search archive
Explore the Texas Digital Archive

Texas Film Commission

Texas Governor Rick Perry:

An Inventory of Governor Rick Perry Texas Film Commission Records at the Texas State Archives, 1996-2015, bulk 2000-2014

Organization History Scope and Contents Restrictions Related Materials

Overview

Creator: Texas. Governor (2000-2015 : Perry)
Title: Texas Governor Rick Perry Texas Film Commission records
Dates: 1996-2015, bulk 2000-2014
Abstract: Under Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Texas Film Commission (TFC) served the film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, and video games industries in the state, offering an array of resources and incentives. The TFC’s main functions included administering the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and the Film Friendly Texas program; publishing the annual Texas Production Directory/Manual; maintaining a job hotline for cast, crew, and video game/animation positions; and providing resources and information to facilitate media production in the state. Records include correspondence, organizational charts, articles, presentations, speeches, handouts/informational documents, locations images, and databases. Dates range from 1996 to 2015, bulk 2000 to 2014.
Quantity: 10.22 GB (3930 electronic files)
Language: These materials are written in English.
Repository: Texas State Archives
Sponsor: This EAD finding aid was created in cooperation with Texas Archival Resources Online.

Click here to enter records


Other Finding Aids

A description of non-electronic records described in this finding aid are available at https://txarchives.org/tslac/finding_aids/11003.xml.


Organization of the Records

The records are organized into seven series:


Agency History

The Texas Film Commission (TFC) originated as a part of the Office of the Governor when it was created by Governor Preston Smith in 1971 (Executive Order, 62nd Texas Legislature). It was originally intended to “encourage the development of the film-communication industry” in the state, and continues its original mandate by supporting and promoting media industries in Texas. It offers an array of resources and incentives, and has expanded to serve the film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, and video games industries. In 1987, it joined the Texas Economic Development Commission under the Texas Department of Commerce. Along with the Texas Music Office, the TFC was returned to the Office of the Governor after Ann Richards became governor in 1991. In 2007, the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program was created, giving the TFC the ability to award grants to films, television, commercials, and video games being produced in the state (House Bill 1634, 80th Legislature). The same bill also created the Workforce Training Program and the Texas Moving Image Archive program, both under the supervision of the TFC. The TFC also administers the Film Friendly Texas program and the Temporary Use of State Property program, publishes the Texas Production Directory, and runs a job hotline listing cast, crew, and video game/animation positions.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); Office of the Governor Workforce Summary, accessed on May 5, 2016; the Texas Governor’s Office website during Governor Perry’s term, accessed via the TRAIL Web Archive on May 5, 2016; various versions of the Texas Film Commission’s website during Governor Perry’s term, accessed via the TRAIL Web Archive on May 5, 2016; and the records themselves.)


Scope and Content of the Records

Under Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Texas Film Commission (TFC) served the film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, and video games industries in the state, offering an array of resources and incentives. The TFC’s main functions included administering the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and the Film Friendly Texas program; publishing the annual Texas Production Directory/Manual; maintaining a job hotline for cast, crew, and video game/animation positions; and providing resources and information to facilitate media production in the state. Records include correspondence, organizational charts, articles, presentations, speeches, handouts/informational documents, locations images, and databases. Dates range from 1996 to 2015, bulk 2000 to 2014. The records consist exclusively of electronic files.

