[Sources: istockphoto; DI Studio]

Mayor Mattie Parker
City of Fort Worth
…at her State of the City address last week, via NBC 5

“Just like cattle, railroads, energy, manufacturing, defense,” Parker said, film will “become a part of the enduring economic development story” that defines Fort Worth’s future, according to NBC 5.

The city’s decade-long push—including the establishment of the Fort Worth Film Commission—has already delivered nearly $1 billion in economic impact and created over 50,000 jobs, according to Parker’s address.

And the city now houses the state’s largest production campus, SGS Studios in the Alliance area, as we reported in August.

The film industry supports local businesses from dry cleaners to caterers, Parker said, according to NBC 5.

David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios, told the State of the City audience that he doesn’t have enough people to fill all the available positions on shows currently filming. The production company behind Taylor Sheridan’s “Landman” and “Yellowstone” is working on about 16 shows and movies, with “a big chunk of them” in Fort Worth, NBCDFW wrote.

In fact: “If somebody in this room here stood up and said, ‘I could be a makeup artist, or a hair artist, or a grip, or a gaffer,’ I can literally leave here with you and take you to an appointment tomorrow. Literally,” Glasser said.

Each production typically employs about 350 people beyond the handful of stars at the top, Glasser explained, according to NBC 5. He’s already moved 15% of his staff to Fort Worth and plans to relocate 101 Studios’ headquarters here next year, the publication reported. Even Billy Bob Thornton has become a convert, telling Glasser he loves that “I can go to the park and I can do things here because people are respectful, even if they want a photo, how they ask about it.”

The demand is so intense that Glasser is already in talks with Hillwood Alliance about projects wanting to operate out of Fort Worth that currently have no space, NBC 5 reported. He’s working on building more stages and production facilities while partnering with community colleges to train electricians, lighting technicians, set designers, and other specialized crew, according to the publication.

“Companies like Netflix and Amazon and Hulu are all looking to expand their base and looking for that opportunity to bring jobs to places,” Glasser said.

Read more on NBCDFW.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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