Film, TV Production in Dallas Creating High-Profile Economic Development

DALLAS, April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Feature film, television and commercial production in the Dallas area generated more than $70 million for the local economy last year while providing a worldwide audience for marketing the city's brand identity, according to guests on the most-recent segment of the KRLD 1080 AM "Pulse of the City" radio show, sponsored by the Dallas law firm Munck Wilson Mandala.

In a broadcast devoted to the movie and entertainment industry's impact on the local economy, Dallas Film Commission Director Janice Burklund noted that the new "Dallas" series, in its second season on the TNT network, is the most visible project in production and one that is having a significant long term direct and indirect impact on the Dallas economy.

Production crews worked on 81 different projects and logged more than 2,500 "shoot days" in Dallas last year, said Ms. Burklund. The work of local crews and support businesses resulted in a direct impact of more than $70 million and related spending that boosted the impact to nearly $162 million.

While Dallas has a rich history as a hub for feature film, television and commercial production, Ms. Burklund said competition is increasing among states and cities to attract the lucrative business, and regions must be able to provide economic incentives and work with production companies to entice them to choose a given area. Downtown leaders say continued support of state economic incentives for film projects is crucial in order to remain competitive with other states.

"Hopefully, our state legislators will understand the importance of keeping this business," Ms. Burklund said. "Not only do they come in and spend money and hire people, but in the case of projects like 'Dallas' you get great additional marketing with the show branding Dallas and Texas on the air."

Downtown Dallas Inc. President John Crawford agreed: "The film and TV industry is an economic driver for our city – it's extremely important to our city," he said.

"Dallas" producer Ken Topolsky praised the working relationship that has developed between the show's producers, local officials and city leaders, while new, high-profile developments provide excellent backdrops for showcasing the city to a national audience.

"Viewers have expectations, not just of the show, but they bring expectations of the city and the look of the city, and that's what we try to capture," he said. "The partnership we have with the city and the private sector allows us to do that."

"Pulse of the City" is a weekly roundtable radio program devoted to current events with a special focus on issues and opportunities associated with North Texas and downtown Dallas. Moderated by CBS/KRLD assistant news director Matt Thomas, the weekly KRLD 1080 AM program is broadcast Sundays at 9 a.m. and can be heard on demand at http://www.munckwilson.com/media-center/pulse-of-the-city or http://dfw.cbslocal.com/category/watch-listen/pulse-of-the-city/.

Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas and Marshall, Texas, with an emphasis on patent, trade secret and other intellectual property disputes. The firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, and employment law. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Learn more about the firm at http://www.munckwilson.com.

For more information, please contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE Munck Wilson Mandala