pistols, shooting in the air. “I’m always like, ‘We can do anything!’ And he’s always over here taking my ankles and digging them back in the dirt. Because ‘no’ just doesn’t come into my brain. But that’s how my brain works. Figure out what you want and then figure out like three paths to get to that. And then find the one that’s most stable and let’s go on that path.”

It’s quite a path she’s carved for herself. She spent 15-plus years in Los Angeles, racking up an IMBD page with more than 80 network television credits in shows like “Mad Men,” “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory” and six-plus years on ABC’s comedy “Fresh Off the Boat.” After marriage and the birth of her son, she wanted to come home to Oklahoma. Then, when “Fresh Off the Boat” wrapped, she turned her attention to Oklahoma’s film industry.

BUT FIRST, IT ALL STARTED WITH GRAY FREDERICKSON

After growing up all over Oklahoma and spending some formative years in Yukon, Cannon went to the University of Oklahoma and found

Gray Frederickson (pg. 46) as he was beginning to teach at the university.

“When I found out Gray was unpacking his boxes, I literally found out where he was, ran over and knocked on the door, and was like, ‘Would you like an unpaid intern?’” she said. “And he was like, ‘I don’t even know what I’d have you do?’ And I was like, ‘I can unpack those boxes.’

“And he taught me how to do budgets and to read scripts and script coverage. And he told me stories, which were the most magical things ever.”

She shared a screenwriting class with Payne at the same time and encouraged him to intern with Frederickson as well. He did, and Cannon and Payne became the first interns of Frederickson back in Oklahoma.

“When I met Gray, I feel like Gray was the one who gave me permission: ‘You belong in this industry. There’s a spot for you. You just have to go get it,’” she said. “And it was the first time that I felt like I knew what to do. Gray is a legend. Both here and in Hollywood. And the fact that he made you, as a student, feel just as important as if he was sitting across from Diane Keaton on the set of the Godfather. He made you feel that important. And he made you feel like you belonged there. Most people are trying to figure out how to keep you out of it, because somehow that’s going to take away from their plate. And Gray was just like, ‘no, there’s enough for everybody.”

BRINGING HER FOCUS TO OKLAHOMA –AND OKLAHOMA’S LEGISLATORS

Cannon left California at the height of her career as her personal life pivoted.

“There was a new sheriff in town,” she said. “I had a baby. And it was really hard to figure out how to give him the childhood that I wanted in Los Angeles, and God told me to. I felt led to come home. And you know, there were moments where I had offers for shows where I was just like, ‘Okay, I’m going to cry about that. And then I’m going to say no, because this is not the right time.’ But I knew what we were building here is bigger. And I know that there is more opportunity for impact.”

That impact she’s referring to is Prairie Surf Media, the 1.3 million-square-foot production studio in downtown Oklahoma City with five clear-span soundstages, that she and Matt Payne co-founded in 2020. While building the studio’s infrastructure, she also worked with legislators to pass an increased $30 million film rebate with State Bill 608.

“I met with everybody in the House, everybody in the Senate, everybody in commerce, everybody in the C suite, everybody in the governor’s office, tourism and just about every agency – and there’s a lot of them,” she said. “I did that for four months, and there were four-hour dinners, early 7 a.m. breakfasts, every caucus I spoke to and I literally presented the information and then I opened it up

Gray Frederickson with Rachel Cannon and Matt Payne, inside Prairie Surf Studios.

I’ve known Rachel for more than 15 years and what she and Matt have done with Prairie Surf Media in such a short amount of time is truly remarkable. They have built a world class production space and studio at a time when demand for stages for scripted content is at an all-time high. The time and energy they have committed to community outreach is a great example of what it means to reinvest in your community and bring opportunity to OKC. I’ve been excited to share all about Prairie Surf with my colleagues and can’t wait to bring productions and talent to collaborate with Rachel and Matt in the near future.

— SHALEEN DESAI , Senior Vice President of Adult/Primetime Series, Warner Bros. Animation

THE VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF PRAIRIE SURF MEDIA HAS DELIVERED A FIRST CLASS FILM STUDIO IN DOWNTOWN OKC THAT IS VERY ATTRACTIVE TO LARGER PRODUCTIONS. WITH THE COMBINATION OF THESE SOUNDSTAGES AND THE GOVERNMENT’S RECENT EXPANSION OF THEIR REBATE PROGRAM, OKLAHOMA HAS NOW BECOME A STATE TO CONSIDER FOR BOTH SMALL AND LARGE SCALE PRODUCTIONS IN FILM AND TELEVISION.

—PAUL STEINKE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION FINANCE, WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

for questions. And I answered all of their questions because my whole thing was, you can say ‘no,’ but you’re going to say ‘no’ because you understand it and you don’t want it. You’re not going to say ‘no’ because you don’t know what it is.”

This tenacity took the Oklahoma film incentive from $8 million to $30 million and directly related to landing Paramount’s Tulsa King, which premiered last fall and was cable television’s highest rated series debut of the year. And she’s coming back for more during the legislative session starting this month. The production money is up for grabs, it is just waiting for which state will grab it.

“Sitting in all of these meetings with the head executives, top executives from all of these companies, and there’s zero pushback on Oklahoma,” she said. “I’m whale hunting. What I’m trying to bring to Oklahoma to show the impact and the potential of this industry on a larger scale like “Tulsa King.”

And for Cannon, she just keeps hunting bigger whales.

“Matt and I have just been trying to keep up with this vision that keeps doubling every day,” she said. “And it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.”

MATT PAYNE: THE WHEAT

Matt Payne’s desk in his Prairie Surf office first belonged to his great, great grandfather — and Oklahoma City founding father — G.A. Nichols. But it was Payne’s grandfather that is in his head still today and continues to drive his career long after his passing in 2004.

