(gentle music) - [Announcer] This is a production of WEDU PBS.

Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota.

(gentle music) - [Advertiser] Premier Eye Care is a leader in national managed eyecare with 4 million insured members nationwide through its network of optometrists, ophthalmologists, and specialists.

Recognized for best practices in delivery of care, associate engagement, and commitment to the community.

Premier Eye Care is proud to support That's All I'm Saying with Ernest Hooper.

For more information, go to premiereyecare.net.

(soft music) - Our motivation every day is the people around us in this community and making it better.

- [Informant] Workforce development.

- [Interviewee] Healthcare.

- [Informant] Education.

- [Respondent] Getting out there and making a difference in the lives that needed it the most.

(upbeat music) - The Tampa Bay area has a rather sporadic history as a feature film location.

Over the years, Hollywood has come to town to produce such films as "Cocoon", "Summer Rental", "Cop and A Half", and the 2004 version of "The Punisher".

But industry insiders tell us the local film industry has never enjoyed as much activity as it does right now.

On this episode of That's All I'm Saying, we'll convene a panel of filmmakers and experts to talk about why the industry has surged in recent years and what we can expect in the future.

But first, we welcome a Tampa Bay couple who has witnessed the emergence of filmmaking.

She's a producer who grew up right here in Tampa and has done such documentaries as "Secrets of a Medicine Man".

He's an actor known for his starring roles in "Matlock", "The Fugitive" and "U.S.

Marshals".

Together, they've produced fulling features, such as 2017's "Getting Grace" and the upcoming "Hail Mary."

Please say hello to Tammy and Daniel Roebuck.

Tammy and Daniel, welcome to That's All I'm Saying.

- Hello, hello, thank you for having us.

- Thanks for having us, Ernest.

- Yeah, thanks so much for being here.

And Daniel, I hope you don't mind, I introduced Tammy first because I've known her longer, so.

- Ernest, to be honest with you, I'm riding on her coattail, so it's all fine.

That's my entire career, has been riding on the coattails of others.

- Beautiful.

- So once I found Tammy, like I just grabbed and held on tight.

- Good.

- So that's fine.

- Well, you found her, I'd love to start with that story.

How did you guys meet?

- Our friend Ian Stevens - Stevens.

- did a film expo in 2013 in Tampa and we were both invited as guest speakers.

And so we just happened to meet at that event and we've been together ever since.

- Well, God is good.

I mean, Ernest, the truth is I was working on a TV show and I tried my best to get out of coming to Tampa because it involves me working till whatever, 6 a.m., going to the airport, getting on a plane, doing whatever thing I had to do at the event, and then leaving right after the event the next day.

So it was a grueling 17 hours.

And I tried to get out of it, but we always say, "What would we have done?"

- Tammy, after you met Daniel and you guys got married, you could have packed up and moved to Beverly Hills, that is, but you chose to continue working outta Tampa Bay.

Why was that important to you?

- When we met I was already, had established my own production company for several years and had built up a really good client base and the luxury about being in this industry is that everything now is digital, everything now...

When I used to run a TV station which would be in a huge room is now on a laptop computer.

So it's a very mobile business.

So I can work from anywhere and I still wanted to keep my client base.

- California is gorgeous.

Florida is gorgeous, too.

And I guess one of the main criteria for this ridiculous family is that there be a Disney park somewhere nearby.

So we were lucky for that.

But we are very excited.

We've been making movies primarily in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania where I'm from.

Although I make...

Whenever I work for "The Mun" I go wherever.

We're shooting "The Munsters" right now so I'm sometimes in Budapest, Hungary and sometimes in California.

But when we make our own movies we've kind of set a base in Pennsylvania, but we are definitely bringing part of our next movie, "Granite Men", to film in Tampa.

- Oh, excellent.

Well, I wanna ask you about "Granite Men", but let me first ask you about your role in "The Munsters".

I've heard you say before that you worked for "The Mun" to help fund your own filmmaking, but I have to imagine you're genuinely excited about playing Grandpa in Rob Zombie's upcoming release of "The Munsters".

- [Daniel] When you come into the front door, there's a wax Bela Lugosi Dracula.

