Chamber forum recap: Fueling the film industry

The Chamber forum in March focused on the fast-growing film industry in Oklahoma. Panelists Co-CEO of Prairie Surf Media, Rachel Cannon; EVB and Head of Finance at Prairie Surf Media, Tanya Ruby; and President of Region Track Inc. and economist, Mark Snead, PH.D. each added detail to the discussion.

Cannon – a University of Oklahoma film graduate – started off the conversation, providing a little information on her background for perspective, before getting into why she, and Co-CEO Matt Payne, decided to take on the challenge of building their business in Oklahoma City. She credited wanting to raise a family back at home for her return to the state, rather than some grand idea of a studio. After making the move, and planning to live here and travel for work, the “Fresh Off the Boat” actress met with Matt Payne to discuss the idea of making a movie in Oklahoma. The talk over coffee quickly redirected, as the two came up with the idea of bringing an entire ecosystem to OKC. The team initially failed to find an adequate warehouse facility for their plan; then, an attractive opportunity came to them in form of the overlooked former convention center downtown. The team met with the city and finalized a deal in 2020 to convert the convention center into their studio concept. Next up was supplying a workforce to sustain the anticipated film productions – and that would take more money.          

Tanya Ruby, EVB and Head of Finance for Prairie Surf, made a similar move as Cannon in relocating to Oklahoma in hopes of new horizons. Only, Tanya was not native to the state.

“In LA… I felt trapped, and I came here for a better life – and, just to try something different. Because I just felt too contained, and I just wanted to experience life again,” Ruby told the forum guests.

The finance professional had spent the past 30 years in places like Los Angeles, London, and Belfast working on large productions like Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, and more. She said working in these places helped her understand the changes happening in the industry – specifically, how the crews were operating. After moving to Oklahoma to freelance, Ruby met Cannon, sparking a new partnership. Ruby joined the Prairie Surf team, eager to help bring in the business Cannon and Payne were primed for.

“When people are coming into a state…they’re staying in hotels, they’re renting houses, they’re doing their dry cleaning. Once they’re stopping here, they’re living here.”

The Prairie Surf team believed this, among other things, would bring the boom OKC needed. Economists weren’t as convinced. Mark Snead, PH.D., president of Region Track – an Oklahoma economic research firm – claimed that most arguments against the production company coming into the city were made by economists, who believed the incentives being proposed could not be reciprocated by the industry. Snead though, who was a self-proclaimed foreigner to film beforehand, believed this industry brought certain elements to the economy that would provide greater good than bad.

“The industry is now so desirable, it is so attractive… the only way you’re going to get that activity in your region is to subsidize a piece of it,” Snead told the forum audience. “Other than the Thunder, I would argue that the development of a film and TV industry in Oklahoma…it would be the second largest I think, unique arts, creative class contribution to the entire state in my 30 years being here, and I don’t really know what would be a close third.”

Snead says the industry is slightly different from others in the way that it brings in economic activity from outside of the region – something many economists find to be an ideal scenario. The panel discussed how other states tried to make similar moves in the film and TV space but failed. They said a key factor in why states fail or succeed is how well they can scale the industry. Producing on too small of a scale makes it difficult to sustain the proper working environment needed for long-term. A state needs to be able to build the infrastructure and supply year-round workforce in order to gain success. Prairie Surf Media understood this, investing more money into their operations than the average producer. They also focused more on developing TV shows, as opposed to movies.

“Our whole idea is train everyone. So, we don’t have to bring someone from LA. They don’t have to bring someone from Atlanta. We want everything – the hub – to be here. And having these long jobs – the long TV shows – it’s longevity. So, they’ll learn more,” Ruby told those in attendance.

Cannon told the audience that by 2024, $180 billion will be invested into original content across the top ten companies, and they are all willing to go to whatever place will provide them with the best situation. She claimed that, among other reasons, is why the team at Prairie Surf Media is putting in such a great effort to develop young talent, here in Oklahoma City. Currently working with colleges, career techs, and universities; Cannon says the company would eventually like to go into STEM programs, working with kids as young as elementary to help develop skills from an early age.

“Not all kids are academic. Some of them are really into sports. Some of them are really into arts… and we want the ones that do lean into that path to have a direction, to stay here in our home state,” Cannon told the audience.

She said although the company’s current focus is on large productions that will help establish a stable economy, another goal of Prairie Surf is to provide an outlet for Oklahoma filmmakers to tell Oklahoma stories, themselves.

Special thanks to presenting sponsor Cox business and Corporate Sponsor ADG.