2026-09-29 - Economic, Cultural and Civic Development Committee

00:03Good afternoon.

00:05Good afternoon and welcome. Welcome. Um

00:07we want to um first of all, you guys

00:09ready?

00:11>> Okay, great. Um this meeting is our

00:13economic, culture, and civic development

00:15committee meeting. Uh the committee

00:17members are Councilman Corey Pin and

00:19Councilman Ben Reynolds. Other members

00:21present, we have uh President Small,

00:24Madame Vice President Gregory,

00:26Councilman Woods, and our attorney,

00:28Jonathan Maples, and we have Councilman

00:31Fleming. Thank you all for being here.

00:34Um the purpose of this meeting, um we

00:36really want to gain some insight

00:37regarding the city of Mobile's film

00:39office in terms of stewardship of

00:41resources, impact, outcomes as it

00:44relates to quality of life, and just

00:46what's happening in the program. I think

00:49that um we presented some questions to

00:52you all earlier and so what I was

00:53thinking is for this meeting if you can

00:55give us a highlevel overview. I know you

00:57have a PowerPoint presentation so we can

00:59get the highle overview and then

01:01immediately following that if we can you

01:03know get the responses to those

01:04questions that was sent to you earlier

01:06and and we can start from there and and

01:09it's Kelly Shirazi. All right, great.

01:11She's the Mobile Film Office director.

01:14And so, Kelly, we'll turn it over to you

01:16so that you can share with us.

01:23[laughter]

01:25>> Thanks. Um, the film office is much more

01:27than a permitting office. It's an

01:29economic development office, uh,

01:31workforce development, community

01:33engagement, and creative industry

01:35resources dedicated to strengthening

01:37Mobile and lower Alabama as a place

01:39where filmmakers can work. Um, local

01:42businesses can grow, productions can

01:44thrive, and local creatives can build

01:46sustainable careers at home. Um, we

01:49support a wide re range of creative

01:52productions, including feature films,

01:53television, commercials, music videos,

01:55documentaries, video games, and other

01:57forms of creative content. We work to

02:00recruit productions to the area while

02:02also supporting the local production

02:04companies, filmmakers, and creative

02:05professionals who call this area home.

02:08Um, once a production chooses our

02:10region, we help make that process of

02:12filming here as seamless as possible. We

02:15assist with locations, location

02:16scouting, crew vendors, uh, hotels,

02:19permitting, government coordination,

02:21community outreach, and other production

02:23needs. Our goal is to provide

02:25productions with the resources and

02:26support they need to have a successful

02:28experience while also being good

02:31neighbors and ensuring that filming is a

02:33positive positive experience for

02:35everyone. Uh the economic impact of a

02:38production extends far beyond the

02:40production itself. When a film or

02:42television project comes to our region,

02:44it can create work for local crew

02:46members and creatives while generating

02:48business for hotels, restaurants,

02:50caterers, local artists. Um it really

02:52impacts a variety of different places,

02:54including doctor's offices, things that

02:56you wouldn't really think would be a

02:58thing. Um,

03:00our role is to help connect productions

03:02with these local businesses so we can

03:03gain the largest amount of economic

03:05impact for the communities.

03:09We also recognize the film industry does

03:12not stop at a city boundary. So lower

03:14Alabama is a diverse and interconnected

03:17region. Our resources, we work really

03:19closely with community partners in

03:21neighboring communities to provide

03:23economic throughout it. Um, so one of

03:26the things is when a movie touches down,

03:28no matter where it lands in lower

03:29Alabama, it's going to impact Mobile in

03:31some way. Um, whether it's hiring the

03:34crew from here, it's working with

03:36vendors from here, the establishments.

03:39Um,

03:41we get background actors from all over

03:42the community that come out. Um, and

03:46then on the other side of things that we

03:48do, workforce development is really

03:50important to us. Um, it's a big part of

03:53our mission. We we're we want the next

03:56generation of filmmakers and creative

03:58professionals to have the opportunity to

04:00learn, gain experience, build

04:02relationships, and ultimately find

04:04meaningful work in the industry without

04:06having to leave the Gulf Coast. Um,

04:09through film education programs with our

04:11local schools, um, we partner with and

04:13the Mobile County Public Schools. We've

04:15partnered with Barton Academy. I'm in

04:17that classroom once a week every on

04:19Wednesdays where we work with sixth

04:21through 9th graders on making film

04:24projects and we bring in film local film

04:26professionals to make that possible. Um

04:28they get to learn real world skills

04:30through our shatter program which lets

04:31high school to college age students um

04:34have the opportunity to work on real

04:35film sets. Um we have 50 kids in the

04:39program. They're all in a group chat

04:41with me so I'm constantly interacting

04:43with them. We send them opportunities.