Payne’s grandfather was an escaped POW soldier during World War II and later became the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

“He had this really rich legacy and this strong sense of morality and justice and hard work,” he said. “To both G.A. Nichols and my grandfather, because of this, film seemed wildly impractical. And while he was very much a mentor and someone I looked up to, he did not believe in what I was doing because he didn’t believe it would yield any sort of happiness. And that was a big driver for me -- I don’t want to disappoint this man because I took this risk in this industry. So therefore, I’ll keep fighting and one day maybe this guy will look at me and go, ‘I’m proud of you.’”

After college and the very first internship anyone had with Gray Frederickson in Oklahoma, Payne headed to California, landing a job almost immediately on the hit show 24, then later Without a Trace. While he found professional success that his grandfather was able to see, he shifted to travel writing and understanding his passion for storytelling. During the course of more than a decade, he’s traveled the globe embedded with his sources like living with an imam for a week or digging for fresh water wells in Haitian villages.

“I learned so much about their cultures, and it was just transformative to me and it taught me empathy and compassion,” he said.

His grandfather’s words came ringing back as he tried to balance telling stories of the world versus working in Hollywood.

“I thought, ‘There’s only one of these things that’s going to change the world,’” he said. “I knew that I was probably going to have to give up the other if I wanted to be happy.”

He returned to Oklahoma, started teaching screenplay writing and film business at Oklahoma City University and continued telling stories through travel writing and documentaries.

“I traveled all around the world, and I wrote about six different continents and 30 countries probably,” he said.

With his documentary work, he knew his brand of telling stories could work in the film industry. After some conversations with Prairie Surf investor and Echo investment firm founder Christian Kanady and Rachel Cannon as she arrived back in Oklahoma, he knew their idea for a production studio could work.

“What I learned was by telling powerful Oklahoma stories, all of it requires tremendous leaps of faith,” he said. “All of it requires community. When the opportunity for film came up, I was like, ‘We’ve got it. We can just do the same.’ So as opposed to making documentaries about people that were doing cool things, it became how do we do a cool thing by using the formula that we’ve used these other times?”

THE SECRET SAUCE

And the formula seems to be more like a secret sauce: Cannon handles the Hollywood and legislative side while Payne’s passion is developing

the infrastructure for Oklahoma’s film industry workforce. It’s a clear – and happy – division of labor. In fact, as Prairie Surf was born, the logo of of a wave and wheat became a personification of them both.

“The reason Prairie Surf works so well is because Rachel very much is the wave and I am very much the wheat,” he said. “She is very effervescent and West Coast-energy watering the prairie and I am the dirt and the ground-up, grassroots effort.”

Payne clearly has catapulted the workforce development side of the film industry in recent years. (pg. 37) but he’s also quick to point back to others also in the industry and the foundation from Gray Frederickson (pg. 46).

EVERYONE’S HAPPY

He’s turned a passion for storytelling and film production into the largest film studio in Oklahoma in the heart of downtown. He’s plowing into the next generation like his mentor Gray Frederickson and he’s giving back to his community. And most importantly to his grandfather, he’s happy.

“I go back to being a young man and my grandfather’s pause and what his pause was about,” he said. “But what he was saying was like, ‘I’m investing in something that’s going to have no return for you. And, it is going to lead to your unhappiness.’ He saw the worst versions of what he believed Hollywood to be. Now, when kids think about the movie business, they think about how they can have a long career. And that’s truly life changing.

“I think he’d finally be okay with it. I think that there would be a lot of pride there.”

Inside the former Cox Convention Center that has been transformed into Prairie Surf Media.

THE LEGACY OF GRAY FREDERICKSON

Oscar-award winning filmmaker Gray Frederickson loomed large in both the Oklahoma film industry and in Hollywood for decades until his passing in late 2022. Prairie Surf co-CEO Matt Payne pays tribute to what he meant to him, and by proxy, what he meant to the Oklahoma film industry.

BY MATT PAYNE

Growing up in Oklahoma City, Gray Frederickson was the thing of legends.

He was a larger-than-life, ultra-successful and untouchable iconoclast who originated in Oklahoma City but had somehow managed to carve his way into Hollywood royalty, complete with Beverly Hills home, an Oscar and a reputation for excellence. He’d not only won an Oscar; the Frederickson-produced “The Godfather” — according to the American Film Institute — was the third best movie of all time. Not far behind on the list were films “The Godfather II” and “Apocalypse Now.” Then there was “The

Outsiders,” “The Godfather III” And the list goes on. Periodically, Gray would come to town and there would be “sightings,” and to a 12-year-old who struggled with identity and dreamed of someday telling stories for a living, the idea that someone from Oklahoma could achieve such greatness meant that maybe I could too.

But how?

In 2000, I was 21 years old and a semester away from failing out of the University of Oklahoma. When I learned that Gray Frederickson was returning to Oklahoma, not just to visit for Christmas but to teach a three-week

course at Oklahoma City Community College, my heart leapt. For context, a man like Gray teaching a three-week film intensive was the sports version of a month-long basketball intensive lead by Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls or music camp with The Beatles. At best, I thought, he’d likely pop in to launch the program, and I figured that like most figureheads, he’d disappear and leave it to the teachers for the remainder of the class. That, however, was not the case.

When I entered the classroom at OCCC, I still recall seeing him at a desk in the front of the class. A room full of other film lovers and social misfits all lingered at a distance as he visited with fellow instructor Fritz Kirsch. Neither I nor any one of my fellow dreamers had ever been in such proximity to an Oscar winner. Finally, I decided to approach him. As I approached the desk and his eyes turned towards me, suddenly, I felt like Ralphie from A Christmas Story about to ask for a BB gun.