I've always been a fan of Universal monster movies and horror movies.

And it proves when people say, "There is no God", I can tell you that I am the living proof of that.

'Cause how does a kid go from being a 12-year-old vampire clown in a circus, a funny vampire named the Count, to starring at a Universal movie as a Universal monster as the Count, Count Dracula.

It's crazy.

- [Ernest] Yeah.

- And Rob Zombie has helped me fulfill a dream that I couldn't even dream.

Like you couldn't even dream something so ridiculous that you would be Grandpa Munster, 'cause how could it happen?

- All right, it sounds awesome and I'm looking forward to seeing that for sure.

Daniel, you play it on "Matlock".

I'm sure we have viewers who still enjoy that show.

I may be one of those viewers.

What did you learn from working with a legend like Andy Griffith?

- Well, Ernest, that's a great question.

What I learned most of all was the commitment to the work is the most important thing.

I do a lot of guest stars on TV and sometimes I'm quite astounded at how the star of a TV show is not prepared for the day shooting.

But when you're the guest star, you're a 100% prepared 'cause you don't wanna be the guy to slow anything down.

Andy came fully prepared, fully ready to make the magic.

Then when things weren't working, I was so lucky that sometimes he would say, and I mean, not even so often, he would say, "Danny, make this funny."

And then we'd start tryna figure out how to make it a little sillier so it wasn't just talking.

So that's why Cliff is a little goofy for.

And they kept making it goofier and goofier.

I remember once, if you watch it, remember I was in a decathlon or something and they had like an 80-year-old guy finished before me.

And I was an extraordinarily athletic 27-year-old.

I was like, "Come on!"

- So the two of you worked together on "Hail Mary", which sounds like a really inspiring faith-filled film, it's also a sports film.

Tell me a little bit about "Hail Mary".

- [Daniel] Yeah, it's about a nun who bumps into this guy and he needs redemption so badly and she figures it out so quickly that she decides to con him into creating a football team for her all boys Catholic school.

So he is definitely met his match.

He is a closed off grumpy individual, and I mean, it's a movie, so you know people change and I'm so excited about it.

We filmed it with the help of the Jindal family and other producers we filmed in this beautiful seminary in Northampton, Pennsylvania that's going to become a luxury hotel, a luxury wedding venue.

So we had the privilege of shooting the movie out in there.

And that's our third movie.

So we started with "Getting Grace", then my daughter, Grace Roebuck, and I wrote and directed "Lucky Louie", which was a second movie and the first one Tammy fully edited, and now she's fully editing the "Hail Mary" but produces the movie.

Like we produce them, direct them, write them, it doesn't really matter.

There's some Roebuck trying to do something to make the world a little better with movies.

- So as we wrap up, let me just ask, how do you envision the future of filmmaking in Tampa Bay?

You mentioned that you're bringing "Granite Men" to Tampa Bay, do you see it continuing to grow and expand?

- I do.

I think our film commissioners like Tyler and Tony have really done a good job of attracting Hallmark Movies and they're doing a lot of 'em right now.

And I think it's good because the state does not or offer the film incentive that it used to.

And I know we lost a lot of business to neighboring Georgia and Louisiana and I think a lot of filmmakers, especially with higher budget movies, are definitely looking for those tax breaks.

But I think when you have lower budget movies and usually Hallmark, you've done several Hallmark, they don't shoot that many days... - Not enough.

If any of their producers are watching, I would love to be in your Hallmark movie.

- But I think that you have the luxury of using the tax incentives that the local economic development branches of the cities do and I think that it's gonna help.

And I think once people really see the movies come out, it's gonna start increasing.

- The most important thing, I mean, this is...

So tax incentives, yes, and thank God we have the film commissioners, Tyler, everybody over there working so hard.

But what I want to say is what me as an interloper discovered, Tampa's gorgeous.

So we did the same thing in the Lehigh Valley, once we show people how gorgeous Tampa is, I promise you, other filmmakers are gonna see the movie and go, "I wanna go to Tampa.

"Let me see how they did that."

So I think the more we make the more we'll generate interest in such a beautiful part of the country.

