Texas native and new president George W. Bush knows a thing or two about being the underdog. As Bush articulated this in a speech he gave in November: "They misunderestimated me."
Malapropisms aside, some tend to discount those based in Texas (or anywhere else without a 310 or 212 area code), regarding their ability to compete in the big leagues. And East/West Coast snobbery aside, many Texas-based companies—particularly postproduction and music suppliers—tend to miss out on jobs due to logistics; agencies that are shooting on the West Coast may consider a Southwest location an inconvenience.
Tired of being handicapped by geography, some Lone Star State commercial production suppliers are fighting back by forming alliances or setting up shop on the West Coast. Among these is Dallas-based post facility Video Post & Transfer (VP&T), which launched a Santa Monica-based telecine boutique, Pacific Data Post (PDP), as a subsidiary. PDP VP/general manager Steve Behar, a 20-year telecine veteran, is partnered in the venture with VP&T president Neil Feldman.
Another company that recently staked its claim in Southern California is Dallas-based Concrete Productions, which changed its name to Blind Spot Media, announced its intent to expand into new media, and to open an office in Santa Monica. Lisa Cobb, president of Blind Spot Media, says that after 10 years of operating Concrete, she thought it was time to revamp her company and raise its national profile. She adds that the majority of the shop’s work over the years has originated outside the Texas market—mostly from the East Coast and the Midwest. "We just don’t shoot much [in Texas] anymore," says Cobb. "When we started out in the early 1990s, it looked like there was a lot of work coming here and the advertising community was really growing. The Texas ad community is very healthy but, like anywhere, I think agencies—especially those in a smaller market—tend to go out-of-market."
The company’s jobs since the beginning of the year include the spot "Wrestler" for McDonald’s, via Burrell Communications, Chicago, directed by Alexander Von David; and "Prepay" for Verizon, out of Bozell, New York, helmed by director Greg Kiefer.
Cobb says that she and company partner/executive producer Steve Johnson are in the process of establishing Blind Spot in Southern California. In addition to working on several new media affiliations that she is not ready to announce, the company is focused on branding the roster of directors nationally. She agrees that there is a perception that non-Coast-based companies aren’t players. "I think, from a perception standpoint, it just makes a lot more sense to be L.A. based," says Cobb. "That’s what the reps and agencies tell us."
Expansion Plans
In May 2000, Austin, Texas-based music production house Tequila Mockingbird opened a West Coast operation in Santa Monica, and hired sound designer Kathryn Korniloff to head it up. Tequila founding partner Wally Williams says that the Austin shop stayed busy without a West Coast outpost, noting, "We’ve kind of got the market cornered here." But the partners wanted to broaden Tequila’s clientele and hoped to capitalize on the heavy amount of production that takes place on the West Coast.
"We’re regional in our location, but not in our work," states Williams, who opened Tequila in ’95 with partner Danny Levin. "Although it seems people are getting more comfortable doing jobs long-distance, it’s nice to be in an area where most of the production takes place."
Williams relates that although chasing clients was the initial reason for setting up in Los Angeles, the bigger prize has proved to be the access to that market’s pool of composers and musicians. Even though Austin is rife with talent, he notes, "it still doesn’t hurt to go to other places and find people."
To that end, Tequila is now preparing to open a New York studio, which is targeted for a July launch. Plans call for Billy Henry, one of Tequila’s staff composers, to move there and serve as the resident composer. "Everybody knows who we are, even if they haven’t used us," observes Williams. "I think that we’re perceived as a major player. I truly think if we were physically in those [East and West Coast] markets, we probably would do more work there. We’re just now at the point where we’ve proven ourselves, and we’ve been around long enough that we’re starting to beat out the big music guys. We think the rest of the world needs to have access to us."
Williams acknowledges that Tequila Mockingbird West has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in Los Angeles. He speculates that this is, perhaps, due to the fact that Korniloff is specifically a sound designer. For the last three months, Korniloff has been working out of the Austin headquarters in an effort to develop personal relationships with Tequila’s established clients. Thus far, she has sound-designed projects whose music tracks were also composed at Tequila. Among them is a 10-spot package for Fannie Mae and the spot "Red" for restaurant chain On The Border, both via GSD&M; and "The Call" and "Sacrifice Nothing" for Adam’s Golf via Temerlin McClain, Dallas.
"We thought we’d let her get to know our clients here—the clients who end up going out to L.A. a lot, especially GSD&M," observes Williams. "Then, when they go out to L.A., they’ll possibly use the studio there. So we’re feeling this out."