Finally I mustered strength. “I’m Matt,” I said.

He gave a big smile. There was a light in his eye. “I’m Gray.”

“Cool,” I said, tongue-tied and now awkward.

“Glad you’re here,” he said back.

“Me too,” I said.

“Okay,” said Gray before looking to his partner Fritz. “Maybe we should start?”

“Okay,” I agreed, and with that my life changed.

By the end of the day, I’d changed. I called my parents on my way home, my voice pulsing with a driving sense of purpose. By the end of the first week, my path was clear. By the end of the second week, I’d befriended Frederickson enough to ask for an internship. My future business partner Rachel Cannon had secured the same position. The workshop ended, and the following Monday, a new Matt Payne reported to my internship at Gray’s new office at Ackerman and McQueen.

As an intern, I’d walk in and Gray would smile. “Matt, my boy,” he’d say, “I’ve got a script for you to read.” Other times, he’d invite me to sit in on meetings where he’d discuss projects with ambitious Oklahoma filmmakers, and at the end of the day, he’d blow our minds with stories about Eastwood and Brando, Coppola and Spielberg. Somehow, he’d brought Hollywood to Oklahoma … Almost. As graduation rolled around, there simply wasn’t work in film, and while I’d found a new identity in film, my fate was clear. Los Angeles was where I’d have to move. Crushed, I loaded up in my car and left behind my new mentor for a decade and a half of the muck that is Hollywood.

Even in L.A., Gray made me – as he made everyone – feel important. Life as a new production assistant is rough.

One evening after a particularly miserable day as a production assistant on the show “24,” Frederickson was in town and invited me to dinner. I arrived at an Italian restaurant and there was Gray. With him was Dwight Yoakum, Bridget Fonda, Al Ruddy and Dennis Haysbert, who played President Palmer on the show “24,” where I’d just wrapped my day. When I arrived at the table of movie stars, Gray introduced me to his celebrity friends as the guy who would take over Hollywood. Never in my life had I felt so big. From then on, anytime I saw Dennis at work, he’d give me a high five and called me “Oklahoma.” To someone new to the industry, these little acknowledgements mattered so much and they happened because of Gray.

He had such a way of making you feel important. He saw each person no matter their age, gender or economic background. As my career grew, so too did the film program at Oklahoma City Community College. Every time I came home, I’d go to see Gray, excited to share with him all I’d been up to, but more and more, what excited me was how he was transforming Oklahoma film. With him, I’d visit classroom after classroom. I’d look out over them and in each of them, see a little bit of myself – dreamers whose dreams were being activated because Gray believed in them.

When I moved back to Oklahoma, I did so with a downtrodden spirit, and my first call was to Gray. Immediately, he had things for me to do. He had people for me to speak to, and when he introduced me to people, he did so with pride. He made me believe in myself again, as he’d done many years before; he had this effect on everyone.

Since I’ve been back, I’ve been blessed to play a key role in the Oklahoma film industry, and what I know is this: there is no one in Oklahoma film whose

life hasn’t been profoundly impacted by the work, and more so by the words of Gray Frederickson. The year before he died, Prairie Surf Media in partnership with his program at Oklahoma City Community College had won a Regents partnership award. At the ceremony I sat next to Gray. I knew he’d been sick but thought he was on the mend.

“You look great,” I said. His eyes lit up as always. “Thanks!” he said. “But the cancer’s everywhere.” My heart sank. I knew it wouldn’t be good. “How about this award? Can you believe it? What’s going on at the studio?” He asked without missing a beat. Film, his students and the state of Oklahoma. Those were his passions. Who was I to sulk?

“We landed ‘Tulsa King,’” I said, steering the conversation in a different direction. He began to glow.

“Outstanding! Is that Stallone?” He asked.

“It is,” I said.

“I used to know him! Great guy …”

Of course he did, I thought to myself, and of course that’s how you thought about him.

INDUSTRY PLAYERS

With an industry that’s multiplying as rapidly as film, the emerging leaders seem too many to fully represent. Beyond Prairie Surf Media, here is a solid sampling of both well-established and up-and-coming filmmakers, film studios and one bigger-than-ever film festival that are defining what the film industry is and will become.

Cacky Poarch is the new executive director of the deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma’s Oscar-qualifying film festival, but she’s also one of the people that have been around since the very beginning.

Poarch was a part of the core group that got the festival started 23 years ago to provide a way for Oklahoma filmmakers to screen their films. And she’s worked to turn it into a four-day festival screening almost 200 films, being named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “20 Coolest Film Festivals” and Film Freeway’s “Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals.”

“It’s been great to adjust to perception of Oklahoma,” she said. “And OKC has really, really grown.”

The festival’s growth has mirrored the city’s, also providing education initiatives and yearround programming for filmmakers.

“We always surpassed 10 percent growth every year,” she said.

The festival has about a $5.5 million

economic impact every year, Poarch said. And while crowds were robust in 2022, festival attendance is still rebounding a bit from the pandemic. Poarch said 2019 prepandemic attendance swelled to more than 30,000 people.

“To me, we were the first organization to give filmmakers a voice,” she said. “So, we’ve been integral to the growth of the film industry. Back in the day, we fought really hard for the incentives. I do believe we were the spark.”

The spark that started almost a quarter century ago is still seeing dramatic growth: This year, the festival is on track to have 2,500 film submissions, which is up dramatically from the 1,500 submissions last year. She said becoming an Oscar-qualifying film festival two years ago have made submissions soar.