- Tammy and Daniel Roebuck, thanks so much for joining us today, we really appreciate it.

Coming up, we'll delve deeper into Tampa Bay's film making emergence with a panel of experts.

(soft music) Dozens of feature films made for TV movies, and commercials are being shot all over our region.

What is it that attracts filmmakers, actors, and producers?

And what does the future look like for bringing more productions to Tampa Bay?

Joining us now to talk more about this are: Tony Armer, Film Commissioner for Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, Paul Guzzo, the Cultural Reporter with the Tampa Bay Times, Kelly Paige, President of Level Talent Group and the former president of Film Florida; and Ryan Watson, an independent filmmaker and professor at the University of South Florida.

Welcome, panel.

- Thank you.

- Paul, I wanted to start with you.

You've been involved in the industry for 25 years.

You covered the industry for the Tampa Bay Times.

What is happening right now with the film industry here in Tampa Bay?

- Ever since I got involved in the film industry in one way or another starting back in like 1999, people have always hoped that Florida would become the Hollywood of the South.

That has not happened, but we've carved out a different kind of niche, two actually.

One would be, I'd say our independent film scene is kinda like what Seattle was independent music in the 90s, where it became this hub of all this independent music.

Starting really about two years before COVID, we started carving out that niche here with movie starring Katherine Hiegl, Harry Connick Jr., Josh Long coming here and it continued.

Just recently we filmed another independent movie here called "The Throwback".

The second one would be, Hallmark discovered us and our colorful backdrops and they started doing these made for television movies a few years ago.

And ever since they discovered us, it's like every other made for television producer has said, "Oh yeah, the Tampa Bay area is beautiful, "really lends itself to that type of movie."

And I mean, just over the past eight, nine months, 10 alone have shot here, maybe as many as 12, I believe.

It's just, it's been unbelievable.

- So Ryan, as an independent filmmaker, you're trying to catch that wave.

Tell me a little bit about the "Paper Line".

- Okay, so "Paper Line" is a all Black cast, martial arts film based loosely around a fraternity of Black martial artists that exists at a fictitious HBCU based here in Tampa, Florida.

We named it Steele University after C.K.

Steele, the famous...

He was in the Southern- - [Ernest] The Civil Rights activists.

- The Civil Rights activists here in Florida.

So we wanted to have sort of a good historic perspective on that.

And these guys basically exist in the same space with the Divine Nine.

Their fraternity is totally different though, because they're a secret fraternity of martial artists.

We searched far and wide for Black martial artists and actors.

We had an amazing blend of some world-class stunt people and some amazing actors.

We became like a real-life fraternity.

There was like - [Ernest] Oh, interesting.

a character for each one.

And we were only together for maybe about eight days, but they all like really became, it was a fraternity.

It was a wonderful experience.

- So given that experience, you feel good about where the film industry is in Tampa Bay?

- I do feel good about it, particularly because of the talent.

And that's sort of where I live as a film professor.

You get in close contact with the next generation of filmmakers and you see that there's such an amazing talent here that I get through the pipeline at USF.

So the talent is here.

- So Tony, at Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, you're heading up that agency's film efforts, what have you witnessed?

What has given rise to this wave of filmmaking in Tampa Bay?

- Yeah, it's really interesting.

I've been in the industry for 20 some years as well like a lot of us here on the panel, and we've seen a real shift over the years.

Not just in the amount of films, but the amount of interest in the productions happening here and young talent coming up and starting to work here.

And so a big part of what we've been doing with my office in the last several years is the incentive program that we have, where we're actively giving cash rebates to projects to get them to come and shoot here in the area.

So that's a big part of it, but there's more to it than that.

It's really building a film community and that takes time.

And that's taken 20 years or so to have a community with the great film festivals that we have here and the crew that start out young and then become mature within the industry and the great commercial industry that we have here that really supports people and people already make a living doing that.

And then you can sort of make those film projects with those people that are making a living most of the time on commercial projects.

- [Ernest] On commercial projects.

- Yeah.

- So Kelly, I was hoping you could give us the broader Florida perspective.

We know it's doing well here in Tampa Bay.

Former president of Film Florida, how are things looking around the Sunshine State?

- I think things are looking good.