Seeking some of the benefits of a bigger organization without the overhead, Austin-based American Motion (AMMO) merged with New York-based Conspiracy at the beginning of the year. Now known as Conspiracy Texas, the Austin shop has gained Conspiracy’s nationwide sales representation (Conspiracy is seeking new reps for the East and West Coasts; Chicago-based Stephanie Gigante handles the Midwest.) Conspiracy Texas handles director Frank Tammariello nationally, and reps directors Gordon Willis Jr. and Gary Nolton in the Southwest only.
Conversely, Conspiracy’s directorial lineup—which comprises Laura Belsey, Ken Morrison, Brian Bain, Jean-Marc Tiche and David Leary—gains a Texas production base and regional representation from New Orleans-based Ann Asprodites and Sarah Lange, who cover the South and Southwest.
Although it is Tammariello who figures to benefit most from the shop’s merger with Conspiracy, the deal is advantageous for everyone, contends Conspiracy Texas partner/executive producer John Gilliland. He notes that even though Conspiracy represents Willis and Nolton regionally, being part of a company with a national reputation increases their cache.
Staying Put
In the last year, Dallas-based production house Stone Core Films has actively pushed to garner more national work for founder/director Norry Niven. (The shop also reps directors Simon Brand and Rob Lindsay in the Southwest.) To that end, the company recently hired Santa Monica-based rep Ellen Knable of Ellen Knable & Associates, Los Angeles, to handle West Coast and Chicago sales. Dallas-based rep Cathy Brittingham continues to cover the Southwest and Central States regions, which have supplied the bulk of the company’s work.
Although founded by Niven and executive producer Elaine Sibert in ’93, Stone Core has only been concentrating on commercial work since ’97, and has no plans to expand to another city. Sibert doesn’t think that their location has been an obstacle. And sometimes, she adds, their ability to easily shoot in Texas has attracted clients wanting the savings from the cost-effective production the region offers.
"At times, we considered if it was going to be a disadvantage," says Sibert, "and were we willing to move away, or to do what we needed to do to overcome it. Honestly, I feel that if you’re talented, if you provide a service, do a really good job and get the right marketing … then I don’t think it is a disadvantage. We work with people from L.A., Chicago and New York. We’re not just dealing with Texas agencies. I don’t think it’s held us, or other Texas companies, back at all."
It definitely hasn’t hurt director Jeff Bednarz, who is partnered in Directorz, Dallas. Often cited as the quintessential example of a regionally based director who attracts national projects, Bednarz has thrived in Texas; most of his work is drawn from the Midwest and Southwest. He says he spends an average of three to four months a year shooting in Los Angeles, and an additional three months shooting elsewhere. "We go all these different places, and DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport] ends up being pretty convenient," says Bednarz.
More fundamentally, Bednarz hasn’t had to set up shop elsewhere, because agencies have not attached geographic considerations to him. "My personal feeling is that, when it gets down to it, creatives [who have worked with the director before] don’t care where that reel is from. They’re looking at directors from all over," states Bednarz, whose credits this year include "Steak Toppers" and "Barbeque" for Applebees via FCB Chicago; "Your Own Times" and "The Best Is Yet To Come" for State Farm via DDB Chicago; and "Camp Site Legend" for Pace Picante via Young & Rubicam, New York.
"What happens is, if they haven’t seen the reel, there is a stigma … like, ‘Do you guys actually have cameras in Texas?,’ " continues Bednarz. "New York especially is all consuming; it becomes their world and when they go outside of it, everything is smaller, they think. But if you have the work to show, you’re going to get the work. I think a lot of people use [geography] as a scapegoat. [The idea that] agencies will only look at you if you’re in L.A. is b.s. If you’re quality and can present quality, and can compete financially, it doesn’t matter to people, I’ve found out."
While Directorz has no immediate plans to expand with another office, Bednarz doesn’t rule it out, and adds, "You can’t, because it has changed so much in the eleven years I’ve been doing this. It’s dog-eat-dog out there." The company’s strategy would also be dictated by the needs of the shop’s other directors, Tom Ryan and Jimmy Lindsey. Directorz provides Southwest representation for directors Pete Sillen and Jeff Feuerzeig of Washington Square Films, New York, as well. And director Robert Hannant also has a non-exclusive deal with Directorz.
"There might be a point where it financially behooves us to have an office in L.A.," states Bednarz. "I guess you can never say never, but Texas is home."e
