On Jan. 29, the San Antonio City Council approved a film incentive agreement in an amount up to $250,000 with TMO Productions LLC for the television series “Let’s Investigate.”
In a nutshell
According to the news release, “Let’s Investigate” is a scripted, episodic series that blends live-action and animation, and is designed to teach preschool-aged children critical thinking skills. Estimated to be 24 episodes long, each episode will feature child-friendly and culturally significant landmarks, such as the River Walk, the Alamo and the San Antonio Fire Museum, the news release states.
To meet the San Antonio Film Incentive, or SAFI, program’s local hiring requirement of 10%, TMO Productions’ paid cast and crew will be made up of around 50% of San Antonio residents, including the production manager who will engage in scouting locations and hiring local crew and vendors. The project is estimated to bring in $7.2 million in local spending over the entire filming period, the news release states.
Additionally, to be in line with SAFI program workforce development requirements, the production company will invite local university students to the studio to learn about LED wall setup and configuration, and will provide guest lectures on virtual production technology and television production. The production company will also produce a behind-the-scenes short film on the making of the series, which will be used for educational purposes.
Funds for the agreement will be taken from the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund from the fiscal year 2025-26 adopted budget.
The background
The SAFI program was updated Nov. 6 after the passage of Texas Senate Bill 22, which formed the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund. The redesigned program works to attract productions, provide professional development for local talent and encourage local hiring, city documents state.
Managed by the San Antonio Film Commission, the updated incentive program will be combined with the state incentives and will offer up to 45% in rebates for eligible projects. According to city documents, the new program places San Antonio as the most financially competitive city in Texas for film projects.
Looking ahead
The project is estimated to require roughly 35 days of on-location filming to take place from January-March 2026 and will require over 100 hotel room nights, the news release states.