“I feel like a proud mom,” she said. “We talk about that a lot. We think of this as our baby. We still have lots of challenges, but there is way more momentum to fix them than before.”

CACKY POARCH

deadCenter Film Festival Executive Director

DEKOVEN RIGGINS & MARCUS BROWN Filmmakers, film teachers

Dekoven Riggins and Marcus Brown are working to restore one of the landmarks of film in Oklahoma: the Jewel Theater. The theater was one of three Black-owned theaters in Oklahoma City, originally opened in the late 1920s and was a staple of the bustling Black-owned business community along Fourth and Second streets.

“We are a part of an effort to get it back working again for the community,” Riggins said.

Part of that work is creating a documentary about the history of the theater, a project the two worked with Matt Payne and Prairie Surf Media to produce.

“The goal is to raise awareness and show the community the history that was the east side and is and will continue to be,” Brown said.

The two also have their own production company, Notis Studios. They’ve produced a narrative film, Black Wall Street Burning, multiple shorts films, and are currently constructing their own soundstage this year.

“We felt we heard from the Lord to start this company,” Riggins said. “So we did. One of the first projects was Black Wall Street Burning. We wanted to tell Black history in Oklahoma. We want to continue to educate future generations and create a hub for education.”

Hub for education? Check. Riggins and Brown also teach Film 101 at Douglass High School. The program is a part of the Film Education Institute of Oklahoma and has plans to expand to many more high schools. Currently, the program has classes at Douglas, Northwest Classen and Capitol Hill high schools.

“We teach them about what it is to produce film, from development to the release,” Brown said. “We want to build up the next generation of filmmakers and production crew. It’s that spark that gets the light into kids for filmmaking.”

For these filmmakers, developing the workforce through education is equally as important as making sure Oklahoma creatives have a space to highlight Oklahoma, which is the goal of their studio.

“Our workforce needs to grow exponentially, and we want to do our part to make it grow,” Brown said.

GREEN PASTURES STUDIO

Green Pastures Studio, a 12-acre film studio campus with 5,500 square-foot soundstage and 20,000-square feet of standing sets, opened during the pandemic to serve as a place for film makers but also as a place to train crew for the increasing need for qualified film crew in Oklahoma.

The studio offers its Oklahoma Film and Television Academy, a four-day intensive course to prepare anyone to work on a film set. The studio is in east Oklahoma City, in a more rural area.

“Just before our first class, we were walking out the door one evening, and in right in front of the doors, there were three guys on horses out for a ride,” said Melodie Garneau, Green Studios founder and president. “It was a wonderful man and his grown sons. And he had just lost a job because the downturn in the oil business and we said, ‘Well, you know what, we’re going to give you a scholarship. Why don’t you come to the class?’ And he did. And by the time the four days were over, he had a job on a set. And he has been at work at it ever since.”

In two years, 600 students have completed the ‘set ready’ course. The Green Pastures team also finished its first feature film this past summer and have submitted the film to both South by Southwest and Cannes Film Festival for consideration. In addition, groups have used the studios to film a pilot, another feature film and commercials and music videos.

“The people that filmed the pilot came here and then moved here,” she said. “They came to film it, and they thought this is a great spot. And they ended up moving here buying houses.”

Garneau, along with the Cherokee Nation Film Office and other like-minded businesses, formed the Oklahoma Motion Picture Alliance in 2021 to serve the film industry in Oklahoma.

“I think in 10 years, we could have a very good sustainable business model for the whole state where we have a couple of big films and a whole bunch of small ones,” she said.

RIGGINS & BROWN: CHARLIE NEUENSCHWNADER; GREEN PASTURES: PROVIDED

BOILING POINT MEDIA

Ryan Bellgardt’s first film was “Army of Frankensteins” in 2013 about time traveling back to the Civil War and finding, you guessed it, an army of Frankensteins.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “But it was something we did as a labor of love and it pushed the right buttons and got the attention of the right people. And that movie ended up being picked up and distributed all over the world. And then from that point, we sort of realized, ‘Oh, there’s a model where you can make low-budget movies, and they can make money.’”

More wonderfully low-budget films followed, like “Gremlin,” “Jurassic Games” and “Jurassic Pets,” among others, all made by his team at Boiling Point Media, where he serves as partner and creative director. With each film, Boiling Point Media gained expertise and notoriety in smaller budget films – and a reputation for the ability to produce some CGI dinosaurs and other creatures.

“We focused on making projects that were ready-made little sales movies that can go be sold all over the world,” he said.

“‘Jurassic Games,’ was pretty popular. And it’s not just popular like here it’s popular like everywhere. And then because of the success of those projects, we started having companies notice us from around the world and they started hiring us to do their projects.”

The company has now worked about 15 movies, averaging about four or five a year, and have watched projects like “Jurassic Pets” launched on Disney XD and other films trend highly on other streaming platforms. They’ve carved out a unique space in Oklahoma as a post-production facility known for editing, color and visual effects, as well as a filmmaking studio.

Now with more than 20 employees, the company balances its film work with providing full-service advertising and marketing services to corporations. According to Bellgardt, Oklahoma’s future for filmmaking, as well as Boiling Point Media is wide open and set only to grow.

“Like Han Solo says, ‘I can imagine quite a bit.’” he said.

LARON CHAPMAN Filmmaker, deadCenter award winner

Straight off graduation from OU in 2012, Laron Chapman worked on the set of August: Osage County with Meryl Streep, later working for a year on the set of Pioneer Woman, and spent time with Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj working on American Idol.

That’s a whale of a start to a career for the proudly located-in-Oklahoma filmmaker. He followed up that start with his own first film, “You People,” which earned Best Oklahoma Film in 2018’s deadCenter Film Festival. It premiered at deadCenter and then appeared at 13 other festivals. And it won 10 festivals.