04:45Um, we have an entire resume class where

04:48they have a template on how to make a

04:49film resume. We work towards gaining

04:52them IMDb credits so that they have that

04:55professional look when they start

04:57engaging in the industry. And we've had

04:59the opportunity to have them work on

05:00everything from American Idol to feature

05:02films like Adulting. Um, [clears throat]

05:06these programs are designed to bridge

05:08the gap between education and employment

05:10by giving participants practical

05:12experiences and opportunities to connect

05:15with working professionals. Whether

05:16someone is interested in directing,

05:18producing, operating a camera, hair,

05:21makeup, anything in between, we're going

05:23to find a way to connect them with the

05:25film professional that exists in the

05:26area. Um, we hold networking events. we

05:30hold. Um, one of the biggest things that

05:33we've launched with the Crestston

05:34Theater recently is a quarterly student

05:36film showcase. This gives students the

05:40opportunity to submit their film and

05:42have it shown on a big screen. There's

05:44no fee. It's a free event. Um, we did it

05:47in July and we had 30 films submitted

05:49from all over lower Alabama. That

05:51included kids who were homeschooled.

05:53that included kids from Bowman County,

05:55Mobile County, um high school level,

05:58college level, middle school level, and

06:02uh we were able to pack out the crescent

06:03for that. So, it was really awesome to

06:05see people from the community come out

06:07and support those filmmakers and them

06:09get to get some feedback on their

06:11projects and network with other kids

06:13their age. Um we've also do training

06:17classes. Um, our training classes are

06:19set up to not only for film

06:22professionals, those seeking jobs in the

06:24industry, but they're also set up for

06:26people in the community to learn more

06:27about the industry. Um, we do a

06:30locations class where you can learn

06:32about listing your property as a

06:33location, what documentation to look

06:36for, and how those deals are made. Um,

06:39so it goes vice versa. Um, we work with

06:41the art council, with the local artists

06:43to have a complete directory of local

06:45arts. Um, so that when a movie comes in,

06:49we can give the production designer a

06:51resource to find local artists instead

06:53of outsourcing those works that you're

06:56going to see in the wall in the movie.

06:58Um, beyond supporting individual

07:01productions and developing the

07:02workforce, we are committed to building

07:04strong, connected, and sustainable

07:06creative community through lower

07:07Alabama. We create opportunities for

07:09local creatives to meet one another,

07:12collaborate, learn, and develop their

07:14skills. Um this is done through our

07:15creative meetups, our film scrambles and

07:18just a lot of the networking

07:20opportunities that we have created over

07:22the years. Um

07:25ultimately our goal is to build an

07:27environment where the film and creative

07:30industries can grow from the ground up.

07:32That means attracting productions,

07:33supporting the companies and

07:34professionals already working here,

07:36developing the skills of our local

07:38workforce, and creating opportunities

07:40for students and emerging creatives to

07:42find supportive businesses and ensure

07:44that our community benefits from

07:46economic activity obtained by this.

07:50Um, that's very much.

07:52>> Okay.

07:52>> And then I can roll through these if you

07:54want.

07:56>> I think that you gave us a a highle

07:59overview and that was awesome. I mean,

08:00I'm just sitting here amazed at the

08:02partnerships and the things that are

08:03happening. So, what if we do this? What

08:06if we start with the questions from the

08:08committee members, Councilman Reynolds

08:10and Councilman Pin, and then if there's

08:13a particular slide you would like to go

08:15to, we can go from there. Okay,

08:16>> perfect.

08:17>> How many employees are at the film

08:19office?

08:20>> Two.

08:21>> And what's y'all's budget

08:23>> in our newly adopted budget?

08:25>> What is it? It's this year. It's

08:28actually

08:29>> Yeah.

08:30>> How much?

08:32>> Five.

08:34>> $175,000.

08:35That's a performance contract of

08:39>> city. 175. Okay. Thank you.

