How the Houston Film Commission Streamlined Film Production Registration with UnicornForms
At the heart of Houston's thriving film industry stands Alfred Cervantes and the Houston Film Commission, serving as the crucial bridge between filmmakers and the city's vast resources. As a key leader in the Commission, Alfred helps production teams transform Houston's diverse urban landscape into the perfect backdrop for their creative visions.
The Commission acts as an essential information resource office, connecting filmmakers with everything they need – from securing locations and finding local crew to navigating city permits for filming in public spaces. Whether it's helping a production team close down a sidewalk or access a city park, Alfred and his team work to make Houston an attractive and accessible destination for film projects of all sizes.
In their role as facilitators of creative projects, the Commission has become an indispensable part of Houston's growing reputation as a film-friendly city. Their work requires careful coordination between multiple stakeholders, ensuring that producers have the resources and permissions they need to bring their visions to life in the Lone Star State.
Before modernizing their process, the Commission struggled with an outdated registration system that relied on a two-page PDF form. Filmmakers had to download this form, complete it, and submit it via email or fax – a process that created numerous bottlenecks in their workflow.
Technical capabilities varied widely among filmmakers, leading to inconsistent form completion and submission issues. Email attachments would often get lost in spam folders, while fax transmissions weren't always reliable. These technical hurdles meant that some productions simply never completed their registrations, leaving the Commission with an incomplete picture of filming activity in Houston.
The manual data entry required after receiving these forms involved another layer of challenges. Commission staff had to input information from the PDFs into their CRM system to track essential metrics like production days, estimated budgets, and hotel stays. This time-consuming process not only tied up valuable staff resources but also introduced the potential for data entry errors.
The industry's rapid shift toward mobile-first workflows made these challenges even more apparent. "What I've been hearing this year is that some crew members and producers are becoming computer-free, relying solely on mobile devices," notes Alfred. "It's quite a shift, and we're moving in that direction." Their existing PDF-based system wasn't equipped to handle this evolution in how film professionals work.
Since implementing UnicornForms in 2022, the Commission has transformed their registration process into a streamlined, mobile-friendly system that better serves modern filmmakers. "Having UnicornForms available and properly formatted for any screen is incredibly helpful," Alfred shares. "It allows people in the field to use their phones to capture information wherever they are."
The impact on submission rates has been significant. "It's efficient for us because people can use UnicornForms and sign on their mobile," explains Alfred. "Before, if they didn't have a computer or couldn't fax it, we received fewer registration forms. Now, with the online option, we are getting more registrations." This increase in completed registrations means better tracking of film activity in Houston and more comprehensive economic impact data.
The new system has eliminated the manual data entry burden by feeding submissions directly into their CRM. "Having a workflow where you can visit our website, fill out the form, and we receive the UnicornForm on the other end makes it much easier for people using different platforms to complete the process," Alfred notes. This seamless integration ensures more accurate reporting while freeing up staff time for more valuable activities.
By embracing digital transformation through UnicornForms, the Houston Film Commission has created a more efficient, accessible registration process that better serves their community while streamlining their internal operations. The result is a more dynamic, responsive film commission ready to support Houston's growing role in the film industry.
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