Rolling in the Four Corners
Video Resource Network hopes to jumpstart local film production

Marc Snider, of Exposure Productions, shoots while Matt Fike looks on inside the company’s new studio. A newly forming group, the Video Resource Network, hopes to connect local video production resources, such as Exposure, with other like-minded creatives looking to get video projects off the ground./Photo by David Halterman

by Missy Votel

As Colorado’s neighbor to the south enjoys a boom in film production, an effort is under way to get things rolling in the Four Corners region as well.

Next month will mark the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Video Resource Network. The brainchild of local video producer Tom Schillaci, the group is envisioned as a way for local filmmakers, writers, technical experts, directors and other creative types to connect on video projects.

“I started this group to uncover the hidden talent out there,” said Schillaci, a video producer who recently returned from a stint at the New York Film School where he worked on a social justice documentary about a Tibetan monk. “There are a lot of people out there doing stuff, the only problem is, there’s not a network for them to connect. The goal is to bring together people who are even remotely interested in video production.”

Schillaci said with improvements in technology and a drop in cost for digital video cameras, more and more people are getting into the do-it-yourself video realm. “For a while, there were about 10 guys in town who were doing it, but now there are so many more,” he said. “There are a lot of people shooting a lot of stuff.”

He said by coming together, local people interested in video production can pool their resources or build awareness of what resources are out there. Although there are options available, such as Durango Community Access Television, he said people may not be aware of them. “If you live in the city, you may know that you can rent out DCAT equipment and get training, but there are 40,000 people in the county, so that’s a lot of people who may not know about it,” he said.

He said he believes a place like Durango would be ideal for larger film productions because of the amenities, such as hotels and an airport, and its diverse scenery. “You can go from the mountains to the desert pretty quickly here,” he said. “I think that a lot of production companies would like to spend 60 days here to shoot something.”

However, in order for that to happen, Schillaci said Colorado has to overcome the fierce competition from its neighbor to the south, New Mexico, which offers big tax incentives to entice film production to the state. He said Colorado’s effort was hurt a few years back when the state slashed its tourism budget, under which the Colorado Film Commission operated. Since then, though, the state is coming back around. “The State of Colorado has recognized the need to compete and has started giving more money toward film incentives,” he said.

However, the flip side to that is without enough film production work here, the qualified work force goes elsewhere.

“It’s sort of a chicken and an egg scenario,” said Marc Snider, owner of Exposure Productions, a Durango production company. But Snider, who has been in business since 1999, said he sees a shift in the prevailing tide. “In the past few years, production here has increased dramatically, as has the quality of the product versus five or 10 years ago,” he said. “I can see it turning a corner on a local and national level.”

Part of this surge has been fueled by the explosion of the online video arena, including such places as myspace and youtube. “Web sites offer a huge distribution outlet where video production is now needed,” he said.

As for the traditional film production realm, he said this could be a boon locally as well. “National production companies unload ungodly amounts of money and hire local people,” he said.

But aside from this, Schillaci said he first wants to try to foster a vibrant local scene. “Most of all, I want to work with creative people or high-impact video programming,” he said. “You always hear about all the bad stuff going on. But it’s my personal experience that there are a lot of people doing a lot of good.”

However, the only way to gauge whether there are other like-minded individuals out there is to put out the call. So far, he has made contacts and gotten interest for the project throughout the Four Corners, including Cortez, Telluride, Farmington, Ridgway, Silverton, Pagosa Springs and Moab. He also has been in contact with two state agencies, the Colorado Film and Video Association and the Colorado Film Commission, of which John Cohen, the director of the Durango Area Tourism Office, is a board member. “John will he on hand at the meeting in July to answer questions and tell us about the CFC,” he said.

In addition, GreenSceneTV.com, an eco-friendly online video distribution venture from Boulder, will also be coming down to shoot the event and gather feedback from participants.

“If we get five people, that will say something,” Schillaci said. “But, if we get 55, well, I think we’ll have something here.” •