08:47>> Thank you so much um for coming and

08:49sharing the information. And um my first

08:51turn we didn't get a chance to meet um

08:54you or I think it was someone else at

08:56the time maybe four years ago. I don't

08:57know if you was there.

08:58>> Yes, it would have been Tommy.

09:00>> Yeah. And so uh my question um I know it

09:04was a decrease. Um [snorts] was it a re

09:07um did are we going to miss anything

09:09from the decrease that you know services

09:12provided?

09:13>> Um so we operate all of our education

09:17programs with no money.

09:19>> Okay. Um, [clears throat]

09:20all the education programs come from the

09:22heart of our film crew that want to come

09:24out and volunteer their time to give

09:26back to their community. Um, one of the

09:29special things about Mobile is that the

09:32people really make it um, special. So,

09:36our crew is so dedicated because they

09:38once sat in those chairs in those

09:40classrooms dreaming of this. And so to

09:44get to do it at home and make someone

09:46else's dream matter, that's why they do

09:49it. So that's a a really special part of

09:52our industry is that yeah, we're able to

09:55do all of this because of them. Um and

09:58the same goes with filming. um without

10:01the community being willing to open up

10:04their homes and rent out their property,

10:07um filming doesn't take place or being

10:09able to close the street and the

10:11community accept that there's a road

10:13closed for the day. Um that's the magic

10:16of this area that we turn it into a back

10:19lot. But the also the special part of it

10:21that people don't realize is the way we

10:23treat the film crews, the actors. Um,

10:27actors can come to Mobile and they can

10:29literally go to dinner. They can go into

10:31Welss or they can go into Royal Scam or

10:33wherever they want to go on Dolphinry

10:36and have a dinner and nobody mobs them.

10:39They just let them enjoy the atmosphere

10:41and that's a really special thing that

10:43they don't get elsewhere which um in

10:45turn has led many of them to purchase

10:47property in the area because they have

10:50that opportunity to just escape.

10:53U how many films have we um I guess um

10:58productions have been here at the city

11:00mobilebile this year?

11:01>> Um if you go there's a slightest

11:06it's going to be no no it's going to be

11:09further in

11:15we keep going past the education stuff.

11:17Um, so we've had seven films, 15 TV

11:20shows, 426 commercials, 16 music videos,

11:2514 docs, nine proof of concept short

11:28films, 25 student films, 30 YouTube

11:32series episodes, and 20 creative content

11:35videos, and that's just what gets

11:37recorded, meaning they interact with us

11:40in some way. There's more filming than

11:42that.

11:43>> Can you share um because I'm not

11:45familiar. Yeah.

11:47>> What is the like is it what's the

11:49process if if anybody want to shoot a

11:52film in the city mobile do they have to

11:53come through your office?

11:54>> So yes they come through our office. Um

11:57usually we okay so we'll talk different

11:59stages of film because there are

12:01different levels. If it is a feature

12:03film that's coming in from like Los

12:04Angeles or anywhere else in the country

12:07to film here. Um we actively recruit

12:10those. So, I'm calling producers trying

12:13to get films to land here. Um, when we

12:16get a film that's interested, we then go

12:18through the process of getting their

12:20script, reading it, putting together a

12:22location package. The first things I'm

12:24going to send them are our resources.