“deadCenter film festival is a great and really underrated film festival,” he said. “It spring-boarded the success of my film and got my name out there. We have a thriving arts community, and we have a really wide swath of talent here and a lot of spaces to film.”

He’s in the process of creating his next feature film, all with plans to complete it right here.

“I haven’t had to go to L.A. or New York,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to make a movie in Oklahoma than in L.A. It’s a lot cheaper. As of right now, our film industry is very community-based and everyone is in the ‘I just want to see everybody win’ mentality, and that’s a great space to bring your creative work to fruition.”

The growth of the industry in Oklahoma has allowed growth for him as well.

“In 2012, when I was working part time job at Will Rogers Airport, it wasn’t sustainable for me to be a filmmaker,” he said. “But now it is. If we stay here and just nurse this space, we can make our own Okie-wood.”

Film production agency

POINT MEDIA: PROVIDED; LARON CHAPMAN: CHARLIE NEUENSCHWNADER

LANCE MCDANIEL Filmmaker, screenwriter, McDaniel Entertainment CEO

Lance McDaniel has been in Oklahoma’s film industry just about as long as the industry has existed.

A filmmaker and screenwriter, he is CEO of McDaniel Entertainment, which has produced feature films, television for the Armed Forces Network, served as a consultant for different film offices and allowed him to focus on writing screenplays based on published books.

And that’s all after a career which includes working on Million Dollar Baby and other films in California, and a decade back in Oklahoma leading the deadCenter Film Festival. Like many, his roots and reason for coming back to Oklahoma start and end with Gray Frederickson.

“I moved home and worked with Gray on low-budget scary movies,” McDaniel said. “What I love about that fact is that’s the kind of person Gray was for thousands of people here. The breadth of people that he influenced — hundreds of people each year — and all of them got to listen to Gray. And there is something so tangible to listening to someone who made ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘The Godfather.’ It is a great legacy.”

He said the legacy Gray left helps grow the momentum for hundreds of filmmakers like himself now.

“What Oklahoma is doing now continues what he developed,” he said. “It has been a perfect storm of great filmmakers that have been working here a very long time, grown up here and stayed in Oklahoma. And there has been a great infusion of people from Oklahoma that have come back. And the marriage of those two is what is really making it take off. We are getting people to come back here when the locals are also getting really good at what they are doing.”

Moving images will be a major part of many industries moving forward, not just film, McDaniel said, making Oklahoma’s investment vital to numerous industries.

“Moving images will define the future,” he said. “Filmmakers will become more integral to all corporations. People are now correctly seeing this is a booming industry, not an artform that needs to be donated to. We are a part of commerce, and that makes a really big difference.”

CHARLIE NEUENSCHWNADER

ASK THE EXECUTIVES

We asked executives from different industries’ sectors to weigh in on some often-asked questions we hear. Here’s some answers to questions you want to know — like what do your clients really think of you? — in this special advertising section that goes straight to the top.

Tim Elliott

What is your best advice you give others in the Copier, Managed Print, Document Imaging industry?

You have to listen to the customer with care. You should never have a sales attitude, but a mindset that shows you are willing to help save them money or help them be more efficient. To be a trusted partner you need to work hard for both current and prospective clients and always be upfront and transparent.

What advice do you give to prospective clients?

I can’t advise prospective clients until I understand what they are trying to do. Once I have a good understanding of the environment and what they are wanting to accomplish, then I may offer guidance regarding what we as an imaging and document management services provider have been able to do for other clients to help them meet their goals. It is all about listening to the client first, understanding their environment, pain points and goals. We want to understand where they are and where they want to be as a business and help them get there.

What expertise do you have that makes you stand out from peers in your industry?

Our people and our approach to the client experience is the thing that helps us stand out in a very competitive industry. Our team is made up of true industry professionals who have dedicated their careers to the office technology space. Tenured account executives, solutions specialists who are trained and educated experts, field service technicians who are manufacturer trained on the systems they are servicing. Our “white glove” approach deploys in-house trainers, a local helpdesk and call center, 24/7/365 service at no additional charge to all our clients. We have 8 locations strategically positioned across the state, allowing all our clients to experience a true response time that is less than 4-hour. Standley is a family-owned fourthgeneration business. We are large enough that we can meet the needs of a client of any size, and local enough to still care about the families and communities we serve.

How many years of experience do you have in the imaging and document management industry? What are some significant things you’ve learned during your career?

I started working on typewriters when I was 12 and I joined the company full-time when I was 18. I have been helping solve clients’ office technology challenges for 46 years and have enjoyed every minute. One of our core values is “we embrace and drive change”, so the thing I have learned is that I must always be learning. Technology changes daily and if I personally and we as a company do not stay at the front of that technological change, we will no longer have a relevant solution for our client’s needs.

What would you say is your area of expertise?

Why did you decide to focus on this area?

I believe we are the best in the industry at providing an exceptional experience and best in class solutions in the copier, managed print, and document management space. We started selling and servicing copiers in 1977 and found it to be something that clients needed and a service that we are good at providing. We value doing what we committed to our client we would do, show up and fix their equipment or solution in the time we told them we would do it, that is our area of expertise. I decided to focus on this area because taking care of the client’s business technology needs is how my grandfather started this business in 1934, and it is all I know.

What would your clients say about you?

I hope they would say that Tim Elliott is a man of his word, and the company he leads works hard to stand behind their agreements. That we show up daily ready to go the extra mile to earn their business everyday.

Mike Mays

What is your best advice you give others in your industry?

