“Sorry, I’m out in the middle of nowhere,” says Peter S. Jasso, the new Kansas film commissioner.

The comment comes as an apology for his static-plagued cell phone while he drives through the eastern part of the state. But the phrase also could serve as a mantra for his job duties.

Since taking over in May as film commissioner of a state considered “the middle of nowhere” by the movie production industry, Jasso is making it his mission to solidify a pipeline to Hollywood while also establishing a better connection with the local community. Today he is en route to Fort Scott, the first stop of a two-week tour of Kansas towns in a publicity effort for his agency.

“We have to market our state now by letting people know you can make any kind of film here  not just a western or a prairie theme or a farm film,” Jasso says. “(This excursion) is a way to get word out about our services, not only to major productions but local filmmakers and student filmmakers.”

Jasso and his two-person staff have their work cut out for them.

It’s been three years since the release of Ang Lee’s “Ride With the Devil,” the last major studio feature filmed in the region. The drought is actually typical of the state’s cinematic track record, but the commission views it as something of a national quandary.

“There’s been more of a shift from feature films being shot in Kansas to independent films, commercial and documentaries,” says Lindsay Howgill, assistant film commissioner. “A lot of the big features have been going to places like Australia and Canada. They’re able to get a lot more financial incentives out there. However, we’re starting to see a change in that. We’ve had a lot more inquiries about larger movies lately.”

Since teaming with Jasso in July, Howgill has been hoping to land that elusive “big production” that could introduce Kansas to the attention of Hollywood location scouts. The potential benefits are enormous.

“It can be a pretty big deal,” Howgill says. “A larger feature-type film could bring anywhere from $70-90 million, depending on the size. For a more average thing we would see between $10-20 million. I’m not referring to the budget of their film; that would be what they’d BRING to us.”

Thus the need for a regional film commission …

“It helps to attract films on a bigger level to the state,” Jasso explains his group’s role. “That pulls in jobs and revenue, in terms of hotel and food and that kind of thing. There’s an economic impact, but above and beyond that it helps to foster local filmmakers. It just makes filming easier for both big and small productions.”

A Topeka native who graduated from the University of Southern California with a film degree, Jasso labored around Los Angeles for several years as a freelance sound technician. Additionally, he taught at the New York Film Academy and worked for Francis Ford Coppola’s company American Zoetrope on “the development end of things.”

Since his tenure began with the commission, the 26-year-old Jasso has witnessed a handful of projects emigrate to the state.

“The bulk of the stuff that is coming in are TV things,” cites Jasso. “Like MTV shot something in Wichita for their ‘Driven’ series. “Discovery just did something here. Home & Garden Television (HGTV) just shot something for a series they’re doing called ‘Home on the Range.’ Then there was an independent film from L.A. called ‘American Crime’ that just finished up here. We don’t have any major features right now, but we have a lot of television and smaller-budget things.”

Change of scenery

Part of why the Kansas Film Commission is enjoying a rejuvenation is because it’s found a new “home.” Originally part of the Department of Travel & Tourism, the agency recently got shuffled to Commerce & Housing.

“It’s an advantage because business development has a lot more things that we can access financially, incentive-wise,” Howgill explains. “They’re used to bringing people to Kansas to scout. I think it will be a better match for us.”

“One of the benefits of Travel & Tourism was our location-finding aspect really fit that heading,” adds Jasso. “But what we do is more similar to business recruitment. I know there are a lot of people who are thinking of starting production companies in the state. Since those kind of things would stay here on a permanent basis, business development could help them a lot more than Travel & Tourism.”

Joining Jasso and Howgill on their own travel & tour is Aili Kato, an independent filmmaker from Los Angeles who is shooting an industrial for the film commission that will serve as its national recruitment ad. The ensemble will visit various spots in the state during the next few weeks and will conclude Oct. 25 at Oldfather Studio in Lawrence.

“We’re ending it in Lawrence because that’s where the major film school is in the state, and it’s such an artist community,” Jasso says. “It seemed the right place to wrap up a film tour.”

Jasso also has other strategies on the horizon. The commission is planning on conducting a more formalized introduction in the spring. This likely will take the form of an annual conference where filmmakers and production companies from all over the state can gather. Additionally, he wants to establish more of a presence in Los Angeles, an area to which he already possesses strong ties.

Ultimately, he says, his professional duties need to begin with the nurturing of hometown talent.

“One of the problems is that no one is forced to contact the film commission when they’re going to shoot a project,” Jasso says in between eruptions of cell-phone static. “Most out-of-state companies contact us, but sometimes local people don’t because they don’t know what services we can provide. We just want to start communicating more with local filmmakers and let them know we care.”