12:26So, we're they're going to get a crew

12:27vendor list of the area. We're going to

12:29put together a location package. We're

12:31going to go scout it. So, um, my

12:34location manager, he goes and scouts all

12:35over the place getting that's what he's

12:38doing right now. Um, and so we work

12:41really hard to build them a package and

12:43we don't give them just a location. We

12:45give them the base camp, the the what

12:47the resources are near it and then we

12:49time it out and we work with visit

12:51mobile on the hotel rooms. So by the

12:53time they're like interested in it, um,

12:56here's a perfect example. Last Friday,

12:58we had a movie come in, producer,

13:01production designer, director, come

13:02scout um within less than 24 hours

13:05notice and we threw that together and

13:08took them around all over the place to

13:10fit the script. Um

13:13and that is one of those experiences we

13:15want because so myself and I we both

13:19worked in the film industry. I spent 15

13:21years in the film industry. So,

13:24I've done everything from development

13:26side to production coordinating,

13:28production managing to delivery. So, I

13:31know the entire process from beginning

13:33to end. Um, so we're able to kind of

13:36crack into like a producers's head and

13:38know, okay, this producer is thinking

13:40money. Well, if they're thinking money,

13:42then we want to make sure those things

13:43are as close as possible. On the bigger

13:46budget, movies, they are more open to

13:49expanding where they're going. But um so

13:52we go through a process with them like

13:54that. If they like the place then they

13:56have to go through the incentive process

13:58with the state. So with that they have

14:01to call the state office. Then they will

14:04fill out a registration form with the

14:06state office. It's a questionnaire. Then

14:08they will schedule a zoom call with the

14:10state office. After they get done with

14:11the zoom call then they will be giving

14:14an application pending the zoom call

14:16went well. Um they'll get the

14:19application. and they will fill out the

14:20application and then once the

14:22application is reviewed pending it is

14:24approved then they will can begin

14:27filming um their film. And sometimes

14:30those happen in different orders like

14:31sometimes a film will call up ask for a

14:34location package go ahead with the

14:37application then come in and scout

14:39because if they have an approved

14:41application then everything that they do

14:43from that scout on when they're on the

14:45ground counts towards their incentive

14:46money.

14:50Okay. Any other questions from the

14:52council?

14:55>> Haven't had a chance to to meet you. Um,

14:59but I know little bits and pieces and I

15:01mean I go back to when Nicholas Cage has

15:03been in town for all of his movies and

15:04things like that and it's so cool to go

15:06back and watch the movies and see all of

15:08the spots in Mobile that you recognize,

15:11you know, from these movies. So, it's

15:12really cool and and I don't think people

15:14really understand what goes into

15:16scouting these um venues and places for

15:19the movies because a lot of times

15:21they'll come to Mobile and shoot

15:22something that maybe is supposed to be

15:24in, I don't know, who knows what

15:26country, but it looks right, you know,

15:28and it's a lot cheaper to be in Mobile

15:29than it is to be, you know, somewhere

15:31else. And um all I've ever heard about

15:34the film office is how uh great they are

15:36to work with, how you know they treat

15:39you like family and that's why people

15:40keep coming back to Mobile. And of

15:42course you know the incentives provided

15:44by the state is is really a big deal

15:46too. And I know we've been competing

15:47with other states in particular Georgia

15:50um you know to get these uh producers um

15:53and really I guess studios to Alabama

15:56and to Mobile. So, you know, and you're

15:58following in great footsteps from

16:00>> Eva. Yep.

16:01>> You know, film mama, but um you know,

16:03good to have you here and everything

16:05that you all are doing is is just really

16:07terrific. So, and let us know when the

16:08next big movie stars are here so we can

16:10go be groupies, but but not but not, you

16:13know, mess [laughter] with them.

16:14>> Yeah.

16:15>> Watch from a distance.

16:18>> Any other questions?

16:20>> Well, Kelly, I want to thank you. um you

16:22can feel your passion for this, your

16:24commitment to it. But I do have a

16:26follow-up question for you. I noticed

16:27that we have some upcoming filming. So

16:30when you think about the filming that's

16:31upcoming or even in the past, um when

16:34you think about your recruitment

16:35productions for this area, which one are

16:37you most excited about, you know, for

16:39the work that you'll have done?

16:41>> Um

16:42we we're big on the ones that hire the

16:46most crew um because they have the most

16:48local impact. Um

16:52when our crew base, so just for you guys

16:55to know, um our crew base is 100 plus.

16:58Um they work all over the country. Uh

17:00they work on everything from the

17:01Mandalorian to Small Independence for

17:04Hallmark. Um and

17:08what's the best for them is when they

17:11can work at home cuz when you're on the

17:13road for three months and you don't see

17:14your kids, it's it's rough. Um, so when

17:18we can bring something in that keeps

17:20them here and they get to have that

17:22family life, that's the really special

17:24thing.

17:25>> And do you have one in particular that

17:27in the past that we've done that, you

17:29know, provided that economic impact?

17:32>> Um, I mean, they all do in different

17:34ways. Um, in the last year, I mean, the

17:40commercials do it constantly. So if you

17:42want to talk about economic impact, the

17:44commercials are dropping money into the

17:48city all the time. Um because

17:51advertising and just like and then on

17:53the film side, um that does the same

17:57thing, but it does it for not as

18:00consistently.