We are tasked with the unique opportunity to shape our built environment. There is value in our creativity and technical expertise, and it is the currency for which clients recognize our worth. Strive to partner with clients that understand this and the community will reap the benefits.

What advice do you give to prospective clients?

Choosing to build is an optimistic endeavor. Select a partner who shares your enthusiasm and vision and not one solely based on fees. The result will be of greater value when partnership goals are aligned.

What expertise do you have that makes you stand out from peers in your industry?

I have a deep understanding and appreciation for the construction trade. My father was a contractor, and I worked on construction sites for a decade. The experience ignited my interest in architecture and has allowed me to translate creative thought into a clear direction for our partners in the field. The ability to communicate with clarity dramatically benefits our clients.

How many years of experience do you have in your field?

What are some of the major things you’ve learned during your career?

My experience spans two and a half decades. I’ve learned to expect challenges and approach them as an opportunity to provide valuable solutions, listen to understand rather than respond and always keep my word.

What would you say is your area of expertise? Why did you decide to focus on this area?

Design for the community regardless of building type. Winston Churchill famously said, “We shape our buildings and afterwards they shape us.” The quote is a call to action for all of us who impact the building environment.

What would your clients say about you?

The greatest compliment we can receive from a client is for them to hire us again.

Women in Banking & Finance

These powerful, impressive women are helping to lead the financial industry in the metro. From a president of a bank to a woman who started as a teller and is now a CFO, these women prove hard work and dedication will pay off. Most have decades of experience in their field, and a lot have been with the same or just a handful of companies during their entire tenure. Institutional knowledge, loyalty to a company and dedication to clients define each of the women selected.

Methodology: The people selected are featured after being nominated by peers. Editors reviewed the nominations and made selections. Individuals submitted biography information and answered questions, which was used in the formation of the profiles shown. This is not a comprehensive list. It includes only those who were nominated and then selected after an editorial review. To qualify, the nominees must have at least five years in their industry and demonstrate leadership within their field.

Cynthia Delgado Matlock CHICKASAW COMMUNITY BANK CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 24 years

Current company: 18 years

Matlock began her career in banking as a part-time teller at 18.

“I would often get bored sitting at the teller window and ask for more work, leading to more exposure to other departments in the bank,” she said. “It was then that I realized how fascinating the structure and balance of a bank could be.”

Now, she is the Chief Financial Officer at Chickasaw Community Bank. As a Hispanic female executive, she is also passionate about diversity and currently sits on the American Bankers Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group.

Tammy Streeter WATERMARK BANK DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS BANKING

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 15 years

Current company: 3.5 years

Streeter describes herself as an “entrepreneur champion to my core,” but she also volunteers with Infant Crisis Services, YMCA Y-Achievers and Oklahoma City Public Schools. Previously, she was a board member of CASA of Oklahoma County, Inc.

“I get to deliberately impact the business community of Oklahoma City, to help shape the skyline, to help line our streets. The businesses that I serve, they are made up of my neighbors, my friends, my colleagues. Candidly, I get to matter to those that matter to me!”

Belinda Willis VICE PRESIDENT, PRIVATE WEALTH BANKER, BANK OF OKLAHOMA

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 30+ years

Current company: 3 years

Willis’ passion for financial education drives her, whether it is professionally while working with clients or volunteering in the community.

“I have been able to follow this passion by volunteering in classrooms with organizations that have a need for financial educators,” she said.

She volunteers with organizations like Junior Achievement in both the Dallas and OKC offices, Dress for Success Oklahoma City and churches and other local organizations. Previously, she served on the board of Calm Waters Center for Children and Families.

Paula Barrington BANK OF OKLAHOMA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 42 years

Current company: 37 years

Barrington serves as a Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, Oklahoma City Museum of Art and EPCOR board member. Previously, she served on the Oklahoma Bankers Association, Redbud Classic and the Arts Council Advisory boards. Barrington is a graduate from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking XLII, Leadership OKC XVI and Leadership OK XXIX.

“I love my job and am passionate about it,” she said. “I have been in this division my entire 37 years at BOK, and love the ever-changing technology and competitive landscape; it never gets boring and I am always learning.”

Beth Humphries

THE

BANKERS BANK EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 25 years

Current company: 21 years

Beth Humphries graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with an accounting degree and an MBA from Oklahoma Christian University in Leadership and Organizational Development. She was the Vice President of the Alumni Board at OBU. She completed the Leadership and Management Development program at the Oklahoma Bankers Association. She served on the Oklahoma Society of CPAs Banking Committee.

“I have enjoyed the challenges that my position has brought me and have used them to learn and grow,” she said. The changing banking landscape provides unique challenges that allow for opportunities to problem solve with my teammates.”

Dee Ann Harper INTRUST MORTGAGE, LLC MORTGAGE BROKER

Based in: Edmond

In the industry: 18 years

Current company: 5 years

Harper has taken a national mortgage company from broker to a fully delegated mortgage bank while managing 53 branches in 37 states. And, she’s written a book, “Houston! We Have a Problem! Finding Financing When the Bank Says No,” which will be released during the second quarter of 2023, which will outline options for alternative financing for borrowers who do not qualify for conventional or government loans.

“No two borrowers are alike, and no two mortgage solutions are alike,” she said. “I’m an expert at providing alternative solutions for mortgage financing. I’m known as The Mortgage Architect.”

Ann Vitali PRIVATE BANKER CROSSFIRST BANK

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 33 years

Current company: 8 years

Dating back to the original Nichols Hills Bank and Trust through First Fidelity Bank and to CrossFirst Bank, Vitali has served with various organizations, including academic and religious. She has served on many boards over the years, including Rainbow Fleet, Christ the King PTO and The Oklahoma City Ballet.