For one thing, we are the third largest commercial production hub in the United States.

- [Ernest] Oh, okay.

- We do have a season here.

I don't know, people from California and New York hate here in the summertime.

I don't know why, I'm still trying to figure that out.

But we do a lot, a lot of commercials.

My agency alone, Level Talent Group, I did last year over 1200.

It could be a little mom-and-pop bakery all the way to Aquifer, Starbucks, Home Depot.

Some of 'em are maybe $10,000 commercials, some of them are a half a million dollar commercials.

So the commercial industry has really done quite well.

And believe it or not, COVID, that dirty word, really helped us.

- [Ernest] In what way?

- When all the other states were closed down and did not want to venture out for many, many, many months, all the big jobs came here.

- Are there any drawbacks?

What's holding Florida back?

- Well, I mean, if you talk about the economic side of things, we're not getting the big projects.

- [Kelly] Yeah.

- Our focus really at the St. Pete/Clearwater film commission has been independent films, two or two and a half million dollars and under.

Because anything that goes over that budget, you're gonna go to Georgia, Louisiana, another state with a larger incentive program.

So the only downside I would say is not getting the big, high ticket numbers.

We're getting a lot of volume, we're getting a lot of stuff, which is great because people call my office all the time and they say, "I just wanna get started in the industry.

"What do I do?"

And you say, "Well, there's a lot of opportunity now "to work on these small projects," and like Kelly said, cut your teeth and learn the industry, learn how things work, and then you can grow and improve from there.

And the hope is then that these people that are making these small films here, as they start making bigger films will bring those bigger films back to the state.

And that takes time, that's, you're talking years and years and decades of building a true industry like that.

And we're now, I would call it two decades in where it's gotten to the point where it is now with sort of this independent revolution for Florida.

That as you see this develop more, I think you're gonna see more projects or larger projects come back for the people that started out small and wanna bring it back around.

- What do you think, Paul?

- Well, the journalist, of course, I have to give the other side of the story too, which is, I've talked to some producers who say part of the renaissance here has to do with the fact that we do not have a state incentive.

Meaning some of these smaller films, they can't get crew in Georgia, they can't get crew in Los Angeles or New York that offers these incentives because all those crew are working on these major projects for months.

So they have to come here and take advantage of the crew that we have and the incentives we have.

The other thing is when the state decided not to re-up our state incentive program, one of the arguments was, leave that up to the county.

Let's not have people in areas of the state that are not taking advantage of these films pay for these films to go to other areas.

So let's leave it to the counties.

And I'm wondering if the success of Pinellas and Hillsborough County's smaller incentive program is an argument against the state having an incentive?

I don't know the answer to that, I'm actually asking you guys.

- Can I play devil's advocate for a minute?

So here's my take on it, in my opinion only.

When you have a television series that comes here for four months that is getting a rebate.

Our last program, they had to be triple verified, triple audited.

The state, them, they had to have an outside.

But let's just take "Burn Notice" that spent 25 to 35 million a series.

- [Ernest] Yeah, "Burn Notice", USA network series.

- [Paul] Seven seasons.

- Seven seasons.

It was an hour long infomercial on how great Miami was in over 40 countries.

- Is there enough talent here?

Not just the acting, but behind the scenes, the technical people, the camera people.

Are there enough people here in Florida to help the industry keep growing, Ryan?

- Without question.

I mean, and I see it all... Again, the technology now is so much cheaper than it used to be.

So now what I see on my side is that we're able to get students with industry standard equipment a lot earlier than previously before.

So they're getting a lot of the basics prior to actually going out and getting a job.

So the talent it's here, but we don't want them to leave, you know what I mean?

That's the problem is that, you don't wanna have to tell people, "Go to Atlanta."

You know what I'm saying?

But at the same time, you wanna be honest and you wanna say, "Look, if there's not opportunities here, "then this is really what you wanna do, "you might just have to just relocate "and then hopefully that you've had that good foundation.

"Look, when you make it, come on back down."

You know what I mean?

But we have a pipeline and I'd say the one thing that's also taking off here in Tampa is the Virtual Production Studios with Vu, of which we have a small sort of baby Vu in our studio at USF.