18:02Um but we really enjoy I mean last year

18:06we had we had a film in the about this

18:10time last year. um that ran all over the

18:13it was in Mobile, it was in Dolphin

18:15Island, it was a Gulf Shores, Orange

18:16Beach, Foley, and Daphne. And that's

18:18very unusual to be in that many places.

18:21Um which means that impact was so

18:23spread. Um and they were hubbed in

18:26Mobile, so Mobile saw probably the

18:28majority of it. Um but I was able to get

18:32two of my shadows. They got hired on it.

18:34They went through the interview process

18:36and that was their first time on a

18:38feature film set. So, it was really a

18:40great experience for them to see how

18:42everything operates. Um, but also to

18:45engage in that. Um, I mean, 46 crew

18:48members is it's a bigger set, you know.

18:52Um, but they're all special. I mean,

18:54we've been doing this for since Close

18:57Encounters.

18:58And there are people all over Mobile

19:00talk about, you know, the movies that

19:02they've been on, whether they were back

19:04on or they worked on it as a crew. Um,

19:07it's kind of a generational thing and

19:09it's it's really neat even within the

19:11crew base to see the people who are

19:13veteran crew members working with the

19:15younger ones and sharing their stories

19:16of like how, you know, how things became

19:20or how things have evolved because there

19:22are people working that started out in

19:24film and now are working on the digitals

19:27and it's completely different um how

19:29that operates.

19:30>> Okay. Well, I want to thank the staff

19:32that took time out to prepare for this

19:34presentation. Uh thank you for being

19:36here and thank you for the overview.

19:38We've definitely gained uh more insight.

19:40If there aren't any questions, okay,

19:43>> this was uh we have in front of us. Can

19:46you explain to us you know exactly what

19:48this I see it's a district two Ingram

19:51local business, school, small grocery

19:53store, runners, homeowners. What is

19:55this?

19:56>> Okay, so that's the type of businesses.

19:57So, um, the top one is 30. That top

20:02number is locations that were used and

20:04they were all local businesses to the

20:05Mobile area. There was also things that

20:07were purchased from local businesses.

20:10Um, the next one is that we utilize

20:13Barton Academy and we utilized Lad

20:15People Stadium, which both fall under

20:18our school system. Um, and then the last

20:22one is we used one of the churches as

20:24our base camp. I don't have the exact

20:26number that was paid to them but um yeah

20:29money goes into those different areas.

20:32Um we also have had on films we g we

20:36rented out a therapist office and they

20:38used the money from the therapist office

20:40that she brought into her was given she

20:43used it to give free therapy to people

20:45in Mobile whose insurance wasn't

20:47covering it anymore. So there's a lot of

20:50really cool impacts that you don't think

20:53about or where those dollars actually go

20:55and impact

20:57>> grocery store.

21:00>> So no we we that's all the that was all

21:02the food that was purchased for catering

21:05during the course of the film.

21:06>> Which grocery store?

21:08>> Um it was a couple different ones they

21:10shopped around um between Costco

21:13um Greers. It just depended on where

21:15they were and what they needed. Another

21:18U

21:20slide. Are we in a reality show here?

21:24>> Um, we may see one episode here. There

21:28is. Yeah. So, a lot of times with these

21:30shows, um, they'll pop into Mobile for

21:33like one episode, maybe two episodes.

21:35Um, Dr. Pimple Popper was here for two

21:37episodes. They do like a first episode,

21:40which is like meeting with the the

21:42subject, and then the second episode

21:44will be like the followup after they've

21:46had everything done. Um, we've done Food

21:49Network stuff. We've done stuff with um

21:53BYU um does a relative race. So, we've

21:56done episodes of that. Um, the biggest

22:00thing we've done this term was the Lucas

22:04Films thing um for his new museum. They

22:07came in and they shot um part of the

22:10documentary that will play at the

22:11museum.

22:13>> I saw there is the home network.

22:16>> Yes. So over us. Yeah. Yeah, they're

22:19looking um

22:22[laughter]

22:27>> any other questions. President Small,

22:29[laughter]

22:31>> Madam Chair,

22:33um is there any way that we can get this

22:35presentation like I don't know because I

22:37don't think all that information is

22:38>> Yeah. Yeah, we can definitely get you

22:40guys a copy.

22:41>> Okay. Any other questions before we

22:43adjourn? All right. This meeting is

22:45adjourned.

22:46>> Thank you.

22:47>> You're welcome.

22:48>> Thank you.

22:53>> Yeah.

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