Film And Music Scene Thriving In Tulsa

The music scene in Tulsa is thriving but we also have a lot of talented film makers.

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett and the Tulsa Chamber are investing extra resources, hoping to get the creative side of our city into the national spotlight.

Cain's is a go-to destination for big name acts and the BOK Center is selling out some pretty impressive shows too.

The city is pushing its newly formed Office for Film and Music because, there is a lot of talent in town and the mayor is determined to get the word out.

Jason Burks is young and talented and his production company, Retrospec Films, is doing some impressive work.

"I've had a lot of people ask me, ‘when are you going to L.A.?' or ‘when are you going to New York.?' I'm like, ‘when I have projects I get on the plane and go but I love coming back here,'" Burks said.

Tulsa is where Burks grew up and one of his company's most recent projects is a video promoting the city and it is spreading on social media.

"I don't care if you know about Tulsa, it's a really great place, I love it. I mean, I'll tell you all about it, but if you don't care, that's fine, I mean it's a great place to be,” he said.

The Tulsa Chamber is helping him get the word out by hiring Abby Kurin as Director of the Tulsa Film and Music Office.

"If you look at it like a giant puzzle, we have all these pieces, so now it's the opportunity to bring it together and really create a strong infrastructure and grow this industry,” Kurin said.

Bartlett said, "When it does happen, when it does get going, it's going to really, literally, put us on the map in so many ways, but it will evolve into things other than just strictly music and film."

We've got the venues in place - the BOK Center, Cain's Ballroom, The Brady Theater – and we've got the filmmakers here to stay.

"We're not moving to the coast, we are staying right here, and I think people need to be encouraged to realize you can do that," Burks said.

Retrospec Films recently shot a pilot for a television series in Tulsa and they currently have a representative shopping it around in New York City.