With enhanced production incentives now rolling out across Texas, an Austin‑based startup aims to help filmmakers secure the largest possible rebates from the Lone Star State and beyond.
Its new platform, Goldenrod, is now live for Texas‑based productions, with pilot projects underway in Kentucky and Louisiana. The launch coincides with the Toronto International Film Festival, a period when state incentive programs are under intense scrutiny and a possible nationwide benefit is being shaped by legislators in Washington.
Goldenrod provides film, television, commercial and video‑game productions with purpose‑built technology plus on‑site incentives consulting. Teams can consult the platform early in development to shape their incentive strategy before shooting begins. Throughout production, Goldenrod tracks compliance and handles the submission, approval and payment process.
The expanded Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, enacted last fall, created a $1.5 billion fund—equivalent to $300 million every two years for ten years. Qualifying film and television projects receive a base rebate of 5% to 25% based on in‑state spending (with a minimum of $250,000), plus possible uplifts. Because it is a cash rebate, payouts occur more quickly than with traditional tax incentives.
“Incentives compliance is genuinely hard to get right,” says Russell Wayne Groves, producer and Goldenrod co‑founder (Family Movie, Stages) and founder of Austin’s The Ranch Productions. “The administrative burden pulls you away from the set and the creative process; miss a detail and you could forfeit substantial funds or be disqualified altogether.” He likens Goldenrod to a TurboTax for production incentives: “You concentrate on making the film, we ensure you capture every dollar you’re owed, and your financiers always have a clear view of the status.”
The remaining founders are Ted Griffis and Brandon Thomas of Austin‑based post‑production house TBD Post (Iron Lung, Netflix’s The Long Game, Apple TV’s Fathom), together with Tara Khanna, former Incentives Team Lead and Senior Production Incentives Specialist at the Texas Film Commission.
The firm requires an upfront deposit and then takes a percentage of the incentives it helps secure.
Texas’ production profile has been climbing, highlighted recently by a shoutout from David Ellison. The Paramount CEO noted Texas as one of several states he would consider for relocating Hollywood should antitrust settlement talks fail. Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is spearheading a coalition of a dozen states seeking to block Paramount’s planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
A federal tax incentive similar to those offered in many other countries has been revived by President Trump, sparking considerable industry discussion. When combined with state‑level benefits, it could create a compelling package that encourages productions to film in the United States, driving jobs and spending in local economies across both red and blue states.
Groves told Deadline that he was the first to use Goldenrod for his SXSW‑premiering film Stages, and roughly ten productions have beta‑tested the platform. He described the ideal client as someone with a budget and schedule who wants to ensure that budget is fully optimized for incentive benefits. “In Texas, if you don’t take advantage of the program, you leave money on the table,” he said. “Our goal is to help you extract the maximum value from whatever budget you have.”
Texas mandates that at least 35% of a production’s cast and crew be state residents to qualify for the rebate. Groves illustrated the point: “If you’re at 30% residency by week four of a five‑week shoot, you’d need to bring on five additional local hires to meet the threshold—that’s exactly the kind of gap we aim to flag.”
Additionally, a minimum of 60% of the production’s overall work must be completed within Texas.
“We plan to move swiftly after TIFF,” Groves said. Besides Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana, Goldenrod has identified roughly sixteen additional states to target, with the long‑term goal of expanding nationwide.
“I love Texas—I’m a native—but I believe the solution must be state‑agnostic,” he continued. “Every state has its own rules, so we want to review a project upfront and advise whether Texas is the right fit; if not, we’ll point filmmakers toward a more suitable location.”
At TIFF, the Goldenrod team will meet with filmmakers and film commissions, and host a party with XYZ Films on Sunday, during which they will distribute ‘golden tickets’ that give prospective clients access to the platform to run incentive calculations.