Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in theaters now. Photo courtesy of Apple Original Films
Maria Gus,
Visit Bartlesville
Visit Bartlesville Executive Director Maria Gus talks movie business, behind-the-scenes scoop from “Killers of the Flower Moon” (which is currently in theaters and was filmed in the Bartlesville area) and tells us how the movie impacted the local economy.
City Beat: We know “Killers of the Flower Moon” was primarily filmed in Osage County. Were any of the scenes shot in or around Bartlesville?
Gus: Yes! There is one scene, early on in the film, where we see a character playing football in what appears to be an old piece of newsreel footage. That took place at Robinwood Field. And many scenes were shot at the Bartlesville Municipal Airport where they converted one of the airplane hangars into a sound stage. There was also quite a bit filmed at a Bartlesville ranch, although it is not accessible to the public.
What role did Bartlesville play in the movie?
Bartlesville was home base in many ways. Many of the cast and crew stayed in our hotels and rented apartments and homes. We were also the location for the production office, wardrobe, aging and dying — clothes, not people, which took me a minute when I walked into the room — and props, among others.
The logistics of operating a film are vast, and Bartlesville worked with everyone from locations, housing, and helped connect cast and crew to services they needed. Any time a film begins looking into an area, they typically start with a locations scout. We worked with producers and locations professionals to provide potential shooting locations, offices, information, and resources that a film crew may need.
When “To the Wonder” was here in 2010, the locations manager told me that a film crew in town is like a convention or conference. Instead of a conference that may be here for two or three days, a production can be here for two or three months. Or, in the case of KOTFM, they were here for almost a year.
How did the temporary housing of the cast and crew in Bartlesville impact the community economically?
According to the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, “with principal photography beginning in April 2021, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ had a qualified direct spend of more than $127 million in Oklahoma and generated an additional $72.3 million in economic output over 154 preparation days and 99 days of filming. The production created more than 470 local career opportunities for crew and an additional 1,200 roles for individuals serving as background talent. Respectfully honoring the origins of this true story, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was filmed in many of the actual communities throughout the Osage Nation where these historic incidents occurred including Pawhuska, Bartlesville, Fairfax and Tulsa.”
According to Visit Bartlesville’s economic impact report, our community saw approximately $1.5 million in taxes collected from pre-production until the crew left in late 2021. That translates to a $35 million economic impact over the entire eight-plus months the production was in the area.
1. TOTAL (all visitors) economic impact for FY 21 was a little over $30 million
2. TOTAL (all visitors) fiscal impact for FY 21 was $649,000
3. Estimated ECONOMIC impact from KOTFM for FY21 was $16 million (when added with FY22 at $19 million, that’s a total of $35 million)
4. Estimated FISCAL impact from KOTFM for FY21 was $380,000 (when added with FY22 at $857,000 that’s a total of $1.5 million)
There is a formula used to determine the approximate economic impact the production of the film had on the community. How does that formula work? What does it show as the impact for Bartlesville during this project?
That formula comes from economic and tourism professionals in Oklahoma and contracted by the state tourism office. Visit Bartlesville has an Average Daily Spend (ADS) that they calculate for any visitor that comes to the area. Once we know how many people were here for the run of the production — this often does not include background actors who are in and out of the area for various shoot days — we calculate the estimated fiscal impact (spending) and then calculate the sales tax and lodging tax collected from that fiscal impact.
Another popular measurement in the tourism and economic development world is economic impact. That number often includes a multiplier and factors in the “ripple effect” of visitors in the area. A guest stays in a hotel, that money then goes to the hotel staff, which goes to the grocery store, etc.
How were locations for the cast and crew’s living quarters during their stay determined? How long were they here?
Many factors came into play as they determined living spaces. Length of time available, amenities, etc. Fortunately, Bartlesville had some apartments that had recently opened and many of the cast and crew were able to utilize those spaces. Hotels with a restaurant or kitchenettes can be appealing to any crew member staying for a long period of time. With a cast and crew as large as this one, Bartlesville and the area were in an “all hands on deck” mode. We simply didn’t have enough hotels in the area to accommodate everyone. We were very grateful for vacation rentals, apartment owners, and home owners who were willing to make their properties available.
Do you know how many Bartlesville/Washington County residents were cast in “Killers of the Flower Moon” or played some role in the production?
I don’t have a verified number but from the people I’ve talked with there were dozens. Some were on set for multiple days, some for only a few, but there was definitely a Bartlesville/Washington County presence.
How many movies have been filmed here?
Many! But the big ones are:
- To the Wonder, Terrence Malick
- Pruning the Family Tree, Fritz Green
- LoveTown, Jay Webster
- August: Osage County, John Wells
- Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story, Bradley Beesley
- Playground of the Native Son, Celia Xavier (unreleased)
- The Heart Stays, Diane Fraher (accommodations, filmed mostly in Osage County)
- Starbright, Fracesco Lucente (unreleased)
- Travelers, Jay Webster
- Joey and Ella, Lionsgate
- To the Stars, Martha Stephens
- Killers of the Flower Moon, Apple Productions (production office, filmed mostly in Osage County)
- Oh My Guinness (award winning short film)
- The Beldham, Thunderbird Films (Now Rebellium Film)
- Cottonmouth, Rebellium Film
And a few I can’t talk about yet!
What is something you’ve learned about the film industry that would surprise most people?
It really is a small world. When John Wells came to visit Bartlesville before August: Osage County, he said he had asked Ben Affleck about his experience here. Ben was very complimentary. When Scorcese came to Bartlesville, I found out that he had already talked to Terrance Malick about the area. So many of them know each other and work with each other. It’s great to have been able to see some of the same faces in Bartlesville for productions.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
The film rebate makes the difference for Oklahoma and Bartlesville has certainly benefitted from this rebate. We are eager to welcome even more Oklahoma made films.