For some reason I am a member of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance. I think it was something I joined way back when I first came to Austin when I was just getting to know people in the business and got out there in every way imaginable. The TXMPA had been lobbying for some time to promote a state bill to attract film makers to Texas to produce their films. I never really paid any attention to what exactly the details were, but it was a tax break or free money or something to bring film business to Texas. The bill passed both houses of the state legislature and the bill was to be signed by the Governor, Rick Perry at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios here in Austin. Now I’m not a big fan of government giving incentives to big huge groups who make all kinds of promises such as the Domain and it’s claims to bring middle class jobs for a massive sales and property tax breaks or the Cabela’s tax break which I understand has now backfired on them, but I figured it would be fun to go back to my photojournalist roots and shoot something like the press photographer I was born to be. So I went and shot the following pictures of government doing what it does best: Spend your money! Fun!
Texas Governor Rick Perry shares a cell phone with filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez at Troublemaker Studios during a bill signing in Austin, Texas.
Filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez speaks at Troublemaker Studios during a bill signing in Austin, Texas.
Texas Governor Rick Perry speaks at Troublemaker Studios during a bill signing in Austin, Texas.
