b"By Bob Roloff,The Arizona DuuudeA fter many yearsbandwagon a little bit, we didnt do it wholeheartedly, of watchingnot serious enough. Now, New Mexico has a huge film productionindustry. We missed out, because of a lack of leadership companies go to Newfrom our politicians, we werent competitive. Mexico, Georgia, and even CanadaThat has changed because of the bill Senator Gowan and England to makewrote and got passed through the house and senate. their movies becauseThen Governor Ducey allowed it to become law. It is of incentives Arizonagoing to bring Arizona back into the film industry. Its couldn't offer thatnot going to replicate other states, very few states havePioneer Living History Museum / Courtesy of Robert Conwayis about to change,the oil money that New Mexico has, or the natural gasThis state has an incredible history of creating following the passage Photo by Gage Skidmor money that they apply to their incentive. We have tomovies and being in the film business but we of Senator Davidreally be smarter here in Arizona and Senator Gowan Gowans (top right)and the team that wrote the bill were smarter byneglected it, and let politics get in our way, and HB2156. My searchrefocusing on a filming center that really pays dividendsthe industry went elsewhere.for what this meansfor Arizona. to Arizona led me to Randy Murray (bottomSpecifically, our incentive in this bill is going tosuch a wonderful place for them to work. Studios like right) who chairs theencourage building studios in Arizona. Its going toCastle Rock, Lions Gate, and Netflix, will start to look at legislative committeeincentify hiring local crews. Also, incentify doing moviesArizona not just as a location to come film and go home, for the AFDMC. I metand TV shows that were written about Arizona, bybut as a location to come and build facilities here. They with Randy at his studioArizonans. This will incentify post-production facilitieswill move their post-production here if its finished here headquarters located inin Arizona. So movies that start here by Arizonans, arebecause they will already have studios here. downtown Phoenix atshot here by Arizonans, and finished here by Arizonans 631 N. 1st Avenue. Thiswill have a leg up on all the other things. Whats thatWe owe a great debt of gratitude to Senator Gowan iconic building was thegoing to do? Its going to keep our film students here.and his team for this brilliant HB2156, Arizona Film first of many things in Phoenix but more about that later.Steven Spielberg wouldnt have had to leave if HB2156Industry Jobs Bill and also to the Arizona Film Digital Here is what Randy told me about HB2156.were here then. He could have stayed here and madeMedia Coalition (AFDMC) that is made up of many film his movies here. Thats what we are hoping for the nextgroups and unions that have lobbied for this for a long Arizona was the place for Hollywood to come; we weregeneration of filmmakers. That theyre going to graduatetime. It is yet to be decided when this bill will take effect. Hollywoods back lot. When John Wayne and John Fordfrom the most amazing film schools all over the state. Possibly late next year at the soonest, but it will happen. wanted to do a movie, they didnt fly to New Mexico,Theyre going to make films here because their homeThis is a great gift to the next generation of filmmakers they drove to Arizona. They owned property here andstate of Arizona is giving them a reason to stay home.in Arizona. had lots of work. Of the many movies filmed in Sedona,That will build a grassroots industry from the ground up the first hotel was built to house actors and crew. from people who were born and raised here to stay here. Now for the rest of Randys story. Randy bought the building, located at 631 N. 1st Avenue in Phoenix, in This state has an incredible history of creating moviesProduction companies, big studios like Disney, Universal,2001. Randy and Theresa remodeled it and brought it and being in the film business but we neglected it, and letand many others are frustrated with their facilities inback from a historic TV station. It was much bigger politics get in our way, and the industry went elsewhere.California. Its hard to work in California, where theresthan they needed, so they built it out for other tenants. When Canada started to incentify filming to comecompetition for every little piece of dirt.Arizona is suchFormerly it had apartments upstairs for the TV stations. there, that changed everything. Arizona stepped on thean attractive place for them to do business. Arizona isIt was the first original studio in Arizona. Built in 1949, this building housed KPHO, the first TV studio in Arizona, and home to a number of Arizonas firsts including the first TV broadcast, the first local newscast, the first color broadcast, the first stereo broadcast, and the first to broadcast work by Steven Spielberg (a short film of his played on The Wallace & Ladmo Show in the early 1960s). Steven Spielberg credits the Wallace & Ladmo Show as being an influence on his career. When KPHO went on the air in 1949, it was the only TV station between the Mississippi River and the west coast. Their signal was simulcast up to the Canadian border and down into Mexico. Now it is the home of First Studio Gallery, A Center for Creative Endeavor, where they do a lot of whats called service work providing studio facilities, crew, casting, and all the coordination, from director to producer. Randy considers it an honor to not only own but to be the caretaker of this historic site. Check out their website at FirstStudio.net and for more information contact them at FirstStudioGallery@gmail.com 10 August 2022"