The Administrative correspondence series includes the correspondence, attachments, memos, and related notes of TFC directors Tom Copeland, Bob Hudgins, and Evan E. Fitzmaurice, and assistant/interim director Carol Pirie, dating from 1997 to 2012. The Legislation files series documents the TFC’s role in advocating for key TFC programs, primarily the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and the use of state properties in media productions. Records include email correspondence, notes, summaries, slide presentations, handouts, and web pages dating 2007 to 2014. The Organizational charts series contains organizational charts showing the structure of the office in 2004 under director Tom Copeland; in 2005 under interim director Carol Pirie; in 2010 under director Bob Hudgins; and in 2011 under director Evan Fitzmaurice. The Outside publications series includes articles, drafts, images, email exchanges, and editorial guidelines from publishers related to the appearance of the TFC in various publications. Dates range from 2000 to 2013. The Presentations and speeches series documents outreach and informational activities of the TFC, and contains slide presentations and notes or outlines for speeches. Records date from 2000 to 2015, bulk 2007 to 2014. The Production files series highlights the TFC’s role in providing resources to support media production in the state, and include email correspondence, lists, and images. Records date from 1996 to 2014, bulk 1996 to 2001. The Publication development files series contains components of the publication of the Texas Production Directory/Texas Production Manual (TPD/TPM), and includes databases, application forms and material, planning material, and formatting/presentation information for the TPD. Records date from 1998 to 2015, bulk 2001 to 2008. Original file and folder naming has been retained throughout the records, but acronyms or abbreviations in folder names have been replaced with complete words or phrases when possible.

Formats of the original electronic files include word processing or plain text files, spreadsheets, photographs and graphic images, databases, slide presentations, email messages, web pages, project management files, desktop publishing files, system files, and technical files for the formatting and display of documents, databases, web pages, or publications. Digital files presented for public use will generally be .pdf for text documents and slide presentations, .jpg for photographic or graphic images, .eml for email messages, and .html for web pages. Files in their original format are available on request; restrictions may apply.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

The electronic records described in the finding aid are part of the Texas Digital Archive.


Restrictions and Requirements

Restrictions on Access
Records described in this finding aid may contain information that is confidential under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552) or other statutes. Restricted information, as outlined in the statutes, applies to both physical and electronic records. As laws change, statutory restrictions may be added to or removed from these records. See our Texas Public Information Act and Researching in the State Archives web page for the more common types of restrictions found in state government records.

Requests for materials held within the State Archives, whether a Research Request or Public Information Act Request, must be submitted via this form: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/sites/default/files/public/tslac/ref/Texas_State_Archive_Material_Request_Form.pdf. A Research Request is sufficient for requesting most State Archives materials. While a PIA Request is always an option, a PIA Request for State Archives materials is required only if a researcher does not agree to the redaction or removal of restricted government information (see: Texas Gov’t Code Chapter 552).

For further assistance with accessing materials within the State Archives, contact the Reference Desk: archinfo@tsl.texas.gov or 512-463-5455.

Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements
For the series Publication development files, databases, some proprietary formats, and various system files and technical elements included in the records will not display through the Texas Digital Archive user interface. In some cases, proprietary software is required for access. Contact Archives staff for further information and to request access to these files.


The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives
Governor George W. Bush Texas Film Commission records, 1995-2000, undated, bulk 1999-2000, 0.8 cubic ft. [These records are located at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas.]
Texas Film Commission, Photographic media of Texas film locations, 1970-2000, 80 cubic ft. [There is no finding aid for these unprocessed records. Call numbers are 2013/101-1 thru 76 and 2014/079-1 thru 4.]
Texas House of Representatives Cultural and Historical Resources Committee, 1978-1991, 10 cubic ft. [There is no finding aid for these unprocessed records. Call numbers are 1994/043-1 thru 10.]
Texas Department of Commerce, Executive Office records, 1985-1991, bulk 1988-1991, 1 cubic ft.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation
(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Governor Rick Perry Texas Film Commission records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information
Accession number: 2015/117, 2019/009, 2019/016

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Office of the Governor on January 29 and April 29, 2015; and May 8 and October 3, 2018.

Processing Information

Processed by Caitlin Burhans, May 2017
Removal of deaccessioned records, accessions added, and revisions to description by Caitlin Burhans, October 2021
DACS compliance and other revisions to description and encoding by Rebecca Romanchuk, October 2021

Powered by Preservica
Texas State Library and Archives Commission | 1201 Brazos St., Austin TX 78701 | 512-463-5455 | ref@tsl.texas.gov | P.O. Box 12927, Austin TX 78711-2927