I have watched families educate their children, buy cars, build homes, acquire property, invest in business and most importantly the growth of our city,” she said. “I have been able to assist customers in accomplishing their dreams of providing for their families and becoming contributing members of their communities.”

Amy Bailey PRESIDENT OF CROSSFIRST BANK OKLAHOMA CITY

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 26 years

Current company: 7.5 years

Bailey has a reputation for providing extraordinary service and creative solutions to banking clients across the country. She serves as a board member of Ushine, CREW and Folds of Honor OKC and is the co-chair for the 2023 Go Red for Women Committee and a professional member of the Commercial Real Estate Council and RMA Oklahoma City Chapter.

“My true passion in my professional life is to also be a good steward of my time and talent and model what has been done to me,” she said.

Amy

| President CrossFirst Bank Oklahoma City

Suzie Symcox FIRST FIDELITY BANK EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 38 years

Current company: 38 years

Symcox has worked with her husband Lee for 38 years, and she serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of First Fidelity Bank. The bank has $2.7 billion in assets with 29 branches in Oklahoma, Arizona and Colorado. She serves on the bank’s Executive Committee, Management Team, Personnel Committee and the Cannabis banking committee.   “I have always believed in the mission of community banking,” she said. “Community banks are the foundation of the economy of every community. We help people and non-profit organizations be successful.”

Robin Banell FIRST ENTERPRISE BANK CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Based in: Oklahoma City

In the industry: 23 years

Current company: 8 years

Banell graduated in 2022 from the Graduate School of Banking Colorado, and she has a background in compliance and audit.

“I’ve enjoyed finding solutions to problems by working with regulators, industry advocates and my coworkers,” she said. “Researching and brainstorming have been the most rewarding parts of this career.”

She has been working in finance since she began her career. “I didn’t mean to become a community banker,” she said. “Six days after turning 18, it found me. I’ve always loved numbers. I’ve had the privilege to work with amazing leaders willing to not only put up with me but invest in me. The more exposure I had to this industry, the more I realized how wonderful the work is!”

EXIT STRATEGY

In Focus

Alex Semikopenko’s must-have tool at his job as Prairie Surf’s director of photography is the Sony FX6. p.64

What inspires Talia Bella?

Talia Bella, Thunderbird Films EP and partner, talks about getting enough sleep, watching 3-4 movies a week and how Adichie, the Nigerian novelist, inspires her to keep telling stories.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN

How did you get into filmmaking?

I’m a film producer and a partner at Thunderbird Films. I got into the film industry somewhat by accident. I spent most of my 20s working a deluge of odd jobs while searching for my passion. In 2012, I started my first business, Closets for Causes. We were a cause-marketing agency dedicated to cleaning out celebrity closets, auctioning their items online and donating the proceeds to the charity of their choice. I was 25 years old with no background in business, kind of just winging it. The business inevitably failed, but in 2015, we hosted a gifting suite with one of our charity partners at Sundance, and I met my future boss and mentor, a producer who offered me a job after I lied and said I had experience. I figured it couldn’t be harder than running my own company — I was right.

What inspired you to follow your career path?

Although the journey was marred by countless challenges, mistakes and sacrifices; in general, the work came quite naturally to me. I had spent the better part of the last decade of my life trying to find what my calling was, and I found it. Running a production is a lot like running a mini business. You have a budget, an objective, a timeline and then a product that you must go sell. The work is fulfilling to me because I love what I do and I’m good at it. Adichie, the Nigerian novelist, once said “stories matter” — they matter because

PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

this is at the core of culture. It is how histories are passed down, how customs are shared and how traditions come to be.

What inspires you right now?

Continually seeing friends and business associates building businesses from scratch and being successful. I immigrated to the United States 20 years ago, and anything is possible here. They say the American Dream is dying, and it may be different today than it was 50 years ago — but you can still be anything you want to be.

What is the last book you read?

Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog. It traces Nike’s evolution from dauntless startup to quintessential global brand, and Knight’s entrepreneurial journey as a college graduate who borrowed $50 from his father to launch a company that imports lowcost sneakers from Japan, which he sold from the trunk of his car. It’s a great story about how messy the path to success is. Netflix recently optioned the rights to the book.

What are your best tips for a work/life balance?

This is something I still struggle with. Our line of work is inherently not balanced. Long hours, high stress, crazy timelines. Having a daughter recently shifted a lot of my priorities, and I’m learning the meaning of work smarter not harder. We’ve become more selective with the projects that we take on, knowing that saying yes means not being home and not getting to see her.

What’s your best self-care advice?

Get enough sleep. Sometimes I go to bed as early as 8 p.m. I wake up every day at 5 a.m. I work hard — sleep is so necessary for me to perform properly.

What kind of networking fills you up or you find to be beneficial?

The most valuable “networking” you can do is to do an exceptional job and let your reputation precede you.

Quote you love or live by that provides motivation or inspiration?

“Fortune favors the bold” — You have to have moxie.

How do you stay motivated?

One or a thousand people might say I’m type A. I’ve always been a go-getter. It’s just how I’m wired.

How do you recharge?

My family and I love to travel, and we take long trips abroad that bring us back recharged, inspired and ready to do it again.

What are your best management tips to keep your team inspired?

I think the idea of evangelism in business is really important, and is a great tool not just for your clients but also for your employees.  Evangelism comes from Greek and means “to proclaim good news.” The term has been championed by Guy Kawasaki for decades. Kawasaki served as the Chief Evangelist for Apple and now serves as Chief Evangelist for Canva, as well as Brand Ambassador for Mercedes Benz. In his words, evangelism marketing is “explaining to the world how your product or service can improve people’s lives.” It’s not about self-promotion, but rather sharing the best of what you, your team, and your organization produce with others who can benefit.

