McKinney is a Proud Texas Film Friendly Community

McKinney's official designation as a Texas Film Friendly Community with the Texas Film Commission was announced by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in February 2019. But McKinney has been a friendly place for filming crews long before then. 

Visit McKinney earned the designation in 2019 after completing the multi-step training and certification process required by the Texas Film Commission. The TFC helps to grow local jobs and local economies by promoting the Lone Star State as the premier destination for film, television, commercial, animation, visual effects, and video game production.
 

COMING IN 2024!
Watch for details to come about an event in the works to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Benji," the classic family movie filmed in McKinney in 1973-74. The small-budget ($500,000) film which appears on the Texas Film Commission's Texas Classic Film Trail was released on Oct. 17, 1974, and generated $45 million at the box office. And people still come to McKinney to see the "Benji House," currently under renovation on S. Tennessee Street just south of the historic downtown square! 

McKinney has hosted film crews from a variety of TV shows and movies as well as commercials and we'd love to work with you! Among past projects are: 

• Dr. Phil Network Commercial (2023)
• Texas Music Revolution (Film, 2022-2023)
• YOLO TX (TV Series: 2020) 
• The Daytripper (TV Series: 2020)
• Publishers Clearing House commercial with Terry Bradshaw (2020)
• Virgil, Texas Revisited [retrospective on 30th anniversary of True Stories] - (2017)
• Undercover Boss – Marco’s Pizza (TV Series: 2016)
• Prepper (2016) 
• The Real Housewives of Dallas (TV Series: 2016) 
• Hoovey (2015)
• Lone Star Law (TV Series: 2015)
• Rooms To Go (Commercial: 2015)
• Toyota (Commercial: 2015)
• Catfish (Reality Show MTV: 2014)
• Troubadour TX, Season 3 (TV Episode: 2014)
• Shark Tank, Season 5 (TV Episode: 2013)
• Extreme Cheapskates (TV, segment on Season 2, Episode 8: 2013)
• Language of a Broken Heart (2011/2013)
• Chase, Season 1 (TV Series: 2010)
• Prison Break, Season 2(TV Series: 2006)
• A Promise To Carolyn (TV Movie: 1996) 
• Walker, Texas Ranger(TV Series: 1993-2001)
• An American Story (TV Movie: 1992)
• A Killing in a Small Town (TV Movie: 1990)
• Dakota (1988)
• When the Time Comes (TV Movie: 1987)
• True Stories(1986)
• Benji (1974)

The City of McKinney is one of about 160 Film Friendly Texas communities that receive ongoing training and guidance from the Texas Film Commission on media industry standards, best practices, and how to effectively accommodate on-location filming activity in their community. The Texas Film Commission in the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office has attracted $1.74 billion in local spending and created more than 162,000 production jobs across the state from 2007 to 2021.

Visit the Texas Film Commission website and the Texas Film Friendly community program page for more about the Texas Film Commission.

Working with McKinney on your project

McKinney is happy to accommodate your project, no matter how small. Contact Beth Shumate, Visit McKinney communications manager, via email or direct phone line, 972-547-2061. She will be your liaison to connect you with the people and resources you'll need. For a glimpse at our locations that are registered with the Texas Film Commission, click HERE. For other photos of sites within our community, contact Visit McKinney at media@visitmckinney.com for a site visit or to request photos.