We Have an Issue: The Measure of Time
In this week’s issue, we’re looking back to the beginnings of Austin Studios, assessing C3 founder Charlie Jones’ mid-career move, and crossing – finally! – Super Tuesday’s finish line.
By Kimberley Jones, Fri., Feb. 28, 2020
The magic of moviemaking is that the seams are invisible. If the filmmakers have done their job right, you'll have no idea what you're watching was shot on a soundstage somewhere, a small army of technicians at work behind the scenes. That kind of work happens day in and day out, going on 20 years now, at Austin Studios, a full-service film and video production facility run by the Austin Film Society for the city of Austin. In this week's cover story, Richard Whittaker takes a look back at the original plan to reinvent the plot of land that once housed Austin's airport, how the studio has expanded in size and ambition, and its impact on Austin as a filmmaking hub. Be sure to check out this story online, too, for a nifty digital timeline that cycles through two decades of Hollywood blockbusters and homegrown indie films that have all called Austin Studios home.
If you're going to sit with a journalist and reflect on the long arc of your career, it certainly doesn't hurt if the journalist has known you going on three decades. And so it goes with Chronicle Music Editor Raoul Hernandez and Charlie Jones, co-founder of C3, the concert promotion company that stages ACL Music Festival, who retired from the company last month. Jones has kept mostly quiet about the exit ... that is, until he and Raoul sat down for a couple hours at Raoul's home office to work their way through Jones' CV. Our print version here covers the early days – from small-town College Station to masterminding massive Austin community events like A2K and Lance Armstrong's Tour de France celebration. For the rest of the story – another 6,000 words that run through the inspiration and evolution of ACL Fest, the reviving of the Lollapalooza brand, and why it was time to leave C3 and strike out on his own again – you'll have to go online. And you should: It's a hell of a read.
Here it is, your very last reminder – go vote. Early voting ends Friday, Feb. 28; election day is Tuesday, March 3. To get you in the mood, check out News Editor Mike Clark-Madison's piece this week on how the presidential primary is playing out here in Austin. Also in this issue: Mike takes a look at how the fonts used in campaign signs can influence our perception of candidates; Mary Tuma relays what it was like to be one of 12,000-plus to turn out for Bernie Sanders' Auditorium Shores rally last weekend; and Michael King reports other bits and bobs in his weekly Election Ticker. For everything else, head to austinchronicle.com/elections – that's also where you'll find our election night live blog. Want to watch the returns in the company of others? Progress Texas and the Chronicle are hosting an Election Night Meetup; find more details here.
Online This Week
The Iceman Cometh: Kevin Curtin reports on Val Kilmer's new partnership with Mosaic Sound Collective, and where you can find the actor and artist around town next month.
The Smell From a Grill Could Spark Up Nostalgia: The best backyard party of the year, Hot Luck Festival returns Memorial Day weekend with a stacked food and music lineup. Musical talent announced this week include Dinosaur Jr., Hayes Carll, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, with Top Chef winner Mei Lin and San Juan chef Jose Enrique listed among the out-of-town chef participants.
Drive All Night? Stretching the definition of what constitutes a day trip, "Day Trips" columnist Gerald E. McLeod visits the ski slopes of Boone, N.C.
This Week on The Austin Chronicle Show on KOOP 91.7FM
Annie's List Executive Director Royce Brooks joins us to discuss her work in getting progressive women elected to office.
Tune in Fridays, 3pm, to KOOP Community Radio. Past episodes at austinchronicle.com/av.