How do you avoid burnout?

I don’t burn out. I’ve got a long wick. In all honesty, I just love what I do.

How do you stay current in your industry or profession?

My mentor once said to me that the best in the business — Scorsese, Tarantino — they all watch 3-4 movies a day because that’s the language of what they do; they study what works and what doesn’t work and this is how/why they are the best. I can’t watch 3-4 movies a day, but I’ve since committed to 3-4 movies a week.

What advice do you have for others who want to pursue your professional path?

Be prepared to work hard! I think this is true of any industry, but particularly in film. The hours are long, the expectations are high.  People think producing is so glamorous. It’s a lot of unsexy hard work, long hours and doing really whatever it takes to get the job done.

You also have to love it. And be a little crazy.

What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were getting started?

Knowing your worth is everything to be a successful anything. When I was younger, I was always afraid to ask for too much, so I always undersold myself. Then I would be in rooms with the men who were my superiors and they were not more talented than me. But they knew their worth and they were unapologetic about it. It took me years to figure that out.

Is there anything else that fills you up or motivates you to be better?

Being a mother. I often think about what it means to be her role model. I hope she learns that you can have a career, plus a supportive partner and be a mom. It’s not either-or. And while it’s not always perfect, looking back I hope she knows that I got up every morning and did my best.

“They say the American Dream is dying, and it may be different today than it was 50 years ago — but you can still be anything you want to be. ”

Seven Cemeteries Feature Film Starring Danny Trejo Andrés D. Carrillo

What does having a growing film industry bring to Oklahoma’s economy, workforce or quality of life?

Three Oklahomans who work in the film industry explain what the growth in the industry could mean for Oklahoma’s workforce and its future.

Kyle Dillingham PROFESSIONAL VIOLINIST AND ENTERTAINER

We know many dream of packing their bags and heading to Hollywood for that big break, but there are very few who will actually be able to make this dream a reality. However, now there are many opportunities right here without all the risks of a big move like that. You can take a course, get a degree or attend a conference locally to educate yourself and then secure actual real-life experience in a market that is not overly saturated. There is real chance to stand out and secure work in the film industry in Oklahoma right now. What a dream! I think the result will be that we see more and more young people discovering this field and discovering their own passion to be a part of it without leaving this place they call home. We will discover the film industry workforce that never would have been!

Stephanie Bellgardt BOILING POINT MEDIA LEAD ANIMATOR

The film industry provides hundreds of jobs to not only those who work on the film sets themselves, but also related industries like food, lodging and transportation. It also provides work for local postproduction houses like Boiling Point, which involve a wide range of disciplines including visual effects, editing, color and sound design. Additionally, the growth in film encourages graduating students to stay in-state and pursue careers here. As we grow local talent and production, we make Oklahoma a contender on the same stage as more traditionally film-oriented states like California or Georgia.

Eva Aranda OKLAHOMA ACTOR, PRODUCER

The Oklahoma film industry hasn’t just generated income and notoriety for national and local actors, but for all of its collaborators as well. From restaurants to resident’s homes to hotels to local bars and boutiques, the film industry has shined a light on so many of Oklahoma’s finest treasures and hidden communities. I’ve even seen some of my friend’s pets on screen! This industry isn’t just for the actor or crew member; it’s for all of us! And we welcome everyone, from everywhere, to come join the fun!

Alex Semikopenko’s Sony FX6

The Prairie Surf Media director of photography and editor discusses his workplace tool must-have. For him, it’s the Sony FX6 – using it for interview shots, a main camera for a two-camera set up or when he knows he needs to get good footage.

ALEX SEMIKOPENKO GREW up in Russia, coming to the United States to attend the University of Oklahoma after a stint at a German high school. Before graduation last spring, he became an intern for Prairie Surf Media, working himself into a post-graduation, full-time job. His love of Sony cameras started with his dad, so he said he’s been partial to Sonys since he began working with cameras. Prairie Surf uses the Sony FX6 with Sigma Sine Prime 85MM T1.5 for a lot of documentaries and local business video shoots, and he said he sees a lot of younger videographers choosing Sony over other brands.

“The trend is that the younger generation uses Sony,” he said. “The older generation is Nikon, and now you’ll see a lot of younger people rocking Sony cameras.”

He works to keep up with technology, something that changes rapidly in industries like film.

“I kind of personally find myself to be tech savvy, so I try to follow the trends with technology these days,” he said. “It’s really easy to fall behind, and I’m trying to stay on top of it and bring it into our workflow as much as possible.”

Semikopenko said the Sony FX6 with Sigma Sine Prime 85MM T1.5 comes with a lot of functionality and high-quality picture. “It’s really subjective and personal, but I just really like how the colors come out of the Sony cameras,” he said. “It gives you a lot of flexibility in post.”

FINDING TALENT IS OUR BUSINESS.

Our Specialized Recruiting Group helps you stay focused on business while we stay focused on actively seeking out the best candidates to fill your company’s needs.  As part of the leading employment agency in Oklahoma, our dedicated and seasoned team of specialists has the experience and connections required to find talent at the highest levels of professional leadership and C-suite recruitment. Finding the right talent is a business, it’s our business.

Our recruiting and professional consulting areas include:

· Accounting/Finance

· Information Technology

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Bettye Taylor, CPSS Regional Director 405.717.8382 – Bettye.Taylor@expresspros.com 6301 Waterford Boulevard, Suite 210 Oklahoma City, Ok. 73118 Expresspros.com\OKCSRG