University of Tampa has a small virtual stage as well.

So we're also getting people who know how to work that.

And these virtual studios, they're going up all around the country and our students at USF, at UT, they know how to work it.

- What's the future of filmmaking here in Tampa Bay?

- Well I think we're gonna continue on this independent film train that we're rolling on right now.

These made for TV movies, Hallmark, Lifetime, small independent filmmakers like Ryan, creating content from scratch.

And so I think that's the future where we're going and hopefully that translates into bigger things.

- Paul?

- Yeah, movies where a man and a woman hate each other in the beginning and only find out in the end that they're actually in love all along.

(laughs lightly) - Kelly?

- I'd like to see more people like Bill Lawrence, who is executive producer of "Ted Lasso".

He's now shooting his series in "Miami & the Keys".

He came home, he's from Sarasota.

He came back home to give back.

I'd like to see all the native producers, the Barry Jenkins, come on home and give us some film business.

- I hope Will Packer's watching.

- Oh, Will is.

Hey, Will!

- Ryan?

- I would say, we're trending in the right direction, but it's important for people to get involved in your local film festivals.

I've been a benefit of that.

I did Sunscreen for the first time and it went very, very well and through, the exposure, I was able to do a lot more this year.

"Paper Line" does not happen without the Sunscreen Film Festival and with "The Ivory League: Confessions of a Black Faculty" and what that did for me in getting that exposure.

So if we incentivize people and tell people, "Hey, look, get involved in these local film festivals."

It gives you the opportunity to get exposure, which again, if we're talking about grooming that next generation, start locally and then always remember where you began.

That way if you leave, you always will come back.

- All right.

- I definitely echo that, especially the Sunscreen Film Festival bit.

I've literally built my entire career based on that film festival.

- It's a tremendous-- (crosstalk) - Gasparilla Film Festival, too.

- Well, listen, thanks panel so much for being with us today.

And coming up, I'll have my final thoughts.

(soft music) I'm going to be honest, I wanted to do a show about Tampa Bay's film industry because I secretly hope it will land me a role in an upcoming Hallmark Channel movie.

I know that sounds crazy but I really believe I could fill the role of that avuncular character that always shows up in a Hallmark movie.

You know, the one who advises the young go-getter to give up big city demands for a simpler life, running the bed and breakfast in his old seaside beach town.

Hallmark, if you're watching, I'm your guy.

Truth be told, a lot of us wanna be in the movies and even more of us wanna see our state fulfill its potential as a movie making leader.

Florida is poised to continue its rise in the eyes of Hollywood.

There's hardly a scene, say for mountains, that can't be found in the Sunshine State and a greater filmmaking presence undoubtedly would benefit the state's economy.

Despite the pandemic, television and movies accounted for a record $4 billion of direct spending in Georgia during a 12-month span from June 2020 to June 2021.

Of course, Georgia offers better tax incentives than Florida.

And those who oppose similar spending here in Florida, cry out that it's corporate welfare.

I suspect there's a political bent to the opposition because Hollywood is seen as liberal.

But filmmakers come from all political persuasions and a lot of Florida residents who work behind the scenes on productions would enjoy greater rewards if the state could step up its game.

Plus, the tourism boost from a film can't be underestimated.

Just ask the people at Clearwater Marine Aquarium about the movie "Dolphin Tale".

And the final analysis, it's time for our legislature to reexamine film making, and consider rolling out the red carpet for an industry that can elevate our economy.

Florida deserves its moment in the spotlight.

That's all I'm saying.

(bright music) - [Advertiser] Premier Eye care is a leader in national managed eyecare with 4 million insured members nationwide through its network of optometrists, ophthalmologists and specialists.

Recognized for best practices in delivery of care, associate engagement and commitment to the community.

Premier Eye Care is proud to support, "That's all I'm Saying" with Ernest Hooper.

For more information, go to premiereyecare.net.

(bright music) - Our motivation every day is the people around us and this community are making better.

- [Informant] Workforce development.

- [Interviewee] Healthcare.

- [Informant] Education.

- [Respondent] Getting out there and making a difference in the lives who need it the most.

(gentle music)